ALL Florida Bee Removal Blog

Feb 9, 2012: Don't miss this talk! Chris Sloan: 21ST CENTURY SCIENCE MEDIA LANDSCAPES

2012-02-06T14:38:00.001-05:00

Analogous Thinking in Art & Science, Spring 2012 Speaker Series:
Thursday Feb 9, 6:30 PM
Genetics Auditorium, Rm 101
1376 Mowry Road, Gainesville Florida
Univ of Florida Campus

21ST CENTURY SCIENCE MEDIA LANDSCAPES

Scientists and artists have been partners in communicating new understandings about our world to the public for over five centuries. Now, in the context of the challenges of understanding the new complexities of science, that partnership is more important than ever, especially if we are to increase the science literacy of our population. Changing technology, new media consumption behaviors and a weak economy are just a few of the factors frustrating efforts to communicate science effectively to the public. If understood, however, some of these same factors present great new opportunities for science visualizers.

Biography: Christopher Sloan is an award-winning author and art director who specializes in bringing non-visual scientific research to life for diverse audiences. Mr. Sloan worked with National Geographic Magazine from 1992 to 2010 as art director, senior editor, and director of mission projects. During this time he proposed many of the archaeology, paleoanthropology and paleontology stories the magazine produced, and played a key role in their successful execution in the magazine as well as in corollary television shows. Among these include many popular cover stories, such as Dawn of Humans, Neanderthals, Evolution of Mammals, Sea Monsters, Rise and Fall of the Maya, Bizarre Dinosaurs, and Secrets of Stonehenge. Mr. Sloan has worked directly with scholars and governments all over the world. As the director of mission projects he played a key role in allocating National Geographic funds to support research world-wide, at times participating directly in fieldwork. As an expert in science communication, Mr. Sloan enjoys lecturing on visualizing science. He has made a number of television and radio appearances in connection with National Geographic articles. Currently, he serves as the president of ScienceVisualization, a company specializing in effective science communication.

FREE Hornet Removal ! (yes, it's baaack!)

2011-11-04T18:27:00.000-04:00

FREE Hornet Nest Removal

(Effective Nov 7th, 2011 till????)

Yes, you read the title correctly, we are offering Free Hornet Nest Removals, no strings attached. We are participating in a research trial, and are looking for suitable candidates for this trial. However, there are conditions to be met, in order for these nests to be included in the free hornet removals. And some exclusions exist as well. Should your nest not qualify, we certainly can perform removals at a reasonable charge.

Here are the conditions:

The nest must be located in one of the following counties: Marion, Levy, Dixie, Gilchrist, Alachua, Putnam, Clay, Bradford, Union, Lafayette, Suwannee, and the southern portions of Columbia and Baker Counties. Please see map below highlighting areas covered.
The nest must be active. (containing live adult hornets, at the minimum. Live immatures are ok, too.)
The nest must be Bald-Faced Hornets, scientific name is Dolichovespula maculata . Please see representative photos below. Other species of stinging insects are not included in this program, including Yellow Jackets ( Vespula spp.), Paper Wasps ( Polistes spp. ), Honey Bees ( Apis mellifera ) or any other stinging insects. We can perform removals for a reasonable fee on these other insects.
The nest must be accessible and removable by normal means, either at an accessible height, or with a 12 foot stand-alone ladder. (usually no taller than 20 feet, and able to remove the nest intact. Shredded nests or pieces of nest are useless for this program)
We must be allowed to use insecticide. EPA labeled insecticide will be used. If it's illegal to use insecticide at the site, or you or the property owner/management will not allow insecticide use, the free removal cannot be included in this program.
We reserve the right to exclude any nests, at our discretion, for the free hornet removal program.

What we are looking for:

These are some photos of hornets and their nests. They are made of a paper-like substance that the hornets make from chewed bark & other cellulose containing materials, plus saliva. Notice the banded appearance.

Hornet Nest

Hornet (Dolichovespula)

What we are NOT looking for:

Honey Bee nests including External nests

Honey Bee

Yellow Jacket nests

Yellow Jacket Nests

Yellow Jackets


Paper Wasp Nests

Paper Wasp Nest

Paper Wasp

Mud Dauber Nest

Mud Dauber

Again, for the free removals, we only want Hornet (Dolichovespula maculata) nests that are active. If you have any of these other nest, as shown above, we will be happy to remove them for you at a reasonable fee.

WHERE we will perform free Hornet removals:

aaa

Free Hornet Removal area

Counties and Cities we will remove Hornets for free:

Marion: Ocala, Silver Springs, Reddick
Levy: Bronson, Cedar Key
Dixie: Cross City
Gilchrist: Trenton
Alachua: Gainesville, High Springs, Alachua, Waldo
Putnam: Palatka
Clay: Green Cove Springs, Orange Park
Bradford: Starke
Union: Lake Butler
Baker: Macclenny
Columbia: Lake City
Suwannee: Live Oak
Lafayette: Mayo

We will remove hornets in other cities/towns/unincorporated areas located in the above counties.

Give us a call at 352-870-0346 , 1-800-343-5317 Or simply send us an email here, and ask us about FREE HORNET REMOVAL. We'll be happy to discuss your nest and let you know if it qualifies for this research program.

Thanks,

Richard Martyniak, M.Sc., Entomologist

91st Annual Florida State Beekeepers Annual Convention Oct 27-29 Orlando

2011-09-28T11:03:00.001-04:00

Orange Blossom Beekeepers Association is hosting the 91st Annual Florida State Beekeepers Association Convention October 27-29, 2011. The event will be held at the Orange County Extension Offices located at 6021 S. Conway Road, Orlando, Florida.

The kick-off event will be a BBQ on Thursday October 27, beginning at 6:00 p.m., catered by Metro Catering. The BBQ will be at the Extension Offices location. The convention begins Friday the 28th at 8:30 a.m. with exciting speakers, presentations and a cooking demonstration by the 2011 Florida Honey Queen, Jayla Gillaspie.

A first ever presentation of "Queen of the Sun" will be shown in the auditorium (go to http://www.queenofthesun.com/about/story for more info about this great movie). A box/bag lunch will be provided and vegetarian sandwiches provided only if you check the appropriate box on the registration form. The cost of the convention is $25.00 per person. This includes the "Queen of the Sun" movie showing as well as the "A Day in the Bee Yard" event on Saturday.

As the "Queen of the Sun" movie is a special one-time only showing, members of the public are cordially invited to come view it. The cost for non-registered guests is $5.00 for the movie only

The Annual Banquet and auction will be held Friday night at the Holiday Inn International Airport, 5750 T.G. Lee Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32822. A "Taste of Italy" menu is planned, with vegetarian items included. Cost per person for the banquet is $40.00. The auction will include the entries from the Welsh Honey Show and Judging which will take place earlier in the day Friday. A special room rate of $81.00 will be provided. Let the reservations person know you are with FSBA when making your reservation for the special rate. call 407-851-6400 for reservations.

Read more here at Orange Blossom Beekeepers site

We are lifetime members at Orange Blossom Beekeepers and will be performing volunteer duties to help make this a GREAT Annual Convention!

Richard Martyniak

But I Know these bees aren't Africanized Killer Bees !

2011-09-20T21:33:00.002-04:00

I'm amazed at folks who insist that honey bees are always gentle, and sting only when provoked by significant provocation. While it's largely true that our managed honey bee colonies, those that we keep in our white bee hive boxes, don't sting en-masse while we work them properly, feral or wild honey bee colonies can be extremely variable in defensive response. Throw in the Africanized Honey Bee (Killer Bee) genetics that we are seeing all over Central Florida, and the defensive responses are hiking up to sometimes dangerous levels.

Maitland Honey Bee colony located in porch floor

We inspect many feral honey bee colonies per day, some gentle, some mean as fire. And then there are those that seem to have some crazies. Take this Maitland bee removal we inspected yesterday. The nest is located above the first story roof line, normally a distance where the bees would hardly notice and certainly not care about a couple humans standing down in the yard.

Right EyeLid swelling 30 minutes after Bee Sting

While talking with the client, a guard bee came down to inspect us, and the client waved her hand (note, NEVER wave your hands at bees, they think it's a provocative act, akin to throwing the handkerchief on the ground), and BAP, the rogue guard bee stung our trainee technician in his Eyelid.

Still the client insisted that there was no way that these were Africanized Killer Bees! (To be fair, we can't ID bees as killer bees or European gentle honey bees until we perform a lengthy lab test involving several dozen sample bees, so we can't say what subspecies they are or aren't either).

Right Eyelid swelling 30 minutes after bee sting

No Big deal, right? we pulled out the stinger promptly, administered anthi-histimanes and ice per protocol. The next day, this is what our tech awoke to:

Right facial swelling prox 18 hours post bee sting

Sexy, eh? While it may look scary, the swelling is actually normal, as fluids tend to accumulate during sleeping and can't properly drain. However, this is not something we encourage our staff to endure. It's our protocol to assume every feral honey bee colony has the capacity to inflict multiple stings within seconds, and that's why are to wear hats on every call...Right Jeff? :-)

And while we may laugh this off, one sting can prove fatal to a sting-sensitive individual. We know of multiple incidents where folks have died from a single, or a few stings from bees or wasps. Couple that with the significant spike in mean Africanized Killer Bee feral colonies we see in homes, manufactured homes, trees and other locations, it's high time to take these bees serious, and to give them the respect due.

Richard Martyniak, M.Sc., Entomologist and Fla. Registered Beekeeper
The Buzzkillers, LLC
ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com

Shoulda called the Stinging Insect Experts First!

2011-07-28T08:00:00.001-04:00

This Jacksonville bee removal client had finally had enough with standard pest control providers. Every year, bees return to the block wall of her building, and every year her pest control operator would perform what we call a "spray & pray", just squirting some insecticide 'juice' where the bees were entering, charge her a couple hundred dollars and go on his way. The following year, bees return and the process starts anew.

