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Hundreds of bee removals from trees/houses/roofs/sheds/water meters/etc have been done over the years. Hive access is sometimes difficult and sometimes easy. Every removal situation is different and always an adventure. If you have bees that need removing give us a chance to relocate them to a good home in an area hobby beekeeper’s apiary. The NaplesBees apiary owner is licensed by the state of Florida for live bee removal. Not all types of removals, based on access, can be done. Click here to contact NaplesBees for a quick response to any request. Below is a chronological listing of a few of the bee removals done over the years.
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2/16/2023 – Removal from a water meter on 8th Street South in Naples. Comb was removed and mounted on frames and bees were beevaced. This small removal is going to be used in a paper combine with a queenless hive in the NaplesBees apiary.
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 Beautiful queen going about business. Click on picture for a larger view. |
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3/7/2023 – Removal from a water meter at house on Island Pond Lane in Naples. Two frames of comb was removed and mounted on frames and remaining bees were beevaced. This small hive will replace a deadout in the NaplesBees apiary.
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3/8/2023 – Things never get dull when you are a hobby beekeeper…… Does the following story support a theory that swarms might prefer a brood size box over a nuc size box when deciding where to set up shop?
Today I noticed a swarm about 30 feet high in a neighbor’s tree, off to the side of my apiary. While keeping an eye on it and doing some chores in the apiary, it suddenly took flight and within 5 minutes had settled on a group of nuc boxes behind my garage building next to the apiary………. STEP 1:
 STEP 1…….. Swarm moves to nuc boxes. Click on picture for a larger view |
After about 20 minutes all the bees seemed to consolidate themselves on the front of one specific nuc. At this time, I observed lots of “waggle” dances on the surface of the ball of bees. Trying to decode the majority of the waggle dances pointed me to thinking the next move might be nearby and back to the south (very tight waggle dance and slight south indication)………. STEP 2:
 STEP 2……. The ball of bees consolidates on one nuc, but not going inside. Click on picture for a larger view. |
After almost a half hour more and observing many many “waggle” dances, the swarm took off again and within minutes had started to settle on a brood size nuc box high on the south wall of the garage around the corner of the garage building………… STEP 3:
 STEP 3…….. the swarm moves to a brood size nuc box around the corner of the garage. Click on picture for a larger view. |
Within 10 minutes the entire swarm had settled in a ball under the brood size nuc box……… STEP 4:
 STEP 4…….. the swarm settles around the corner on a brood size nuc box. Click on picture for a large view. |
The next day, the final step was to move that box in to the apiary and give them a little sugar syrup. Hopefully, they will stay, but there is never a guarantee when it comes to beekeeping!!
3/17/2023 – Removal of a small swarm that was found on a palm frond. The bees were vacuumed up and then given a spot in the apiary. A few frames of comb and a sugar frame were provided in the brood box in hopes they will stay.
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3/29/2023 – Removal of a small hive that was found on a palm frond right on the beach at a Gordon Drive house. The palm frond was gently trimmed and the whole hive was dropped in to a brood box. Once in the apiary, the hive’s comb will be mounted on frames.
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 After trimming the frond, the hive was gently placed in to an empty brood box. Click on picture for a larger view. |
4/1/2023 – Removed a small swarm in a Brazilian peppertree bush near the apiary. The entire swarm was shaken directly in to a nuc box with a frame of comb and a sugar syrup feeder frame.
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6/24/2023 – Two brood size swarm traps high on the garage side wall got bees a few weeks ago. The boxes are gradually being moved over to the apiary stands by relocating the hive boxes a few feet every couple days. Moving this way, reduces the number of lost bees not able to find their way home if the box is moved more than a few feet. The first move was down a few feet using a shelf made on ladders, and the second move is from that shelf to a couple tables. From here the tables with hives will be moved a few feet more every couple days until they are able to be placed on the apiary stands.
 Swarm traps high on the garage side wall. Click on picture for a larger view. |
 Second hive moves from a temporary ladder shelf (not shown) to tables. |
 These bees built slabs of comb from the top board. They were cut out and mounted on frames to fill out the brood box with 10 frames. Click on picture for a larger view. |
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7/22/2023 – More busy swarm traps around the apiary this month. Right now there are 4 of the traps that looks like the bees have set up shop in. Most of the traps are nuc or brood boxes set up around the building next to the apiary.
 Four swarm traps around the apiary are busy with bees moving in. Click on picture for a larger view. |
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9/27/2023 – Yet another swarm trap that developed in to a nice hive was moved down to an apiary stand. A check of the frames after moving showed several beautiful frames solid with brood which will soon hatch. This hive is well on its way to growing fast.
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10/17/2023 – A swarm trap high up on the garage side wall was left a little too long. The bees that moved in were very busy building comb on the three frames that had been placed in the box, but soon started building more comb off the lid. This is what happens when a swarm trap is left too long before adding frames once the bees have moved in. All the comb was cut out and rubber band mounted in frames, resulting in an almost full brood box colony for the apiary stands.
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 Click on picture for a larger view. |
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10/18/2023 – Yet another brood size swarm box was lowered from the side wall and placed in the apiary. The bees did all of this comb building in a time span of a few weeks once I observed activity at the entrance. It is amazing what the bees can do when conditions are just right for them. The queen was spotted and clipped and released once all the comb was cut out and rubber band mounted in frames, resulting in another almost full brood box colony for the apiary.
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11/6/2023 – Today’s adventure started out with seeing a large swarm on one of the apiary stands support leg. A baited brood box was placed next to the stand leg and the bees moved over to it on the outside. The bees did not go in the box, but stayed for over a day and then decided to suddenly move to a brood box trap high on the garage side wall. Maybe they will make a home there.
UPDATE 11/11/2023 – After waiting almost a week, it was decided to check out the large ball of bees hanging under the high wall box. They had started to build comb. To try to save this situation, all the bees were physically moved in to the box to see if they would establish themselves in the brood box……. so far so good.
UPDATE 11/19/2023 – The forced move of all the bees in to the brood box swarm trap seems to have been successful. The box was opened and was populated with more brood size frames to fill it out. If it continues to develop well, the box is going to have to be moved soon to the apiary.
 Swarm moved from a stand leg to a box put near by. Click on picture for a larger view. |
 A day later, the swarm left the box near the stand leg and landed on a brood box trap high on the garage side wall. Click on picture for a larger view. |
11/11/2023 – One of the apiary stands had another 5 frame nuc that had been positioned in its permanent location for about 2 weeks. Today the bees and comb were moved into a proper brood box by mounting all the nuc built comb and also making sure of the transferring of the queen. This was that last of the apiary swarm nucs to be moved in to brood size box homes, so the hive has a good chance to properly grow.
 Moving the contents of a 5 frame nuc in to a 10 frame brood box. Click on picture for a larger view. |