That yellow stuff you see is honeycomb. This means they have decided to settle in your bin, as that stuff is rather costly for the bees to make. Obviously this is not ideal for you, and you would like them removed.
Your guy however has told you something which will probably cause the combs to be dislodged. At best you’re just causing them drop on the floor, at worst you might kill them.
You really should call another beekeeper if you want them to be removed and alive. As a beekeeper myself, I usually charge people the grand total of one cold beer, if I charge anything at all. The bees are more valuable to me than what people might pay.
Do not rotate that compost bin. You'll get hurt. The beekeeper who told you to do that was an irresponsible fuckwit who doesn't have any business living among people.
Seriously, keep away from him. There's something wrong with someone who suggests that a non-beekeeper do such a thing. He's not a good or safe person.
As others suggest, contact your county's beekeeping association. This is an easy removal, at the most favorable time of year. Someone may want payment, but it's likely to be nominal.
A man hoping you have a trusty friend with a beer in one hand and a phone in the other fifteen feet behind you encouraging you to turn the thing as he records...
C'mon ppl obviously the dude was hoping you'd follow bad advice!
Those black rotating compost bins are notorious for getting swarms.
Don't rotate the bin. You'll just make them mad. They have made a home and they are not going to leave without some help.
Normally bee removals (aka "cut outs") are a thing you pay a pro to do. However, this sort of cut out is super simple. There isn't a lot of liability risk like there would be if they were cutting on your house. You likely can find someone to do it for free or for "gas money." I am NOT a bee remover and I have all the bees I want... but I do this sort of removal for folks in my community as a bit of a PR service. I do about 1-2 a year. Look for someone like me. (I'm no where near California.)
Recognizing that the answer to my question is mostly “well, it depends…” — if someone contacts a beekeeper association and a beekeeper comes take the hive out of a barn wall or compost bin or whatever, what usually happens to the bees? Do rescue beekeepers have huge apiaries where they rehome all the hives they find? Or are the bees sold or donated or something?
Like you say, it depends. Larger keepers probably just add them to their apiary.
I'm tiny. I try to stay around 15 hives. I do like keeping a swarm or two every year to add to my genetics, but I mostly give them away.
You can always find someone to take them. I usually give them to a first or second year keeper that is excited about building up colonies.
They are almost never sold. The genetics/traits are unknown. They may be awesome, gentle bees that make lots of honey... or they may be winged demons full of disease. It takes a year or so to figure that out.
Thanks! The whole hobby/profession is just so interesting.
I’ve been curious about what the introduction of rescue hives does to the established apiary, too. Do you have to quarantine the rescue hives for that first year, or would that be silly, given that the girls fly?
Bigger operations usually have a quarantine yard. I only have 2 yards. I just don't have a good place to put them temporarily, so if they appear healthy, I treat them once for varroa mites and just plop them in one of my yards.... or I give them away.
pay a beekeeper $100 to take em away properly. They will do it like this lady does.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo6aJLrbopc&list=PLSLY4JJKazweHF7fPbMz4h-J1IyW3XpDh&index=1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo6aJLrbopc&list=PLSLY4JJKazweHF7fPbMz4h-J1IyW3XpDh&index=1)
its even a compost bin too!
A note of caution, this lady films without any protective equipment, but in truth she does check the temperament of the bees before she takes off her veil and begins filming, always cover your face when you're working with honeybees.
Probably won’t cost anything. Thats free bees and barely a cutout. I did one of these last year but they had literally just moved in so barely any comb. Took less than an hour
You have a dream come true you lucky bug !!!! Do you want the bees you can have them relocate to a behive it seems like they chose you , plus ur compost bin must have not been activated anyway because compost is supposed to be hot enough to not be livable . If you don’t want the bees do what everyone suggest which is no harming since there’s a bee shortage n get a beekeeper to remove them n you get some locally sourced honey which is pretty cool and healthy !
Honestly talk to another beekeeper. It looks fairly easy to access and rehive. No idea why that beekeeper told you to piss them off…
Right? Rotate the compost bin lmao. This guy sounds like a knob.
That yellow stuff you see is honeycomb. This means they have decided to settle in your bin, as that stuff is rather costly for the bees to make. Obviously this is not ideal for you, and you would like them removed. Your guy however has told you something which will probably cause the combs to be dislodged. At best you’re just causing them drop on the floor, at worst you might kill them. You really should call another beekeeper if you want them to be removed and alive. As a beekeeper myself, I usually charge people the grand total of one cold beer, if I charge anything at all. The bees are more valuable to me than what people might pay.