After spending lots of dough, she finally searched for a true bee control expert, found us and her problem is solved.... permanently!!

Here's a pic of the site:

The red arrows are where the bees were entering, and the white outline represents the size of the nest, located within the block wall voids.. a truly mature bee nest! We performed our DTS protocol, and saved her thousands of dollars.

Another satisfied client!

Contact us at 1-800-343-5317 or online here

Richard Martyniak, M.Sc., Entomologist
The Buzzkillers, LLC
ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com

Need FREE Bee Removal? We are looking for HUGE Killer Bees & Yellow Jacket nests

2011-07-06T16:00:00.013-04:00

Need FREE Bee Removal?

****** 13 JULY 2011: This offer has EXPIRED, We have filled our available free removal slots. Please stay tuned for further offers******

5 July 2011: Yep, the stinging insect scientists here at ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com are conducting another research promotional project and are in need of a select few Killer Bee nests & Yellow Jacket nests!

The protocol requires the following conditions:

Nest size must be above average, at least 6 months old and weighing in at least 50 pounds
The bees have to exhibit an above average defensive posture. We prefer colonies that have already stung humans or pets and continue to sting or harass victims or potential victims.
Geographical area is limited to Greater Tampa/St. Pete to Orlando to Northern Brevard County. We also will consider Orlando North to Belleview, especially around the Villages as we have been encountering extremely defensive bees this year.
We will consider Exceptional colonies in other areas of the state. Contact us at 1-800-343-5317 or info@allfloridabeeremoval.com to discuss your special nest!

We will remove the colony at no charge to the client. Client must allow our personnel access to the nest site, treatment and removals, pesticide application & documentation to occur ( photography, film, possible interviews, audio recordings as necessary).

Here are some photos of some infestations that might qualify for the protocol:

Orlando, FL: Perennial Honey Bee colony in Building Wall.

Oxford Fl. (The Villages): Africanized Honey Bees (Killer Bees) cleaning around the nest opening, which is located at the electrical penetration. Killer Bees often build nests in concrete block wall voids. These colonies can become extremely defensive and are a serious sting risk to pets and humans.

The Villages, FL: Africanized (Killer Bees) Honey Bee colony located in widow's walk above roof of 3 story structure. The Bees were very defensive, threatening public over 300 feet away. Rotting, fermenting honey was found dripping into executive offices, after a pest control application. With larger nests, one must remove the colony or problems will escalate

Tallahassee FL: Perennial Honey Bee colony in wall of rental house. This colony weighed out at over 100 pounds. Bees had been finding their way into the living area of the home and threatening sting sensitive residents. At least 2-3% of the general population are so allergic to bee venom, that one's breathing could stop within minutes..after only one sting!

West Ocala,, Marion County, Fl: Honey Bee 'External' nest constructed under eave of residential home. Residents thought this was only a swarm..a temporary group of bees.. but during removal we found substantial wax comb, indicating that the colony was at least 4-6 weeks old, old enough for a defensive manner to develop. Improper removals of these external honey bee colonies can threaten nearby pets and animals.

South Orange County (Orlando), FL: Very large, well established Africanized Honey Bee colony located between floors in an apartment building. Management company wanted us to perform a live bee relocation, but these bees were extremely defensive, posing a significant threat to residents, neighbors and pets.

Jacksonville, Fl: Typical of what we find after a cheap 'drive-by' treatment from a well meaning pest control operator. At the top is a healthy honey bee colony, probably 4-5 weeks old, busily expanding it's nest in this master bedroom wall. The dark area at the bottom is an earlier honey bee colony that was treated succesfully...and then left to ROT in this wall. A travesty that a pest control operator charged a couple hundred dollars to perform. tsk. tsk.

Jacksonville, FL: This is a closeup of the dead, rotting, fermenting honey bee colony seen in the picture above. This organic material is decaying, aided my thousands of MAGGOTS eating, defecating, and spreading fungi and bacteria throughout the rotting mess. This is a product of CHEAP DRIVE-BY BEE TREATMENTS and could be avoided by hiring stinging insect experts such as ourselves. Leaving this mess would only attract other mean robber bees, flies, beetles and more maggots, which spread throughout the house on a quest we call the MAGGOT MARCH.

Longwood, FL: A national pest control company sprayed a client's bee colony, not once..not twice, but 5 different times to finally kill the Killer Bee Colony located in a porch portico.

Longwood, FL: Closeup of the mass of maggots, maggot feces and other organic waste found at the bottom of the infested portico porch column from the picture above.

Ponte Vedra, FL: Honey bee Colony infested a void located above a dormer window. This Plantation Golf Club house, required 2 technicians a full day to remove over 200 pounds of honey, pollen and bees from this void. A national animal trapping company had tried, unsuccessfully, to eradicate the colony and just leave it in place. Luckily for the homeowner, the bees persisted, because of the animal control technician's ineptitude.

Tampa Fl: Killer Bees infest a void above a kitchen ceiling. We are seeing a large increase in the number and ferocity of bees in the Central Florida Area. We also are seeing an increase in the number of bee removal folks that are preying on innocent homeowners, as these shysters are not licensed as pest control operators. Please, make sure your provider has the bare minimum of a PCO license in order to protect you and your assets!

Jacksonville, FL : Honey Bee colony located above a dining room ceiling. This client finally called us after 2 pest control companies failed to curb an ongoing bee infestation. He spent over $600 needlessly....

Port Orange, FL: Yet another Africanized Honey Bee (Killer Bee) infestation located above a ceiling. Bees often will build in these areas, and you certainly don't want to just leave them here.

Fernandina Beach, FL: Honey Bees in a garage wall. The local Electric Utility used wasp spray on this colony and made the surviving bees very mad. A sting incident was averted when the client called ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com

Winter Springs, FL: The city has entomologist Richard Martyniak remove suspected Africanized Honey Bee (Killer Bee) colonies such as this bee-utiful external colony. Many cities, counties and utilities trust the entomologists at ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com to protect their citizens, staff and clients!

****** 13 JULY 2011: This offer has EXPIRED, We have filled our available free removal slots. Please stay tuned for further offers******

Honey Bees in House Walls, Eaves and Columns

2011-03-14T08:21:00.000-04:00

It's springtime in Florida, and that means we are getting loads of calls for swarming honey bees! Swarms can be very frightening to folks who've never had experience working with honey bees, but in reality are not *usually* very much of a threat as they have no nest to defend.

Clermont Honey Bee swarm on Tree

A swarm occurs when a bee colony outgrows it's nesting area. This happens usually, when nectar and pollen sources from flowers become abundant, (springtime flowering), and the queen starts laying up to 2,000 eggs a day. At some point, about half the colony will leave, looking for a new location to build a new nest, while leaving the old nest to rebuild it's numbers.

Orlando Honey Bee swarm on building wall

This new swarm will typically land for a few hours, somewhere near the mother colony. We usually advise clients to leave the swarm alone, keep pets and people away, and the swarm will move on, without harming a thing.

Longwood Bee Swarm on Block Wall

But, when these swarms alight on house walls, eaves or other structural elements, it's best to give us a call for proper removal, as they often will move into wall voids, eave voids and just about anywhere else, often putting away hundreds of pounds of honey, pollen and wax withing the wall. Please do not try to self treat these swarms, as bad things can happen!

Apopka Bee Colony in wall

For proper honey bee swarm removal, Call us at 1-800-343-5317

Richard Martyniak, M.Sc., Entomologist
ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com

Looking for that last minute holiday gift? Give the gift of Honey Bees!

2010-12-21T08:32:00.005-05:00

Are you doing some last minute Christmas or Holiday gift shopping?

Have someone on your list who already has everything? Don't know where to turn?

Well, consider giving the gift of honey bees... no, I'm not suggesting you buy a colony of honey bees, hive box, smoker. While that would be a great gift for a special bee removal entomologist (who will remain unnamed..), it could be unwieldy. After all, just HOW would you wrap a honey bee hive box and put it under a Christmas Tree???? hmmm...that has bad news written ALL over that!!!

Here's the idea: You purchase a share of honey bees for needy small scale farmers in places such as Africa or Central and South America, and donate them in the name of your gift recipient. Honey Bee cultivation requires very little space, provide a rich sugar source, and can provide needed income for struggling families. And you don't even need to know a thing about honey bees, as there are reputable aid organizations that handle everything. Oxfam and Heifer.org are 2 organizations that we here at http://ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com support.

For as little as $18, you can help a family become self sufficient. Go here to check them out:

Heifer.org honey bee gift page:
Heifer.org honey bee donation page

Oxfam America Honey Bee Gift page

(oxfam site appears to be down..hope it comes back!)

Happy Holidays

Richard Martyniak

A reader asks: "Where can I see a copy of Florida's bee removal regulation?

2010-11-01T13:22:00.011-04:00

Dear Cindy,

In Florida there is no "Bee Removal Regulation", per se.

Honey Bee colony removal from structures or landscapes in Florida is considered to be pest control, and as such, is regulated by Fla. State Statutes 482 & 5E-14. Here's a link to Ch 482.

Briefly, Ch 482 requires that one must possess a current pest control license to inspect for, remove, eradicate, or otherwise mitigate honey bee colonies in or around structures or landscapes. Here are some of the important parts of the statute, defining pest control:

(21)

“Pest” means an arthropod, wood-destroying organism, rodent, or other obnoxious or undesirable living plant or animal organism.

