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Welcome to our Apiary! Looking to Buy Bees?
TEXT 239-634-1671 with your City + pic of the bees (if its safe to do so) and we will call or text you back as soon as we can Often we sticky from being in the bees, so please be patient for a call back.
Our love for Bees brings our apiary to life, where we raise honey bees, teach about honey bees, assist Cape Coral / Punta Gorda homeowners and businesses with humane honey bee removal and swarm relocation services, harvest and sell honey and hive products as well as sell beekeeper supplies and equipment here at the bee farm.
Got Bees?
Got Bees?
We provide professional bee removal and swarm relocation services. Services are limited to live honey bee removals. We are STATE REGISTERED beekeepers that are INSURED and provide only SAFE and HUMANE removals and relocations using the latest technology and years of construction experience.
This professional technology help us to see the extent of where the honey bees have colonized and helps you by keeping the cost of repairs down to a minimum through precise openings. Some of the professional bee removal tools we may use are: a special bee vacuum, infrared technology and video scopes.
The honeycomb you see is where someone sprayed a colony and didn’t remove the wax.. Bees moved inside the home’s sub-floor from there.
With Infrared Camera Technology, we can see through the sub-floor, exactly where the bees moved to. Notice the honeycomb appears in the upper light blue section at the top, that’s the honeycomb you see in the left picture.
Spray foam doesn’t keep bees out. The bees simply chew through it and move further into the home’s sub-floor
With Infrared Camera Technology, we can see that we are dealing with TWO colonies that are separated by the joisting of this stilt home
Looking for Bee Removal
Looking for Bee Removal
in Cape Coral or Punta Gorda?
in Cape Coral or Punta Gorda?
Have Bees in your backyard tree or palm? Or perhaps clinging to your home’s exterior wall?
We provide safe and humane bee removal and swarm relocation services.
Services may be limited by location as well as access.
The Swarming of the Honey Bees
The Swarming of the Honey Bees
Swarming is a natural behavior for colony reproduction. Bees tend to swarm when there is a strong nectar flow (lots of flowers blooming). Beekeepers refer to that time of year as “swarm season”.
Typically, the location the colony was established in previously has become too crowded as the queen lays more and more eggs to collect all the nectar and pollen to store for their winter survival. 50-60% of the bees leave with the queen mother and leave the queen daughter behind with the remaining colony.
Here in SouthWest Florida “swarm season” tends to start in early to mid-March when the first flowers on the Palms, Palmettos, Mangroves, and Citrus have been blooming for a few weeks.
Swarm season tends to continue through late June to mid-July until the intolerable heat and soggy grounds give us very few flowers for the bees to gather nectar and pollen from.
We have a second, very active “swarm season” when the Brazilian Pepper blooms that can start as early as mid-September and go as late as mid-November.
And all that being said, if we have a warm winter, “swarm season” can also start in December…it’s not like anyone told the bees that it’s not officially “swarm season” yet
During swarm season is when most homeowners discover that bees have moved onto their property as uninvited guests.
This is also when beekeepers are very busy managing their own colonies to keep them from swarming as well as with bee removals and relocations.
Types of Bee Relocations & Removals
Types of Bee Relocations & Removals
Swarms
Swarms
Swarms are temporary locations where bees gather after splitting off from the established colony. The bees that leave will cluster in a tree or on a wall to protect their queen while scout bees head out to find them their "forever home".
These scout bees help to find the next suitable home for the colony. Generally, they do not stay in these types of locations for more than a couple hours to at most a couple days.
Typically, they leave within a couple hours. However, often homeowners mistake established colonies with wax comb for swarms.
This is simply because they didn’t notice the bees arrive and assume they just got there when they first realize they are there.
Beekeepers love collecting swarms since they tend to be more docile and don’t have to take a building or wax comb apart to collect the bees and they tend to be in less restrictive areas.
That having been said they can also be the most challenging to collect since they often leave as soon as you have your suit on and are heading up the ladder. We do collect swarms and try to relocate them to our farm whenever possible; however, they typically will relocate on thier own before we can even get there.
Cut Outs
Cut Outs
Cut Outs are when bees have established colonies with wax honeycomb and are in an area that is readily accessible to remove the bees and the wax.
These types of bee removal and relocations involve “cutting out” the existing wax comb with the honey, pollen and brood (eggs, larvae and pupae) and making sure all the wax is removed.
These types of bee removal and relocations involve “cutting out” the existing wax comb with the honey, pollen and brood (eggs, larvae and pupae) and making sure all the wax is removed.
If the wax is not properly removed, then the next scout bees will smell it and use it to set up their colony.
