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Originally Posted by RobG7aChattTN
There should be a local bee keep who'd be happy to take them off your hands for free.
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Swarms perhaps, extracting a colony from a building - no.
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This is the best time of year to capture a swarm (spring) when they have all summer to build up their honey supplies and have swarmed because they are half of a healthy colony and not because they were a sick colony (late summer of fall).
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IF they are in a cavity for any length of time, they are no longer a swarm and the effort goes up exponentially. This is not a swarm that is sitting on a branch 6 feet off the ground. Most extractions from buildings are hard work when done correctly.
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They are worth money to the bee keeper and all you need is the queen and a few other workers and the rest of the colony that is left will disappear with the queen gone.
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THey are worth less than most people think. Most bee keepers collect swarms not because they want free bees, but to keep people from being afraid of them and killing them. New swarms need to be cared for and fed. They are a decent resource, early in the year (a swarm in may is worth a load of hay, a swarm in June is worth a silver spoon, a swarm in July isn't worth a fly), but in the end, at best, they replace a 60-70 dollar package of bees and cost at least as much to feed and get up and running for the next year. (not including the cost of the new queen one would want)
Having said that - removing a colony and dealing with all of the comb and honey and stuff is a money loser unless you charge more than almost anyone will pay. Most of the guys I know try to break even, and hardly count their time in the equation. Generally they do it because they want people to think favorably about bees and because the just like working the bees. IT;s a challenge.
Think of it this way. How much would a carpenter or plumber charge to open a wall, mess around for several hours in the heat with protective gear?
I catch swarms, I do it because people are afraid, I like to help, and I like to catch swarms. If I did it for a living I would have to charge $250 for even the simplest calls just to cover my time, bee feed, equipment to house the bees, travel time etc.
Keith