(22)

“Pest control” includes:

(a)

The use of ANY method or device or the application of any substance to prevent, destroy, repel, mitigate, curb, control, or eradicate any pest in, on, or under a structure, lawn, or ornamental;

(b)

The identification of or inspection for infestations or infections in, on, or under a structure, lawn, or ornamental;

(c)

The use of any pesticide, economic poison, or mechanical device for preventing, controlling, eradicating, identifying, inspecting for, mitigating, diminishing, or curtailing insects, vermin, rodents, pest birds, bats, or other pests in, on, or under a structure, lawn, or ornamental;

So, the above definition clearly states that honey bees, in and around structures are considered pests, and also includes nearly any activity intended to solve a pest honey bee infestation as pest control.

Or in other words, a beekeeper,in the process of removing a colony of pest honey bees from a structure or landscape, is performing pest control!

Just arriving and identifying the insect colony as Honey Bees, Yellow Jackets, or whatever, is pest control. And because mechanical devices are included in the pest control statute definition, once one uses common beekeeping tools such as bee vacuums, bee brushes, sugar water sprays, smokers, hive tools and the myriad of other tools commonly used in bee removals, he or she has ventured far into pest control, as clearly defined by State Statute.

So how does one perform bee removal legally here in the state of Florida? Well, one must work for a licensed pest control firm. That means that one is trained by the firm's Certified Pest Operator, is paid salary by the firm, drives that firm's truck, uses the firm's tools, equipment and supplies, and is covered by the commercial insurances including liability and workmen's compensation.

And, in order to secure and maintain a pest control license, one must pass several hurdles: Work under a Certified pest control operator for 3 years as a licensed technician; pass a certification exam; Maintain minimum business liability insurance; take annual Certified Educational Units, (CEU's); and maintain annual operator & business licenses, which are administered by the Bureau of Entomology and Pest Control. Oh, and one cannot be a convicted felon! The Bureau has authority to fine, remove license privileges and arrest violators and illegal operators, all of which affords the State's citizens significant protections.

The Bureau of Entomology and Pest Control has a page that summarizes the legaleze very well. See it here. To check your bee removal provider's pest control certification status, you can go to this Bureau site here. Click on the "applicators" button to check on individuals, or on the "companies" button to check the status of firms.

If you witness unlicensed pest control, you can report it to your state inspector ( go here to find your region's inspector), or fill out this complaint form and send it to the address included within.

As you can see, there are no exemptions for beekeepers that do not possess a pest control license, to allow honey bee removals. In fact, the Chief Apiarist for the State of Florida's Department of Agriculture does not recommend live removals of any kind in or near structures, and only recommends that trained, licensed pest control operators eradicate pest honey bee colonies that are found near people or pets. Why? Primarily because of the public health risk from Africanized Honey Bees. This race of Honey Bee is spreading further and further throughout the State and can cause serious injury or death because of it's super-defensiveness.

Beekeeping IS regulated by State Statute, however, the intent of these beekeeping regulations is to prevent spread of bee disease and unwanted subspecies of honey bees, NOT to protect humans!.

The keeping of honey bees or the transport of such insects, is regulated by Fla. State Statute Ch. 586. Note that this statute does not regulate bee removals, as bee removal is considered pest control and regulated by Ch. 482 & 5E-14.

Beekeepers only have to complete a registration process, submit to one annual inspection and pay a small fee. There are no beekeeping certification processes, no minimum insurances required, no annual CEU requirements or any other requirements under beekeeping regulations to protect the citizens of Florida against improper bee removals. Should a citizen suffer structural damages, physical injury or death resulting from a beekeeper-removal bee sting incident, there are no protections afforded, and lawsuit would be the only means of remedy. Little solace indeed, if the provider has few or no assets.

So, if one is performing bee colony removals in the State of Florida, and does not possess a valid pest control license, that person is performing illegally, according to Florida State Statute. Possession of a Beekeeping Registration does not grant license to perform bee colony removals, no matter what beekeepers may tell you, wish, or otherwise desire.

We possess the certifications, registrations, insurances, experience and education required to perform proper stinging insect removals in the State of Florida. Call us at 800-343-5317 or visit our website at http://ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com .

I hope this helps. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance

Richard Martyniak, M.Sc., Entomologist
ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com
The Buzzkillers, LLC

Bee Hive TetherBall: What NOT to do when bees are stinging you!

2010-10-14T22:39:00.002-04:00

This clip of the upcoming Jackass 3d: Beehive tetherball (opens October 15), is a great example of what NOT to do when bees or other stinging insects are stinging oneself.

Dave England starts waving, jumping up and down as bees start stinging him. Steve-O just stands, not moving his hands, not screaming, and evidently enjoying Dave's antics. check out the video:

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

First Coast New's Ken Amaro will help perform a Jacksonville Bee Removal!

2010-10-07T21:28:00.003-04:00

Sara Hatt's dog suffered one sting from a honey bee, and incurred over $500 in Vet bills, and suffered significant trauma. That's when she first noticed the bee colony, located about 25 feet above her backyard in a pine tree.

Fearing for her dog's health (and her lawn crew, neighbors and herself), she called the city for help. No help.

She called several pest control companies. No help.

She emailed "Billy the Exterminator". No help.

Enter Ken Amaro, consumer advocate reporter for First Coast News. Ken contacted us, and we will solve Sara's bee dilemma this Monday. Just call us, we'll Help!!

Ken's Video is here:

See Ken's story Here.

We'll post more pics and vids on Monday after this Jacksonville bee removal. Look for Ken to get suited up and ride the lift with us!!

Richard Martyniak, M.Sc., Entomologist

Jackass 3D The Movie: BeeHive TetherBall

2010-10-05T08:44:00.001-04:00

Jackass 3D is due to hit theaters next week, Oct 15, 2010 and we were forwarded a trailer that features one of the segments titled "Beehive TetherBall".

I've embedded the YouTube video. What are your thoughts? Is this exploitation of Honey Bees? Or is this just boys having fun and no big deal?

Orlando's WESH 2 reports on us fixing an unlicensed beekeepers mistake

2010-09-30T22:44:00.006-04:00

We recieved a call this morning from a man who was frantic. A beekeeper spent a couple days performing an Orlando Honey Bee Removal from the foreclosed home next to him, and succeeded only in aggravating the bees so much, that they were stinging this client's dog, son and plenty of neighbors.

WESH-2 news covered us rescuing this neighborhood from these very, very defensive honey bees. It's unknown if they are Africanized Honey Bees ( Killer Bees) but they certainly were angry enough to qualify, just on our observations. Here's a link to a slideshow that was posted on WESH's site. They are running the story on the 11PM news tonight.

WESH beekeeper slideshow

What's particularly unfortunate here are a few things:

1. The listing realtor hired a beekeeper to do the removal. Beekeepers are not allowed to remove honeybees from structures and most landscapes here in Florida, unless they are also Licensed Pest Control Operators. As it's a lengthy and expensive process to obtain and maintain a PC license, most beekeepers who perform bee removals operate outside of the law. The realtor essentially washed his hands of it, stating that he's not a beekeeper and can't do anything. Well, he hired the bloke, who caused this mess, he's responsible, along with the beekeeper..

2. The beekeeper left plenty of hive material lying around, and possibly used wasp spray to control the bees. Bad juju, almost guaranteed to aggravate honey bees.

3. The neighbor's wife is so allergic, that one sting can threaten her life. Most beekeepers get so used to stings, that they poo-poo the severity of sting allergies. One sting can cause a hypersensitive person to physically stop breathing in 2 minutes. Just last week, a pest control operator died, after receiving only 3 stings. Think this is not serious stuff? Think again.

4. The neighbor's dog was attacked by multiple bees on 2 occasions. The dog was so traumatized, he vomited and had diarehhea. Pets and horses are even more susceptible to Bee and wasp stings than humans. It's quite possible that this pet has suffered internal injury because of the venom's effects.

So, once again, we are faced with improper bee removal in Orlando, and lives have been put at risk. Folks, please, please please, don't hire a beekeeper to perform structural removals in Florida. We have loads of African Honey Bees here, and it's just too risky in many cases to attempt live removals.

Contact us here at We are the experts, as we have well respected Entomologists, Licensed Pest Control Operators and Beekeepers on staff. Call us at 800-343-5317

Richard Martyniak, M.Sc., Entomologist

Free Hornet Nest Removal

2010-09-06T18:51:00.002-04:00

FREE Hornet Nest Removal

(Note: this promotion is EXPIRED. stay tuned, as we may offer it again!!)

Here are the conditions:

The nest must be located in one of the following counties: Marion, Levy, Dixie, Gilchrist, Alachua, Putnam, Clay, Bradford, Union, Lafayette, Suwannee, and the southern portions of Columbia and Baker Counties. Please see map below highlighting areas covered.
The nest must be active. (containing live adult hornets, at the minimum. Live immatures are ok, too.)
The nest must be Bald-Faced Hornets, scientific name is Dolichovespula maculata . Please see representative photos below. Other species of stinging insects are not included in this program, including Yellow Jackets ( Vespula spp.), Paper Wasps ( Polistes spp. ), Honey Bees ( Apis mellifera ) or any other stinging insects. We can perform removals for a reasonable fee on these other insects.
The nest must be accessible and removable by normal means, either at an accessible height, or with a 12 foot stand-alone ladder. (usually no taller than 20 feet, and able to remove the nest intact. Shredded nests or pieces of nest are useless for this program)
We must be allowed to use insecticide. EPA labeled insecticide will be used. If it's illegal to use insecticide at the site, or you or the property owner/management will not allow insecticide use, the free removal cannot be included in this program.
We reserve the right to exclude any nests, at our discretion, for the free hornet removal program.