When people haves bees with the honey comb improperly removed, they often get bees again in exactly the same place.
This is just one more reason to be sure to hire an experienced beekeeper to complete your bee removal.
How is a Cut out done?
How is a Cut out done?
There are several ways this can be done properly.
We usually can do bee removal cut outs depending on the colonies location assuming there does not need to be extensive demolition to get to the bees.
Never plug a hole that bees are coming out of without removing the bees first.
The bees are resourceful and will chew another way out — it just might be into the home instead of the outside!
Some examples of Bee Removal – Cape Coral – Cut Outs would be:
Bees in water meter boxes or sprinkler solenoid boxes
Honey Bees on a tree or palm limb that have established their colony on the limb as evidenced by wax comb being present
Bees in a frame wall where the siding can be removed to get them out
Honey Bees in an attic that have established wax comb
Bees in a brick wall where the bricks can be removed to get the bees and their wax comb out
Honey Bees in an unused barbeque grill or composter or container
Bees under shed floors
Honey Bees under mobile homes
Trap Outs
Trap Outs
Trap Outs are when bees have established colonies with wax honeycomb and are in an area that is not accessible to remove the bees and the wax without extensive demolition and reconstruction.
These types of bee removal and relocations involve “trapping out” the bees by using a one-way cone. As the foragers head out, they return and are unable to get back in to rejoin their colony.
How is a Trap Out done?
How is a Trap Out done?
The beekeeper must seal off all the entrances and usually will place a new bee hive box near the one way mesh cone to allow the bees a place to establish a new home.
This is a time intensive process since the beekeeper must come back for several weeks to manage the bees in new hive box to make sure they have the resources to survive, check that the bees have not found another way in, and keep doing this until all the bees have come out of their inaccessible location.
This bee removal process can take 6-8 weeks from start to finish.
We will seal off the area the bees got in from once the trap out is completed.
Options to Trap Outs
Options to Trap Outs
We do not kill bees. If you opt for the pest control option, you will need to contact a licensed pest professional.
Often this is when some folks will call the pest control professionals since it may be too costly to repair the structure to do a cut out or sometimes the process simply takes too long creating public safety concerns.
We do not judge and will let you know what your honest options are. A trap out does not involve an demolition nor reconstruction.
Never plug a hole that bees are coming out of without removing the bees first.
The bees are resourceful and will chew another way out — it just might be into the home instead of the outside!
Some example of Bee Removal – Cape Coral – Traps Outs would be:
Bees coming out of a hole near a water spigot in a concrete block wall
Honey Bees coming out of a hole between floor joists of a 2-story home
Bees coming out of a hole from utilities as they run through the concrete block, like HVAC lines, electrical, cable or any other holes 1/4″ or more.
Honey Bees coming out of a chase for utilities running on the external part of the block.
Bees coming out of the trunk of a decaying tree
Tips on Hiring Honey Bee Removal Services in Cape Coral / Punta Gorda
Tips on Hiring Honey Bee Removal Services in Cape Coral / Punta Gorda
When a company or person is hired to remove or eradicate a colony on your property, FDACS suggests the following:
Ask for their beekeeper registration number or pest control license number. This is required in order to perform eradication or removal in the state of Florida.
Ask for their beekeeper registration number or pest control license number. This is required in order to perform eradication or removal in the state of Florida.
Ours is FL0360608K and it’s on all our bee boxes.
Ask if the beekeeper or pest control operator carries liability insurance.
Ask if the beekeeper or pest control operator carries liability insurance.
Absolutely, we do. This is where most bee removal services fall short, in particular those offering free bee removal services. There are costs associated with doing things right, which includes proper liability insurance to protect you should someone get injured during a bee removal or inexperienced person damaging a home when they cut something open.
Ask about their plan to remove existing comb and honey that could attract nearby bees.
Ask about their plan to remove existing comb and honey that could attract nearby bees.
This will depend on the circumstances of your bee situation.We remove everything we can as often as we can for the best possible results
Ask about the method of removal or eradication they will be using and where the bees are being relocated.
Ask about the method of removal or eradication they will be using and where the bees are being relocated.
We do not eradicate honey bees. We may re-queen the colony, if the bees are africanized per state requirements. The bees go to a quarantine yard for observation, re-queening and treatments, if needed.
Ask about their plan to repair, replace or otherwise completely seal off the site after colony removal.
Ask about their plan to repair, replace or otherwise completely seal off the site after colony removal.
