HONEY BEE REMOVAL & RELOCATION SERVICES
Sustainably reshaping honey bee destinies.
During the warmer summer months, wild colonies of African Honey Bees, often referred to as “African Killer Bees”, naturally swarm and seek new homes away from their original nests. These bees, often found in urban areas, tend to choose man-made structures such as roof cavities, electric meter boxes, pool pump covers, municipal waste bins, lamp posts, bird logs, and owl boxes as their preferred nesting sites.
Unfortunately, many of these locations are in close proximity to our homes, and given the notoriously defensive nature of African Honey Bees, this can pose potential dangers. Any interference such as provocation, throwing objects at them, spraying insecticides, or exposing them to strong odors like freshly cut grass or scorching can trigger violent reactions that may lead to fatal consequences.
For your safety, NEVER attempt to remove a bee colony by yourself!
At The Honey Bee Group our team of highly specialised apiarists are trained professionals, registered and accredited. Equipped with extensive experience and expertise, we possess the necessary skills to safely remove and relocate bee colonies to a new location.
Our qualifications from the Institute for Working at Heights (IWH) also enable us to perform removals at elevated structures like cellphone towers, lighting masts, rooftops, and other high points.
It is important to note that we prioritize the ethical treatment of bees and do sustainable removals.
We remove the entire colony, including the combs with young bee pupae (brood), place it in a hive and relocate them to our nursing apiary situated on a farm in the Cullinan district. Here, the colony receives nourishment during the winter months and is given time to recover from the disruption caused by the removal process. As soon as the colony is strong enough they will be placed in a bigger 10 frame hive and transferred to one of our honey production apiaries.
When considering a bee removal, please keep in mind the following details:
Bee removal is a contracted service similar to that of an electrician or plumber, and the cost will vary depending on the complexity of the removal.
Due to the defensive nature of African Honey Bees, removals of established colonies in urban settings can only take place after sunset to minimize the risk of a bee-attack and to ensure that all the worker bees have returned to the nest.
An evaluation and assessment of the situation will be conducted based on photos provided by the client before providing a quotation.
For your peace of mind, our specialist apiarists possess the following qualifications and credentials:
- Registered with DALRRD (Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development) as is required by legislation.
- Members of SABIO (South African Bee Industries Organisation)
- Members of EHBA (Eastern Highveld Beekeeping Association)
- Members of NBA (Northern Beekeepers Association)
- Accredited by NBA (Northern Beekeepers Association) as Bee Removal specialists
- Members of the BRISA (Bee Removal Institute of Souith Africa)
- IWH (Institute for Working at Heights) qualified for working at heights
- Maintain third party liability insurance in place to cover you for the unforeseen.
Bee removals are done at night, why?
We are dealing with the African honey bee (one of the most notorious bee species on the planet) and we need to assure your safety, as well as that of neighbors, pets and pedestrians – when it is dark, bees tend to crawl rather than fly around, mitigating the risk of a bee-attack.
In order for us to do an accurate quotation on the safe and ethical removal and relocation of bees the following information will be required by the apiarist:
Where are the bees, in what?
in a wall, a pot, a borehole or electrical meter box etc.
Do you know how long they have been there?
did you actually see them move-in?
How high off the ground is the opening of the nest?
on the ground, single story, double story, 8 meters in a tree etc
Has there been any attempts to remove them?
someone closed them up, they have been smoked, poisoned etc.
Has anyone been stung by the bees recently?
We take pride in our professional approach and unwavering commitment to preserving the well-being of our invaluable honey bees while ensuring the safety of our clients.
You can trust Honey Bee Group for all your bee removal and relocation needs although our commitment extends beyond removal services. We conduct educational outreach programs to enhance public awareness, promoting understanding and coexistence between communities and honey bees.