What we are looking for:

Hornet Nest

Hornet (Dolichovespula)

What we are NOT looking for:

Honey Bee nests including External nests

Honey Bee

Yellow Jacket nests

Yellow Jacket Nests

Yellow Jackets


Paper Wasp Nests

Paper Wasp Nest

Paper Wasp

Mud Dauber Nest

Mud Dauber

WHERE we will perform free Hornet removals:

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Free Hornet Removal area

Counties and Cities we will remove Hornets for free:

Marion: Ocala, Silver Springs, Reddick
Levy: Bronson, Cedar Key
Dixie: Cross City
Gilchrist: Trenton
Alachua: Gainesville, High Springs, Alachua, Waldo
Putnam: Palatka
Clay: Green Cove Springs, Orange Park
Bradford: Starke
Union: Lake Butler
Baker: Macclenny
Columbia: Lake City
Suwannee: Live Oak
Lafayette: Mayo

We will remove hornets in other cities/towns/unincorporated areas located in the above counties.

Thanks,

Richard Martyniak, M.Sc., Entomologist

Killer Bees and Horses: Fatal consequences

2010-09-03T08:32:00.004-04:00

Earlier this week, two horses were euthanized after a honey bee attack in Arizona. One other horse was seriously injured. In June of this year, two horses perished after another bee attack in California.

Reading the fire chief's description of this tragic sting event sends chills through me, as we've encountered similar situations, and in most cases, could have been prevented with proper vigilance and action.

Why the owner of the horse facility would knowingly leave active honey bee colonies in a working barn leaves me scratching my head, AND, this is in KILLER BEE territory!! (I normally don't use the term "killer bee" alone, but in this case, I think it's warranted).

I encounter this attitude daily here in Florida, where we have an active and growing KILLER BEE population. We are seeing them move into Florida's prime horse country, near Ocala.( Check this blog post out from just last week, right near horse operations).

Clients often believe that since Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has been affecting honey bee populations here in the U.S. , any wild honey bee colony found should be left alone, in order to boost bee populations. While it's true, CCD has reduced bee populations, the affected bees are only in managed bee operations, those kept by beekeepers, from huge commercial operations down to hobby beekeepers.

Feral (wild) bee populations are not affected by CCD, and are actually exploding here in Florida.

This is so important, let's see it again: Feral bee populations are not affected by CCD, and are exploding here in Florida.

Why such the increase? KILLER BEES! Yes, African Honey Bees are a vigorous race of bees, well suited for life in the subtropical clime we find here in Florida. And, they likely have evolved with pathogens & pests that most researchers suspect are a probable cause of CCD. So, it's natural that this vigorous, well adapted bee would do very well in Florida.

So it begs the question. Why would one leave a feral bee colony in a building that houses people, pets or animals?

I think it's largely due to ignorance, and this ongoing belief, strongly held by most, that bees are naturally gentle, and only sting when provoked. While it's mostly true that managed honey bees are normally docile, and attack with maybe a hundred or so guards when some kind of disturbance occurs, Killer Bees ( African Honey Bees or AHB) can react much, much differently. Killer bees are wild, or feral, and the hyper-defensiveness can't be bred out of them. An AHB colony can react with provocation as light as a strong breeze or branch landing on it's colony, which means they can send out thousands of guards, all looking for anything that moves, breathes or has a heat signature. It's common for AHB attack victims to be unable to yell HELP!, because bees fill up their mouth and throat, and suffocation is a real risk.

So, it's up to us experts to educate the public, especially those that are at greater risk, including equine operations, about the dangers of these 'new breed' of bees. African Bee infestations can be managed properly, greatly reducing the chances of a sting event, but it takes a new attitude, and working with stinging insect specialists. Beekeepers and standard pest control operators are ill-equipped to control these infestations. (Why not? see our post)

We are educating citizens, companies, utilities, firefighters, police and any interested group about the African Honey Bee and issues surrounding it. Our entomologists give presentations and offer consultations to help you manage this threat and we have specialists that remedy infestations daily. Give us a call at 800.343.5317, send us an email, or visit our website to schedule a presentation or for more info and help.

Richard Martyniak, M.Sc. Entomologist
helpful links:

ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com
Our website

AFBEE
University of Florida's African Honey Bee Extension & Education Program

The African Honey Bee FAQ

Frequently asked questions about African honey bees, from FDACS - Division of Plant Industry

Bureau of Plant & Apiary Inspection

Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services - Division of Plant Industry

Honey Bee Research & Extension Lab

University of Florida's Honey Bee Research & Extension Lab

Florida State Beekeepers Association

The official bee keeping association in the State of Florida

Is your Bee removal company or indivdual licensed?

Structural or Landscape bee removal requires a pest control certification from the Florida Dept. of Agriculture. You can check by Applicator, or Company here. Don't let yourself fall prey to an unlicensed service provider!

In or Near Orlando, Fla.? Come join us for Natl. Honey Bee Appreciation Day! Sat. Aug 21, 2010

2010-08-20T14:06:00.000-04:00

Tommorow, Saturday August 21, 2010 is designated National Honey Bee Appreciation Day.

Come join us as we participate in Orange Blossom Beekeepers Association's Natl. Honey Bee Appreciation Day located at the Orange County Extension Office. The club will have honey, candles, and other products of the hive for sale. Informational exhibits too. Hours are Saturday, August 21, 2010 from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com will have Entomologists & beekeepers available and various Hymenopteran (bee and wasp) nests, videos of bee removals and information about feral African Honey Bees.

The Orange County Extension Office is located at:

6021 S. Conway Rd. Orlando, FL 32812

here's a google map:

View Larger Map

Orange Blossom's website is Orange Blossom's website is here

Our website is here

feel free to email me or call 321-206-5100 for info

Need Bee Removal? DON'T Call a BeeKeeper!!

2010-08-14T22:09:00.002-04:00

Yeah, sounds oxymoronic, doesn't it, after all you have a lovely colony of honey bees in your house soffit, or wall or even a tree in your yard. Call a beekeeper, they've got to want my bees, and are the experts, right?

Well, hold your horses pardner...Things are changing here in Florida and it's not as simple as you might think, so here are some reasons to reconsider.

1. Killer Bees: Over 70% of feral honey bees in Florida possess African genetics. African bees were introduced into Florida several years ago, probably through our sea ports via coastal island freighters, quickly taking up residence in the port cities of Tampa, Miami and Ft. Lauderdale. Yeah, Killer Bees are spreading throughout the state, and because of a very defensive nature, the state Apiary inspection office has deemed it illegal to keep African bees in Florida. These bees can cause very significant stinging incidents leading to fatalities...it's serious stuff, folks!

2. The bees are OK: I know this is hard to wrap your head around, but it's true...Honey bees are doing just fine, and actually exploding in numbers. (here in sunny Florida, anyway). See #1. The African Honey Bee is largely immune to pests plaguing our managed honey bee. Estimated colony increases are 2-800% above European honey bee colony numbers, per area.

3. Consumer Protections: Beekeepers are not certified or licensed. Billy-Bob Beekeeper may have started beekeeping yesterday, and claims that he is an experienced beekeeper. He screws things up, causing damage to your house, and the bees are still there. What regulatory office do you call to file a complaint or request an inspector to help you out. That's right, you are on your own, because all it takes to become a registered beekeeper is $10 and a heartbeat, and I'm not so sure about the cardiac part!

Experienced beekeepers; those that are in beekeeping for a living and not just a weekend hobby, do not perform live removals, as it's too risky for them---the liability risk is too high & the recovered bees almost always don't work well in commercial apiaries. The disease risk is too great or the bees just don't perform well.

4. Insurance..I don't need stinkin' Insurance.....Beekeepers do not have Insurance. Well, Billy-Bob Beekeeper MIGHT have livestock insurance for his bee hives, but you know that wouldn't cover damages to your house, when he cuts through the water supply and your Persian wool carpet is ruined. Nor does he have Workmen's Compensation insurance, so you are holding his medical bills when he falls off the slippery, honey soaked ladder and breaks his collar bone and is put on permanent disability. Think this doesn't happen??? um, yeah, right.....

5. And the Experts say what?: The State of Florida's Apiary Inspection office is recommending AGAINST LIVE BEE REMOVALS, and recommends ERADICATION of feral honey bee colonies located near humans or animals. See #1.

6. And this Expert agrees too: The University of Florida's Apiary Entomologist is recommending AGAINST LIVE BEE REMOVALS, and recommends ERADICATION of feral honey bee colonies located near humans or animals. See #1. (sensing a trend yet, or do you want to continue...?)

7. The Law says.. Florida State law requires anyone doing structural honey bee removal or eradication to carry pest control certification. See State Statutes, Ch 482. A licensed pest control operator that also is a registered beekeeper CAN perform live bee removals, and we DO perform live bee removals, but we are very selective, because of the following...

8. The untold truth about live bee removals: Most live removals are unsuccessful; Most relocated colonies suffer mortality within the first 90 days. Try as we might, they just don't take. The transfer can be difficult, and provides opportunity for pests and disease to take hold. Or some colonies just insist on leaving our hive boxes. 20% survival is an optimistic figure for long term survival of the colony genetics.

9. Economically speaking: It's just not worth it: Bees that are not kept by beekeepers are considered feral. I like to call them ' Mutts', as we have no clue whether they will exhibit behaviors that are beneficial for beekeeping, including gentleness, honey production, disease resistance, swarming rates, and many other factors. Also add the high rate of transmissable disease that feral bees have, these are diseases that can wipe out an entire apiary!.

I frequently buy starter colonies of "thoroughbreds" from bee breeders for about $75.00.. These are bees that I can count on being good and safe for my bee yards. I figure the mutt bees are worth at most $15 ($75 X a 20% success rate). Live bee removals can take several hours, working in hot beesuits and in very hot Florida temps...How long will YOU work for a possible $15, while extending risk if the mutt bees sting someone, or you are sued for damages caused?

