Bee Removals and Swarms – 2024

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.  Click here to contact NaplesBees for a quick response to your request.  Below is a chronological listing of various past bee removals done over the years.

See 2024 year bee removals here
See 2023 year bee removals here
See 2022 year bee removals here
See 2021 year bee removals here

See 2020 year bee removals here

See 2019 year bee removals here
See 2018 year bee removals here
See 2017 year bee removals here
See 2015-2016 year bee removals here

Removal 229:

1/30/2024 – A small hive from a water meter on 45th Street SW in Golden Gate City was removed this morning.  The cool January morning temperatures kept the bees fairly docile.  The queen was captured. 

Removal 230:

2/13/2024 – A very large hive was removed from a big water meter located on Frank Whiteman Blvd in Naples.  The meter box was totally filled with bees and comb.  All the brood comb was cut out and rubber band mounted on frames, filling about 8 brood box frames.  It took a couple hours to clean out the box and vacuum up almost all of the bees.

Super size water meter box partially covered in sugar sand. Click on picture for a larger view.

Once the top was pried off, wall to wall slabs of comb were exposed. Click on picture for a larger view.

 

Another view of the bottom of the top and also showing the thousands of bees on comb broken off and laying in the box.

 
 

The water meter box after comb clean up and most of the bees vacuumed up.

Removal 231:

3/19/2024 – An owl box very full of bees and their comb was removed. Back at the apiary, the owl box was disassembled and the comb transferred to a brood box. 

Click on picture for a larger view.

Click on picture for a larger view.

 
 

Removal 232:

3/29/2024 – A water meter removal on 8th Avenue North. 

Water meter hive needing live removal. Click on picture for a larger view.

Opening of the water meter to expose the comb and bees. Equipment ready to remove the comb and mount in brood box frames.

 

Back in the apiary, the bees are set up on a stand and opened up. Normally, the bees will settle down in a few hours. Hopefully they will decide to stay.

 

Removal 233:

3/29/2024 – Multiple swarms in the apiary appearing. Desirable boxes were placed near some of the swarms, hoping they will enter and set up shop. Time will tell if any of these develop in to productive apiary hives. 

A nice swarm on the ground went in to a nuc box yesterday. Today it was lifted off the ground and placed on a small chair. A quick peek inside showed lots of bees on a few frames in the nuc. Click on picture for a larger view.

A small swarm and its queen were spotted on the ground this morning. The queen was caged and the nuc placed near the bees and within a few minutes they all marched in. Click on picture for a larger view.

 

Swarm boxes high up on the side wall still attract swarms, this one moving in yesterday evening. Click on picture for a larger view.

 

Removal 234:

4/2/2024 – A small hive was removed from a water meter on Cypress Woods Drive in Naples.

Click on picture for larger view.

 
 
 

Removal 235:

4/4/2024 – A bird box on a tree that contained a hive was removed at Campbell Circle in North Naples.

Click on picture for a larger view.

Click on picture for a larger view.

 
 

Removal 236:

4/23/2024 – A small hive was removed from a hedge at the Marriott Residence Inn in Naples, FL. The branch the bees had built comb on was simply cut and placed in the beevac box for transport to the apiary.

Click on picture for a larger view.

 
 
 

Removal 237:

4/30/2024 – A hive was removed from a small tree at the rear of a house on Navajo Trail in East Naples. It was difficult removing the comb intact because of the way the comb was built around many branches, but most of it was able to be cut out and rubber band mounted in hive box frames.

Hive at eye level in a small tree. Click on picture for a larger view.

Close up of the hive prior to removal. Click on picture for a larger view.

 

After removal of the comb which was mounted in hive box frames. Click on picture for a larger view.

 

Removal 238:

5/2/2024 – A very small hive was removed from a water meter on Ossabaw Way in Islandwalk. Although a small hive, their was a very nice looking queen.

Click on picture for a larger view.

 
 
 

Removal 239:

5/15/2024 – Yet another small hive was removed from a water meter. This one was at a house on Pepper Tree Lane in Fiddler’s Creek.

Everybody happy to see the bees begin their move to a good home at the NaplesBees apiary. Click on picture for a larger view.

Setting up the gear. Click on picture for a larger view.

Opening the water meter and showing how the comb is built hanging from the box’s top. Click on picture for a larger view.

Cutting the comb off of the meter’s top and mounting in frames with rubber bands. Click on picture for a larger view.

Vacuuming up the bees with the “beevac”. Click on picture for a larger view.

A taste of honey straight from the hive! Click on picture for a larger view.

 
 

Removal 240:

8/19/2024 – An abandoned double deep langstroth hive was removed from the Wilderness Country Club golf course.  It was relocated to an apiary belonging to one of the BB&G beekeepers.

 
 
 

Removal 241:

8/31/2024 – Another garage side wall trap was brought down and placed in the apiary.  Opening the box revealed lots of built comb that needed mounting in frames, filling a brood box.   Because of the number of bees, a queen excluder and a super were added to the hive.  The bees were very calm and had already stored significant honey in some of the comb, which was placed in the super.

Click on picture for a larger view.