Honey Bee Swarms In St. Augustine
Honey bees have a tendency to swarm in St. Augustine for a good part of the year. The coastal paradise boasts warm temperatures and lots of foraging opportunities for honey bees. People have been dealing with honey bee swarms in St. Augustine since the introduction of the western honey bee, (Apis mellifera) around the 1600’s.
Don't Panic
Swarming is how honey bees accomplish reproducing at a colony level. Normally when the honey bee colony has decided that the hive has become too congested they start constructing swarm cells for new queens. Once the queen has laid eggs in these swarm cells, she and half of the adult bees exit the hive in search of a new home.
Let Them Bee
Honey bees are defensive by nature. When a honey bee stings you it dies. So, the last thing that these honey bees want to do is deviate from their main goal; “finding a new home”. Chances are that they won’t be there long as they search for their new spot in St. Augustine.
Call A Professional
Swarms that are in buildings or structures require expertise and time to safely remove them. Swarm removals and beekeeping are very different skill sets. You should contact a professional beekeeper who is skilled in this technique to help remove and relocate the honey bees.
Buildings & Structures
Removing honey bees from behind a wall should ideally be done by a professional beekeeper or licensed removal specialist. Honey bees are beneficial pollinators, and improper removal can be dangerous and cause structural damage. The goal should always be live removal and relocation, not extermination.
Frequently Asked Questions
- 1HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE HONEY BEES?
Proper identification is very important before hiring us. We do not provide these services for other bee species and wasps. Honey bees are fuzzy, golden-brown, and form large colonies. If you are unsure you can always text us pictures and videos to verify that you have honey bees.
- 2SHOULD I SPRAY THE HONEY BEES?
Spraying honey bees is discouraged, as it will obviously kill them. When we bring the affected honey bees to one of our apiaries, it exposes our existing honey bee colonies to whatever you sprayed them with. We take great pride and care in treating our honey bee colonies for pests and pathogens on a regular basis, so this is a deal breaker for us.
- 3CAN I SEAL UP THEIR ENTRANCE?
This is discouraged and causes major problems. For starters, if you seal the entrance you will entomb all of the bees, the comb, and their resources. This will cause all of that to rot behind your walls and attract rodents and other insects looking to feed off of the leftovers. In addition, mold growth is something else to consider when sealing up honey bee colonies behind walls.
- 4DOES BEE AUGUSTINE HONEY CO. CHARGE FOR SWARM REMOVAL SERVICES?
Yes, we do charge for swarm removals, cut outs, and trap outs. While we love helping local residents and honey bees, there are hard costs involved in performing these services. Equipment, gas, time and expertise are all things to consider when hiring us to help you relocate your honey bees. Prices vary depending on access to the honey bee colony, distance traveled to rescue the honey bees, and equipment used to relocate the honey bees.
- 5WHAT METHOD OF PAYMENTS DO YOU ACCEPT?
Bee Augustine Honey Co. accepts Cash and Venmo payments for our swarm removal services. We require a 50% deposit up front and the balance is due when we arrive to relocate the honey bees. We will be happy to provide you with a receipt upon payment. NOTE: We do not do invoicing, as payments are required before the removal process begins.