10. You've worked hard for your assets: Sting risk liability. Combine the above considerations, and property owners, managers are placing their assets at significant risk. Bees don't like us relocating them somewhere else. We in the bee removal industry, are used to taking stings, but all it takes, is one errant sting to your allergic neighbor, or passerby on the sidewalk across your street and POW, instant lawsuit. Do you think the jury will have compassion when you were hiring unlicensed providers, against the recommendations of the state regulators and University apiary entomologists. Didn't think so either....

In Closing: Listen, we are experts at this, and we will perform live bee removals properly, but there are considerations. We came into this the right way.. University of Florida entomology education, providing extension education to Florida's first responders and citizens, created the State African Bee education program, hold certifications and proper insurances and are considered leaders in this industry. We also are enthusiastic supporters of beekeeping in Florida. Call or email us. We'll solve your bee problems, correctly and economically, and you can have confidence that you can stay bee-free!

Richard Martyniak, M.Sc., Entomologist
Jonathan Simkins, B.Sc., Entomologist
ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com
800-343-5317

Our very own Entomologist, Jonathan Simkins to be on Bay News 9

2010-08-09T20:45:00.001-04:00

One of our very own Entomologists, Jonathan Simkins, will be featured on Tampa/St. Pete's Bay News 9 tommorow morning, Aug. 10, 2010, talking about the recent African bee attack in Safety Harbor. 3 Tree surgeons were attacked, one seriously, and quite a bit of mis-information has been making the rounds in traditional and social media. Jonathan, a stinging insect entomologist, will provide accurate information about the growing African ("Killer Bee") Honey Bee issue here in Florida, providing tips on how to prevent serious situations.

7 August 2010: 3 Pinellas County Tree Surgeons stung by African Honey Bees

2010-08-07T19:11:00.001-04:00

An arborist suffered hundreds of bee stings in Pinellas County, Fla., last Saturday, and is fortunate to be alive. This is a story that is repeated more and more often, as African ( Killer ) honey bees increase their numbers throughout the state. It's interesting for us, as Entomologists teaching about this defensive stinging insect, because we see attitudes changing in terms of location and time.

When I give talks to tree folks in North Florida, most of the guys (girls too, but I speak in the familiar inclusive way here), tell me that honey bees cause them little if any problems. "They buzz around a little, and a can of wasp spray will take care of them", is a common statement. Well, things-are-a-changin' as this story shows. African bees will attack en-masse, and that can of wasp-freeze will only set them off even more. Oh, and unless that arborist has a pest control license, it's illegal for him (or her) to spray pesticide. That should perk the ears of your insurance company if a sting event occurs on your property!

Excerpt from 10 Connect breaking news story. We were on scene and will report later

Safety Harbor -- A group of tree trimmers were attacked Saturday afternoon after cutting down a branch with an Africanized, or what many refer to as a "killer", bee colony inside.

It happened in the front yard of a home off 3rd Street South in Safety Harbor.

The worker near the top of the tree was stung at least 150 times, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.

Two other workers were also stung trying to help him reach the ground and get away from the attacking bees.

A fourth tree trimmer was not hurt.

The three injured workers were taken to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries, according to the sheriff's office.

A beekeeper on scene estimates there were around 50,000 bees in the tree.

10News has learned the names of the three men taken to Mease Countryside Hospital are Ralph St. Peter of Hudson, Anthony Cimillo of Holiday, and Michael Foster of Weeki Wachee.

St. Peter will be kept overnight, while Cimillo and Foster have been released.

You'll hear from them tonight on 10News at 11.
Adam Freeman, 10 News

And the August 8, TBO report excerpt:

He had bees on his arms, legs, face, nose and ears. And when Ralph St. Peter opened his mouth to scream, the bees piled in his mouth. Bees went up his shorts and down his shirt.

"My body was totally encased in bees," St. Peter said, recounting co-workers' description. "You couldn't actually see my body. You just saw the frame of my body."

St. Peter was discharged from Mease Countryside Hospital on Sunday, a day after being stung by more than 500 Africanized honeybees. He still has some pain and discomfort, but he'll return Monday to cut down the oak where the bees had a hive.

"I'd like to take a couple of days off, but I can't afford it," St. Peter said. "If times were a little better, I'd take a day or two off. But it's not."

The Weeki Wachee man was working with a crew Saturday afternoon cutting down three trees at a Safety Harbor home.

A crew leader with Johnson Lawn and Landscape of Tarpon Springs, St. Peter was cutting down a limb when a swarm of Africanized honeybees attacked him.

He tried to repel down the tree, but the rope got stuck on some limbs. The bees came from a hollow log that was 8 feet long and 24 inches wide.

Two of St. Peter's co-workers ran off, but Mike Foster stayed to help. Foster got a knife to St. Peter, who was able to cut the rope and free himself after being stuck in the tree for two to three minutes. Foster was stung 75 times on his hands while trying to get the bees off him, St. Peter said.

"(Today) it feels like I had a run in with a whole bunch of jellyfish," St. Peter said Sunday. "That's how it feels today. Yesterday, it was downright terrible."

St. Peter, 44, has been in the tree business for 30 years and has been a certified arborist for 20 years. He has been stung in the past but has never faced anything like he experienced Saturday.

A domestic honeybee will send two or three bees to attack a person, and the rest of the bees will take off with the queen, St. Peter said. Saturday, the Africanized honeybees came as a swarm.

St. Peter said a professional exterminator was hired to get rid of the bees, so he feels confident returning to finish the job. (yes, this should have been done BEFORE tree work--RMM)

In the future, St. Peter said he'll be cautious when working a hollow tree.

"It definitely won't happen again," St. Peter said.

Reporter José Patiño Girona can be reached at (813) 259-7659.

Nothing to take lightly folks.

Richard Martyniak

Rogue Honey Bee Swarms?

2010-07-14T00:18:00.000-04:00

13 July 2010

SWARM!

Does that word instill fear in you? Does your heart race, heightened by 10 thousand bees or more, buzzing around, maybe even darkening the sky? Olivia de Havilland nightmares?

Well, for myself and other Mellitophiles (Bee-Lovers), encountering a wild swarm normally evokes feelings of awe and warm fuzzy feelings. After all, a swarm is traditionally viewed as a gentle entity, just looking to find a place to build a home and thrive. A swarm event occurs when a mother colony divides, sending the queen and thousands of her children, off to build a new colony in a new location. Normally, with proper care, a swarm is not very defensive, and can be caught, to be relocated in a hive box. All good, right?

NOT! This year 2010 we've encountered several swarms that have attacked us full on, and in one case our technician suffered hundreds of stings before he could get away. These are Africanized Bee swarm traits, and these experiences have really opened our eyes. We've heard of this behavior, but have not previously encountered such ferocious swarms, especially in Central Florida, north of Orlando. Please folks, treat bees with respect, and bee prepared if you should try to take on a swarm. Or better yet , give us a call!! 800-343-5317

...(photo of a swarm I captured in Jacksonville, FL.--- a gentle swarm )

FREE Yellow Jacket nest removals about to expire, Contact us now to schedule your free yellowjacket treatment!

2009-10-29T20:23:00.000-04:00

Our FREE Yellow Jacket Wasp nest removal offer is nearly over. Hurry, and contact us now to have your Yellowjacket nest removed for FREE!

---EXPIRED---(but we hope to secure research funding for fall of '10..stay tuned)

(repost of our September blog entry follows:)

Do you have a Yellow Jacket nest in your yard or pasture?

Well, we have a deal for you! Our entomologists at ALL Florida Bee Removal are currently conducting research on Yellow jackets in Florida and are looking for a few good yellow jacket nests. Another common name is ground hornet, so if you are looking for FREE ground hornet removal, please contact us. If your nest fits the parameters of the study, we may be able to treat your nest for free!!! (or at least a very, very low cost). This is a time-limited offer, so contact us soon either by phone at: 800-343-5317 or email at:Click here to send an email to our entomologists

10/29/09 Update: Only a few treatments remain, Contact us soon to get your Yellow jacket nest treated and removed for FREE!

---EXPIRED---(but we hope to secure research funding for fall of '10..stay tuned)

You can also reach us on our local numbers (remember to mention FREE YellowJacket Study):
Orlando/Brevard/Osceola Free Yellow Jacket Removal: 321.251.8064
DeLand/Volusia Free Yellow Jacket Removal: 386.490.4541
Jacksonville/St.Augustine Free Yellow Jacket Removal: 904.807.6645
Gainesville/Ocala/Lake Free Yellow Jacket Removal: 352.870.0346
Tallahassee Free Yellow Jacket Removal: 850.391.0272
Tampa/Hillsborough Free Yellow Jacket Removal: 813-930-BUGS (2847)
Pinellas/St. Petersburg Free Yellow Jacket Removal: 727-443-BUGS (2847)

Yellow jackets are wasps that can be extremely fierce defenders of their nests. The populations of these nests can range above 100,000 individuals, making them very dangerous to treat. They are in the Vespid group of wasps, and build nests out of chewed-up barks and other cellulose materials. (Bees produce wax to make their nests)

All Yellow jackets are carnivorous, usually feeding on insects such as caterpillars. They will chew the caterpillars up, right on the spot, and bring the goodies back to the nest, feeding the developing larvae grub. They’ll readily feed on other meat sources too, and often bother hunters, as they are field dressing shot animals. We used to capture them for research using canned tuna!

We have two common Yellow Jacket species in Florida, the Eastern Yellow jacket, Vespula maculifrons, & the Southern Yellow Jacket, Vespula squamosa.

This Yellow Jacket on the left is the Eastern Yellow Jacket. It tends to have small to medium size nests, and in Florida can easily overwinter in the ground, where it usually builds its nests.

This species has one queen per colony, which limits the size of its nests.

This is a sting video I shot and edited while working at the University of Florida Entomology Department. It shows a Yellow Jacket sting and a Honey bee sting. Which looks worse to you?