This repair should be conducted by a licensed contractor who is familiar with building code regulations in your area (this will not typically be the beekeeper or pest control operator who performs the removal). We don’t do repairs; however, we have a lot of construction experience and know how to take things apart in such a way to make it easier and less costly to put back together for your handyman or contractor.
If a tree needs to be removed or cut, ask if there is a plan to remove any remaining parts or debris from your property. We pick up after ourselves and make sure you are all set. For major tree services, we ask you consult with an arborist or licensed tree professional
After colony removal or eradication, be sure to check for further bee activity at the site and follow up with the company/person hired, if needed.
After colony removal or eradication, be sure to check for further bee activity at the site and follow up with the company/person hired, if needed.
We will follow up with you to make sure your bee problem is completely taken care of
Do you do Free Bee Removals?
Do you do Free Bee Removals?
When a company or person is hired to remove or eradicate a colony on your property, FDACS suggests the following:
Ask for their beekeeper registration number or pest control license number. This is required in order to perform eradication or removal in the state of Florida.
Ask for their beekeeper registration number or pest control license number. This is required in order to perform eradication or removal in the state of Florida.
Ours is FL0360608K and it’s on all our bee boxes.
Ask if the beekeeper or pest control operator carries liability insurance.
Ask if the beekeeper or pest control operator carries liability insurance.
Absolutely, we do. This is where most bee removal services fall short, in particular those offering free bee removal services. There are costs associated with doing things right, which includes proper liability insurance to protect you should someone get injured during a bee removal or inexperienced person damaging a home when they cut something open.
Ask about their plan to remove existing comb and honey that could attract nearby bees.
Ask about their plan to remove existing comb and honey that could attract nearby bees.
This will depend on the circumstances of your bee situation.We remove everything we can as often as we can for the best possible results
Ask about the method of removal or eradication they will be using and where the bees are being relocated.
Ask about the method of removal or eradication they will be using and where the bees are being relocated.
We do not eradicate honey bees. We may re-queen the colony, if the bees are africanized per state requirements. The bees go to a quarantine yard for observation, re-queening and treatments, if needed.
Ask about their plan to repair, replace or otherwise completely seal off the site after colony removal.
Ask about their plan to repair, replace or otherwise completely seal off the site after colony removal.
This repair should be conducted by a licensed contractor who is familiar with building code regulations in your area (this will not typically be the beekeeper or pest control operator who performs the removal). We don’t do repairs; however, we have a lot of construction experience and know how to take things apart in such a way to make it easier and less costly to put back together for your handyman or contractor.
If a tree needs to be removed or cut, ask if there is a plan to remove any remaining parts or debris from your property. We pick up after ourselves and make sure you are all set. For major tree services, we ask you consult with an arborist or licensed tree professional
After colony removal or eradication, be sure to check for further bee activity at the site and follow up with the company/person hired, if needed.
After colony removal or eradication, be sure to check for further bee activity at the site and follow up with the company/person hired, if needed.
We will follow up with you to make sure your bee problem is completely taken care of
Still Have a Question about Honey Bees or Bee Removal?
Still Have a Question about Honey Bees or Bee Removal?
More Opportunities to Learn about Honey Bees
More Opportunities to Learn about Honey Bees
Honey Bees are quite simply fascinating and marvelous creatures. The more you know, the more you realize you don’t know about the bees. Our love for bees has us doing numerous honey bee education events educating:
Fellow beekeepers at our monthly Bee Club meetings,
Beginning beekeepers – check out Bee 101 – Become a Beekeeper hands-on workshops
Online courses (coming soon)
Mentoring Program - only open to student that have completed Bee101
Non-Beekeepers Into the Hive Discovery Tours at the bee farm's apiary
Community events speaking at clubs
Community service events speaking at 4-H events
About This Site
About This Site
Our Apiary is part of our small farm, GreenView Aquaponics Family Farm & Apiary. We also proudly serve through the local Bee Club, Gulf Coast Beekeepers Assoc, that has meetings at UF/IFAS Charlotte County Extension and at the farm. Visit the Bee Club page for more information on how to join.
Our Apiary is part of our small farm, GreenView Aquaponics Family Farm & Apiary. We also proudly serve through the local Bee Club, Gulf Coast Beekeepers Assoc, that has meetings at UF/IFAS Charlotte County Extension and at the farm. Visit the Bee Club page for more information on how to join.
If you would to support our efforts, please check our FarmStand page for honey, hive products, mated queens, NUCs and bee equipment & supplies for beekeepers as well as educational opportunities and courses.
Hours
Apiary is not open to the Public, other than scheduled events
Orders are available by delivery to Bee Club meetings or by appointment
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