---EXPIRED---(but we hope to secure research funding for fall of '10..stay tuned)

9/16/2009 update: Available slots for our free yellow jacket wasp study are filling up. Please contact us soon before our study is complete!

FREE Yellowjacket Wasp Removal CAll 800-343-5317 and mention "Free Yellowjacket Study"

You can also reach us on our local numbers (remember to mention FREE YellowJacket Study):
Orlando/Brevard/Osceola Free Yellow Jacket Removal: 321.251.8064
DeLand/Volusia Free Yellow Jacket Removal: 386.490.4541
Jacksonville/St.Augustine Free Yellow Jacket Removal: 904.807.6645
Gainesville/Ocala/Lake Free Yellow Jacket Removal: 352.870.0346
Tallahassee Free Yellow Jacket Removal: 850.391.0272
Tampa/Hillsborough Free Yellow Jacket Removal: 813-930-BUGS (2847)
Pinellas/St. Petersburg Free Yellow Jacket Removal: 727-443-BUGS (2847)

---EXPIRED---(but we hope to secure research funding for fall of '10..stay tuned)

Don't be a victim of improper honey bee removal! Cocoa Bee Removal 321.206.5100

2009-10-18T03:06:00.000-04:00

We at ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com responded to a frantic call this morning. A lady in Cocoa Beach had an infestation of honey bees in her soffit, and paid a well-known, national pest control company (hint, starts with "O" & ends with "N"), to take care of the infestation.

here's a video of the bees trying to get back in the opening:

The technician from this company, applied a dust product that is commonly used in the pest control industry, and sealed up the colony opening with an expanding foam product. Two days later, the client arrives home from Saturday shopping, and is immediately attacked by bees. She hurries inside, only to find THOUSANDS of bees in her living room and kitchen!! Can you imagine this??? It had to be very frightening.

We arrived to find neighbors complaing of being harassed and stung. We performed a proper treatment, opened up the soffit, removed the colony, and sealed it up proper. We do this every day, and know how to do it right. Call us at 321-206-5100 for a free estimate!

So, this really bugs me. (excuse me, lol). This client paid the national company, twice our rate, only to be assailed by bees. They were not available on Saturday, when she was attacked. We see this frequently... Well meaning technicians, good at controlling roaches or flies, try their hand at bees or yellowjackets and make the problem MUCH WORSE! In this case the dust product is repellent and aggravating to bees, and will drive them into living areas. Plus, it's rather difficult to kill a mature colony of bees, as they can fill several feet of wall, soffit, or joist voids, and a simple dust application only kills a small portion.

Plus, here in Brevard County, we are encountering Africanized Honey bees on a daily basis, and the incidents will only increase as these bees fill out the ecological niches, and become commonplace. Is it worth the risk to use a generalist for these complicated, potentially dangerous social insects?

I like to use a medical analogy.. you may think your family doctor is the bees knees (oops, there I go again), but would you trust him/her to perform complicated heart surgery?

And you shouldn't use a general pest control company for Bee Removals either! We at ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com are University of Florida trained Urban Entomologists (insect scientists), registered beekeepers & Licensed & Insued Pest Control Operators. We work with stinging insects daily, and have developed protocols to protect you, our valued clients. Give us a call at 321-206-5100 for a free estimate!

We service the following Brevard County cities & towns & perform brevard live honey bee removals, when appropriate.

Cape Canaveral bee removal,
Cocoa bee removal
Cocoa Beach bee removal
Grant-Valkaria bee removal
Indialantic bee removal
Indian Harbour Beach bee removal
Malabar bee removal
Melbourne bee removal
Melbourne Beach bee removal
Melbourne Village bee removal
Palm Bay bee removal
Palm Shores bee removal
Rockledge bee removal
Satellite Beach bee removal
Titusville bee removal
West Melbourne bee removal
Allenhurst bee removal
Angel City bee removal
Aurantia bee removal
Aurora bee removal
Ballard Pines bee removal
Barefoot Bay bee removal
Bellwood bee removal
Bonaventure bee removal
Canaveral Groves bee removal
City Point bee removal
Cocoa West bee removal
Courtenay bee removal
Delespine bee removal
Dummit Cove bee removal
Dummit Grove bee removal
East Mims bee removal
Eau Gallie bee removal
Floridana Beach bee removal
Footman bee removal
Frontenac bee removal
Georgiana bee removal
Indian River City bee removal
Jay Jay bee removal
June Park bee removal
Kennedy Space Center bee removal
Kings Park bee removal
La Grange bee removal
Lotus bee removal
Melbourne Village bee removal
Merritt Island bee removal
Micco bee removal
Mims bee removal
Pineda bee removal
Port St. John bee removal
Rockwell bee removal
Scottsmoor bee removal
Sharpes bee removal
Sherwood bee removal
Shiloh bee removal
South Cocoa Beach bee removal
South Patrick Shores bee removal
Southmere bee removal
Sunnyland Beachbee removal
Suntree bee removal
Tropic bee removal
Turnbull bee removal
Viera bee removal
West Eau Gallie bee removal
Whispering Hills bee removal
Wiley bee removal
Williams Point bee removal
Wilson bee removal

Live Honey Bee Removal

2009-10-16T23:39:00.000-04:00

Today I recieved a phone call from a gentleman in Melbourne, Florida, who wanted me to perform a free live honey bee removal.

I explained to him that we are finding our Brevard County Live Honey Bee removals mostly turn out to be mean Africanized Honey Bees, and that while I will consider doing live bee removals, I turn down many, because the sting risk is just too high, especially in tight suburban or urban settings.

He seemed to be understanding this, so when I then explained that we usually charge more for these live removals, he was obviously getting rifled up a bit. I explained that in order to perform a TRUE Live bee removal, we have to be careful, work slowly to protect the brood (eggs,larvae,pupae), and that we then have to re-queen the colony to introduce gentle European genetics into the colony. Of course, we have to purchase the queens, and spend a good deal of time caring for the newly transferred bee hive box.

Well, he evidently had enough, told me that I should "be paying him" to get these bees out of his house, because "you are going to make money off these bees!".

I was befuddled. This guy clearly has no grasp of what it takes to be a successful beekeeper. Most beekeepers will gladly tell you that this hobby or even business TAKES money to keep going. If one is successful, Bee sure that it is hard work and one is not getting rich off of bees. And that's with bees that come from a great genetic line, selected for things like putting away honey, disease resistance, gentleness, etc.

The going price for a starter colony of "thoroughbred" bees is $50-$75. Yep, I'm sure making lots of money with your bees!

When we do Central Florida Live Bee Removals, it's like throwing dice...We never know what kind of bees we'll get.. They usually turn into mean colonies as the colony becomes mature, they often will swarm out of the hive boxes, they put away small amounts of honey, etc.

Plus, factor in the cost of salaries (yes, I do pay my guys, hello???), truck expense, diesel fuel, auto insurance, Workmen's comp (don't you WANT us to protect you, the client, hello???), Commercial General Liability Insurance (again...??), and of course many more expenses. I haven't found a Chevron station that will give me free diesel!

And remember, we are experts, with 3 entomologists and other highly trained professionals. That's got to be worth something, or do you like billy-bob and his helper, with no insurance and a hand axe, tearing open your home. Do you?

And to top if off, Our regulator of beekeeping, Apiary section, Fla Dept. of Agriculture, is "highly recommending" that we eradicate all feral honey bees that are close to human or animal activity..primarily because of the spreading of Africanized Honey Bees in the state. What happens if I do a live removal and an allergic neighbor gets stung and dies or is severely injured? What happens to me then? I'll tell you what, I'm shark food for the lawyers!

All to play the roulette wheel or throw the dice with your bees.

Yes, "Mr.-Your-gonna-make-money-off-my-bees", you can keep your bees. Thank you very much.

For those that understand value, I remain committed to providing the best Live Bee Removal services in the State of Florida. I really do love performing proper live bee removal in Florida, when we can.

You can call anytime: 800-343-5317 or visit us online at: ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com

West Volusia County Yellow Jacket Nest

2009-10-16T22:53:00.000-04:00

Today I checked out a Southern Yellow Jacket nest for some research I'm doing. It's rather unusual, as it's almost all above ground. We sometimes see above ground nests in swampy areas, where the Yellow Jackets can't survive burrowing in the wet mucky soil. I shot this video, just to get some initial views. It's very rough, butWe hope to go back tomorrow, and shoot closeups of the nest attacking our technician Jason, as he weedeats nearby. (Don't worry, he'll be in a bee suit. or two!)

The nest measures about 3'X2'X2', not huge in our experience, but quite significant. It contains at least 50,000 individuals!!! It sure could put a hurting on you if you stumbled upon it. This nest size could even be fatal If one is allergic or not very mobile.

Call us anytime at 800-343-5317 or visit our website: ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com

Florida Beekeeping Calendar of Events

2009-09-21T01:17:00.000-04:00

We now have many new Beekeeping Associations here in Florida (yea!!), so I've made a calendar of Bee keeping events in the state of Florida. We here at ALL Florida Bee Removal
support Florida Beekeeping & like to make as many beekeeping meetings as possible!!

FREE Florida Yellow Jacket and ground hornet removal: Support Research

2009-09-04T03:01:00.001-04:00

Do you have a Yellow Jacket nest in your yard or pasture?

Well, we have a deal for you! Our entomologists at ALL Florida Bee Removal are currently conducting research on Yellow jackets in Florida and are looking for a few good yellow jacket nests. Another common name is ground hornet, so if you are looking for FREE ground hornet removal, please contact us. If your nest fits the parameters of the study, we may be able to treat your nest for free!!! (or at least a very, very low cost). This is a time-limited offer, so contact us soon either by phone at: 800-343-5317 or email at:Click here to send an email to our entomologists

1/2/10 Update: This study is EXPIRED. we hope to secure funding for fall 2010, stay tuned! Of course we perform yellow jacket removals for a fee
You can also reach us on our local numbers (remember to mention FREE YellowJacket Study):
Orlando/Brevard/Osceola Free Yellow Jacket Removal: 321.206.5100
DeLand/Volusia Free Yellow Jacket Removal: 386.490.4541
Jacksonville/St.Augustine Free Yellow Jacket Removal: 904.807.6645
Gainesville/Ocala/Lake Free Yellow Jacket Removal: 352.870.0346
Tallahassee Free Yellow Jacket Removal: 850.391.0272
Tampa/Hillsborough Free Yellow Jacket Removal: 813-930-BUGS (2847)
Pinellas/St. Petersburg Free Yellow Jacket Removal: 727-443-BUGS (2847)

Yellow jackets are wasps that can be extremely fierce defenders of their nests. The populations of these nests can range above 100,000 individuals, making them very dangerous to treat. They are in the Vespid group of wasps, and build nests out of chewed-up barks and other cellulose materials. (Bees produce wax to make their nests)

All Yellow jackets are carnivorous, usually feeding on insects such as caterpillars. They will chew the caterpillars up, right on the spot, and bring the goodies back to the nest, feeding the developing larvae grub. They’ll readily feed on other meat sources too, and often bother hunters, as they are field dressing shot animals. We used to capture them for research using canned tuna!

We have two common Yellow Jacket species in Florida, the Eastern Yellow jacket, Vespula maculifrons, & the Southern Yellow Jacket, Vespula squamosa.

This Yellow Jacket on the left is the Eastern Yellow Jacket. It tends to have small to medium size nests, and in Florida can easily overwinter in the ground, where it usually builds its nests.

This species has one queen per colony, which limits the size of its nests.

This is a sting video I shot and edited while working at the University of Florida Entomology Department. It shows a Yellow Jacket sting and a Honey bee sting. Which looks worse to you?

1/2/10 Update: This study is EXPIRED. we hope to secure funding for fall 2010, stay tuned! Of course we perform yellow jacket removals for a fee

FREE Yellowjacket Wasp Removal CAll 800-343-5317 and mention "Free Yellowjacket Study"

You can also reach us on our local numbers (remember to mention FREE YellowJacket Study):
Orlando/Brevard/Osceola Free Yellow Jacket Removal: 321.206.5100
DeLand/Volusia Free Yellow Jacket Removal: 386.490.4541
Jacksonville/St.Augustine Free Yellow Jacket Removal: 904.807.6645
Gainesville/Ocala/Lake Free Yellow Jacket Removal: 352.870.0346
Tallahassee Free Yellow Jacket Removal: 850.391.0272
Tampa/Hillsborough Free Yellow Jacket Removal: 813-930-BUGS (2847)
Pinellas/St. Petersburg Free Yellow Jacket Removal: 727-443-BUGS (2847)

Late Summer Honey Bee Swarms - Should I have a bee swarm removal done?

2009-09-03T08:54:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I ran across a great blog maintained by a very interesting lady, Mo, who lives in Arizona. A honey bee swarm landed in her backyard tree, and being a naturalist, she wants to save the honey bees. She’s been researching honey bees and swarms and getting quite the education about these complex social insects and the dilemma we are now facing with Africanized Honey Bees. Please take a look at her blog here. I wrote a post on her blog, and she was kind enough to consider my thoughts. Here is a follow up to my post, and it applies to anyone who encounters a late summer bee swarm.

“About your bee visitors. Ladybug gave good advice, when they advised that you could probably leave the swarm alone, and it will leave on its own. Swarms are *usually* transitory, providing a resting and reconnoitering waypoint, until the bee scouts find a permanent location. You probably have a mother colony nearby and can expect to see more swarms in the future.

And, swarms are mostly non-defensive, meaning that the sting risk is low, probably because they have no nest, young or honey to defend, and they are focused on finding the permanent colony location. The clock is ticking, as they have maybe a week’s worth of honey stored in their crops.

Here are my opinions, fwiw:

1. I’d bet the swarm was Africanized, based on the size. It’s a small swarm, plus European bees will rarely send out swarms this time of year.

2. Swarms in late summer are probably loaded with parasites, such as varroa mite, which is believed by many to be a major culprit in Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). These small swarms can be thought of as ‘taking one for the team’, as they might be an effective means of removing a high proportion of the parasite load of the mother colony. Beekeepers risk infecting their own bees if they hive these parasite and disease laden bees.

3. Honey bee populations are increasing, & sacrificing one swarm near a residence will have little effect on the population. Yes, the media has publicized (yes!) our higher mortality rates of Managed honey bees lately, but I think an important message has not been conveyed: Wild bee populations have actually been increasing in much of the U.S., and in some areas, we are seeing an explosion of bees! Of course, this population growth might be due to Africanized (AHB) intrusion, which is a double edged sword…GREAT for pollination, not so good for humans and domestic animals, as they can be quite defensive and a significant sting risk.

4. Transporting and relocating may be an option, but realize that this swarm probably won’t survive. It’s small, probably has a virgin queen of low quality, and likely has a high parasite load.

One important note: Many will tell you that they can identify Africanized bees, based on behavior or morphology (what they look like). Let me assure you that these are false claims. I have a Master’s degree in Entomology, with a stinging insect specialization. I employ an entomologist who has spent years in Africa, keeping hundreds of African bee hives. My partner is an entomologist with years of honey bee experience. Even we can’t ID AHB by casual observation. We have to perform a lengthy test involving ~50 bees, dissections, measurements and calculations to get even a probability of Africanization. And like I mentioned before, swarms & newly established colonies (European & AHB) are usually non-defensive, so that is useless as a means of identification. Our website has some info on swarms that might be helpful, although it mainly deals with Springtime bee swarms, a totally different process:Honey Bee Swarm Info

Please bee careful with opinions (even mine!), as I’ve found many providers in this field are crafty, and tell the client what they *want* to hear. As an insect scientist, I try to be aware of my feelings and bounce them against fact.

Oh, one other note, please keep watch around your home, as bees often move into soffits, wall voids and many other areas in & around the house.

So, I guess my advice would bee to do what feels right. If your desire is very strong to have the bees relocated, have it done, but please have a licensed expert, one who has beekeeping experience, required licenses for pest control ( application of residual pesticide will help keep a repeat occurrence), commercial liability & workmen’s comp insurances. There is no reason for you to be liable for an incident that gets out of hand in today’s litigious society. Realize this will likely cost more than eradication of the colony, which is ok in my opinion. Again, if you go with eradication, employ a qualified provider. I have seen really, really unqualified providers make a mess of things and homeowners need not go through such an experience.

Bee well! Richard Martyniak, M.Sc. Entomologist (and super-tall beekeeper)”

p.s. I've always loved this bee swarm rhyme: "A swarm in May's worth a rick of hay; And a swarm in June's worth a silver spoon; while A swarm in July isn't worth a fly."

I have honey bees in my tree hole. Is bee removal necessary?

2009-09-02T20:57:00.000-04:00

We receive several calls a day to ALL Florida Bee Removal from folks that have bees in a tree, usually in their yard and the question is asked: I have bees in my backyard tree, They have'nt stung me. Should I get the bees removed from the tree?

It's a good question, after all the interior of trees are the natural nesting spot for honey bees. Think Winnie the pooh and the bee tree. Tree holes are a near-perfect place for a bee colony to build a hive (nest). They usually offer a void that is insulated from cold, relatively dry, and best of all, are accessible by a small hole that is easily defended from potential attackers, such as skunk, racoon, other bee colonies (robbing bees), and most of all, Teenage boys!

Yes, it's cool to have a colony of bees living in one's backyard, so close and easily observed. But, we get many calls from clients, that have been stung multiple times, by bees that previously have been so gentle. Activities such as mowing, edging or leaf blowing, can agitate a colony of bees into a sting event. It's not unusual for a client to suffer 100 stings before he or she can get off the lawnmower and away to safety.

And the really sad event for us, is when a dog is confined to a back yard, the honey bees get agitated and deliver hundreds or thousands of stings to the hapless pooch. If a client has dogs or children, OR has neighbors with dogs or children, we always recommend a treatment and exclusion to prevent reinfestation by another colony of bees.

We can often handle bee nests that are located high in trees, either working by ladder, manlift, or by rope climbing.

The tree bee hives that bees build inside trees are very interesting. They often have to twist the building of combs to make them fit inside the trunk. And, they make a substance from tree resins to help seal the interior, keeping out pests and controlling fungal and bacterial infections. We call this bee-glue or propolis. Many folks around the world use propolis as a daily remedy for what ails ya!

These photos are courtesy of Anthony Vaudo. He's a Master's graduate student from University of Florida's Entomology Dept. He works for Dr. Jamie Ellis, Apiary Extension Entomologist. We had Anthony ride with us several days to get some experience working with bee removals. He's heading over to Africa to do research on the Cape Bee, Apis capensis.

Are Killer Bees in your Trailer Park?

2009-08-31T11:59:00.000-04:00

Here in Florida, we have many residents that live in Manufactured Housing, aka, trailer homes and guess what, honey bees really like to live in trailer homes too! We perform house trailer bee removals every day.

Africanized Bees, aka Killer Bees, often build colonies close to the ground, in fact they are frequently found in abandoned armadillo, gopher, gopher tortoise and subterranean tree holes. This behavior is probably a holdover from living on the African plains, where available voids in trees were few, so building colonies in the ground works very well, until a honey badger arrives that is!

Bees will often build their nests under the subfloor of the manufactured home. We also frequently encounter them under Office & Construction trailers.

We don't perform many trailer live removals any longer, primarily because most of the honey bees that nest under trailers have a very high probability of being Africanized. It's illegal to possess AHB here in the State of Florida, plus they make horrible occupants in our bee yards. Spend some time around them and you will see why, with 10's of thousands of them fiercely attacking, working every little opening, trying to get into your beesuits. Sometimes we have to wear 2 beesuits, and we STILL get STUNG!! Here's a photo of Jason, under a trailer, notice how much dirt he had to excavate!

It's also very difficult and time consuming to perform live removals from under trailers. It's hot, it's very cramped, and we end up taking sometimes hundreds of stings, because we are rolling on the ground, over bees that have fallen on the ground. Also, the sting risk is high, especially in a tight, urban trailer park setting. And, it's very, very messy!

If you have a colony of bees in your trailer, give us a call or email. We handle removals all over the state of Florida, including Naples, Ft. Myers, Sarasota, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Kissimmee, Orlando, Brevard County, Ft. Lauderdale, Broward, Dade, Daytona, Palm Coast, Jacksonville and more!!!

If you have a bee hive in your house trailer, please consider us. We perform house trailer bee removal throughout Florida

We are entomologists (insect scientists), registered beekeepers, and Licensed Pest Control Operators, carrying full insurance and licenses for your protection. Visit our website, ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com for more info

Outdoor Bars and Honey Bees?

2009-08-30T13:46:00.001-04:00

It's late August, and that means it's the time of year when Restaurants and Bars start calling us. And we get LOTS of calls right now, usually complaining of hundreds or thousands of honey bees, flying around the back bar, into and around the ice drains, floor drains and syrup lines.

Why you ask? Late summer is what we call a season of dearth for bees. There's usually little flowering occuring, meaning natural sources of nectars have dried up. We usually see flowering kick back in next month, but for now, bees are desperately looking for any sugar source, and that means open air bars, restaurants, bakeries and donut shops are ground zero for honey bees. Once they find that sugar source, they will exploit it, sending thousands of workers to gather the sugars.

It can be difficult to solve these problems and no simple solution exists. Inspections, sanitation, screens & forced air systems, are just some elements of our tool box.

If your bar, restaurant or bakery is inundated with honey bees, give us a call at 800-343-5317 or visit our website at ALL Florida Bee Removal for help. We are graduate entomologists, beekeepers and Fla. licensed pest control operators, standing ready to help you.

Top 10 concerns about Live Honey Bee Removal

2009-08-27T21:56:00.000-04:00

I recently received this email, and thought I'd share my thoughts:

I wanted to know whats the incentive for someone to call you to do a live removal instead of exterminating a beehive, if any.

There are people who are very concerned about honey bees and would rather pay a higher fee to have them relocated to one of our apiaries, or a fellow beekeeper's apiary. They have an emotional stake in the health of honey bees. It's necessary to charge a higher fee to do live removals because it takes more time to do a successful removal, plus, the stinging risk is elevated, as the bees can get defensive. (They usually don't take kindly to me relocating them). Most people tend to belittle the stinging risk, but for us at ALLFloridaBeeRemoval, it's not taken lightly. Collectively, we respond to over 10,000 nuisance bee calls a year in the state of Florida. We have seen bees so mean that they leave thousands of stingers in our bee suits, with some of the stings hitting home! Bees hit my helmet so hard that it sounds like a popcorn popper going full tilt. Our first priority is to minimize to the sting risk to nearby humans & pets. I can assure you that a catastrophic sting risk is real with some bee colonies, and it concerns us greatly. Add the increasing numbers of the African subspecies and you might see how we run a significant liability every day. This is our livelihood, and we take it very seriously.

I think there is a commonly held belief that honey bees are normally gentle and put away mass amounts of honey. Gentle honey bees are gentle, only because humans have made them that way. Thousands of years of selecting for traits such as gentleness, putting away copious amounts of honey, building up populations in early spring & low swarming rates have made managed bees, (those in our white bee hive boxes), the gentle insect that we love. Historically, this selection process involves harsh methods.For example, Say we go back a few thousand years ago and look at a Roman Beekeeper. If a Roman bee colony in Naples happened to turn mean, and stung the beekeeper excessively, it would be exterminated. If a colony did not put away much honey, it was exterminated. Over time, this genetic manipulation has given us a subspecies (Apis mellifera ligustica ), well known and widely used in beekeeping for its gentle, honey productive traits.

In Florida at least, Italian honey bee colonies left unmanaged will usually produce daughter colonies that are hybrid. These feral (wild) colonies, and subsequent daughter colonies usually start exhibiting traits that are not necessarily suitable for beekeeping. Their temperament can be quite variable, with some "hot as fire". Would you want a dog that bit you every time you fed or pet it? Probably not. Same with bees. And many feral colonies put away only small amounts of honey. Again, that kind of defeats the purpose of most beekeepers, where honey production is an important part of the process.

I like to call these feral colonies "mutts", we never know what we'll get. When people tell me they want to give me a 'free' colony, I just need to come cut it out of their house, I like to use an analogy. Suppose you are a sled dog racer, and someone wants to give you a "free" sled dog. All you have to do is spend several hours removing it from an underground pipe it fell in. (hey I'm trying here). So, you drive an hour to get to the place, use tools, supplies and several hours getting the dog out and sealing up the hole so other dogs can't get back in. Oh yeah, you have to pay a few thousand dollars a year for insurance and 'dog removal' licensing fees too.. You get the dog home, feed it, pay the vet bill, and then realize that this Chiuaua just isn't able to pull it's share of the sled. Yeah, some mutts aren't good for sledding, and some bee 'mutts' don't put away much honey, or are plain mean. What am I as a beekeeper supposed to do then?

Well, you may have heard of requeening the colony. This is the directive that the State Dept. of Agriculture wants us to do, because of the increasing proportion of African honey bees in Florida. This involves killing the existing 'mutt' queen and inserting a purchased queen of known and desired genetics.Within a couple months, as the new generation cycles in, you'll have a colony that is gentle, puts away honey and life is good. Of course, as with most things, it's not this simple, but can be done, although we are finding that more feral colonies in Florida don't accept queens as readily as they used to. And if I'm spending $12-$20 a queen, it gets pretty old feeding queens to some mutt bees. But even if you are successful, here's the disingenuous kicker that noone tells you. When you requeen, you have just exterminated that mutt colony. yeah, Killed it dead as a doornail. All that effort to save that colony is down the drain. The genetics live (and die) with the queen. She is a true queen mother, with all the other colony members being her daughters or sons. When you kill her, and insert a new queen, assuming the workers will accept her, all new emergent workers are her daughters, carrying the genetics that have been manipulated by a queen breeder somewhere. It's even possible that she's been artificially inseminated with known sperm from a drone. (In the wild, queens mate with 15-20 or so males in a night or two of unbridled bee passion, producing a nice diversified 'family".. single-mated queens lack this diversified production capability).

So, we probably have beekeepers that are not requeening, in the name of genetic preservation. That's all fine and great, but eventually, as African bees overtake the feral bee populations throughout the state, incidents will occur. All one has to do is check the experiences of beekeepers in the Southwest US, after the African bee entered Texas in 1990. Some beekeepers were convinced they could handle the hybridization, and continued to collect feral colonies and open-mate their queens. African bees are nearly indistinguishable from Europeans, even to experienced beekeepers and entomologists such as myself. Well, stinging incidents occurred, lawsuits & settlements ensued, insurance coverage was dropped. And now most beekeepers are very careful, declining to perform live removals, requeening every 6 months and increasing bee-yard set offs. Similar occurrences will happen here in Florida, and with our state's greater human population density, I wouldn't doubt we experience even greater numbers of attacks. I myself will cease to perform live removals, sometime in the future. As it is now, I don't do live work south of Orange County.

So, I guess the take-home message about live removals, is that its a complicated mess. The risk, the added expense and the uncertainty make it a dying endeavor here in Florida.

I know Bee Keepers are wondering where they have all gone.

Don't believe what you read, even my stuff. Do some research. You'll find that what the media has told you about the dissapearing bees, and things like the human race going extinct because of honey bee problems are greatly exaggerated.

Here's some scoop. Commercial Bee Keeper David Hackenburg first reported problems about 3 years ago. He had a massive disappearance event in his overwintering operation in Dade City. Since then some beekeepers have suffered entire losses, some none, and a gradient in between. The actual percentage of mortality nationwide has risen from about 25% annually to about 33% annually. Yes, cause for concern, but not catastrophic. We've been dealing with imported, invasive pests, and the higher mortality they bring, for about 20 years. And the interesting thing, is that our feral populations ( In Fla )during this time have been doing very well, and increasing in numbers if one is to trust our numbers. (Probably due to increasing #'s of Africans here in Fla) So, this loss ( Colony Collapse Disorder ) apparently is limited to managed colonies, not feral populations. Research has started and is ongoing, Beekeepers are paying more attention to their colonies, and it appears that we may have emerged through this past winter with a reduction in overwintering mortality. Too early to tell, but I'm crossing my fingers.

Extermination can't be good for the environment if the hive is indeed European Honey Bees, right? Thanks in advance for your time.

Like I mentioned above, our feral population of bees is doing very, very well, so exterminating pest bees in/around structures, yards etc, does not threaten the numbers of wild bees. Determining whether a colony is European or African takes time & money, both of which are in short order these days, and when the risk of stinging is present because of a feral colony near humans or domestic animals. Currently we are seeing some very mean feral bees and we will see increasing numbers of incidents between feral bees and humans/domestic animals in the near future.I'll attempt live removals, but only if safety, colony health, local African bee proportion are within safe limits. While it's sad on an emotional level to kill a colony, ( I know!), protecting the safety of humans has to take precedence.

I hope this helps to answer your questions.

Richard Martyniak

yeah, I didn't make a top 10 list, sorry.