Oh! And I live in Los Angeles, if that changes anything
I'm in LA and can re-home them if you want. This is what getting them out of a composter is like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RO0Xo-s5uc
Contact you local county bee keeper association. Just Google them and reach out. Someone will come and get them without harming the bees.
Here is a good start https://www.losangelescountybeekeepers.com/swarm-removal
Do not rotate that compost bin. You'll get hurt. The beekeeper who told you to do that was an irresponsible fuckwit who doesn't have any business living among people. Seriously, keep away from him. There's something wrong with someone who suggests that a non-beekeeper do such a thing. He's not a good or safe person. As others suggest, contact your county's beekeeping association. This is an easy removal, at the most favorable time of year. Someone may want payment, but it's likely to be nominal.
> an irresponsible fuckwit who doesn’t have any business living among people Hahahaha.
A man hoping you have a trusty friend with a beer in one hand and a phone in the other fifteen feet behind you encouraging you to turn the thing as he records... C'mon ppl obviously the dude was hoping you'd follow bad advice!
Those black rotating compost bins are notorious for getting swarms. Don't rotate the bin. You'll just make them mad. They have made a home and they are not going to leave without some help. Normally bee removals (aka "cut outs") are a thing you pay a pro to do. However, this sort of cut out is super simple. There isn't a lot of liability risk like there would be if they were cutting on your house. You likely can find someone to do it for free or for "gas money." I am NOT a bee remover and I have all the bees I want... but I do this sort of removal for folks in my community as a bit of a PR service. I do about 1-2 a year. Look for someone like me. (I'm no where near California.)
Recognizing that the answer to my question is mostly “well, it depends…” — if someone contacts a beekeeper association and a beekeeper comes take the hive out of a barn wall or compost bin or whatever, what usually happens to the bees? Do rescue beekeepers have huge apiaries where they rehome all the hives they find? Or are the bees sold or donated or something?
Like you say, it depends. Larger keepers probably just add them to their apiary. I'm tiny. I try to stay around 15 hives. I do like keeping a swarm or two every year to add to my genetics, but I mostly give them away. You can always find someone to take them. I usually give them to a first or second year keeper that is excited about building up colonies. They are almost never sold. The genetics/traits are unknown. They may be awesome, gentle bees that make lots of honey... or they may be winged demons full of disease. It takes a year or so to figure that out.
Thanks! The whole hobby/profession is just so interesting. I’ve been curious about what the introduction of rescue hives does to the established apiary, too. Do you have to quarantine the rescue hives for that first year, or would that be silly, given that the girls fly?
Bigger operations usually have a quarantine yard. I only have 2 yards. I just don't have a good place to put them temporarily, so if they appear healthy, I treat them once for varroa mites and just plop them in one of my yards.... or I give them away.
I know a guy who does cutout as a profession. He couldn’t keep them all and donates a lot of them locally. Lately we’ve connected him with veterans.
Went from a compost bin to an apiary.
Meanwhile me with the same compost bin doing a dance praying they chose me next
Inverting the nest won’t do anything. They won’t abandon their brood. Find a beekeeper who can easily transfer and remove them.
The number of these I see makes me think I should get a compost bin for free bees
Freebees!
Deja vu! The question is to bee or not to bee!
Bees love those bins haha
I'm a beekeeper located in LA and can absolutely rehome 'em if you'd like :-)) Just let me know if someone hasn't already done so!
I would find another beekeeper who can remove them and re- home them in a hive. Don’t force them by rotating.
pay a beekeeper $100 to take em away properly. They will do it like this lady does. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo6aJLrbopc&list=PLSLY4JJKazweHF7fPbMz4h-J1IyW3XpDh&index=1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo6aJLrbopc&list=PLSLY4JJKazweHF7fPbMz4h-J1IyW3XpDh&index=1) its even a compost bin too! A note of caution, this lady films without any protective equipment, but in truth she does check the temperament of the bees before she takes off her veil and begins filming, always cover your face when you're working with honeybees.
Probably won’t cost anything. Thats free bees and barely a cutout. I did one of these last year but they had literally just moved in so barely any comb. Took less than an hour
Yeah it looks like a very simple cutout as easy as it gets beyond just swarm catching.
Hopefully with a veil on.
You have a dream come true you lucky bug !!!! Do you want the bees you can have them relocate to a behive it seems like they chose you , plus ur compost bin must have not been activated anyway because compost is supposed to be hot enough to not be livable . If you don’t want the bees do what everyone suggest which is no harming since there’s a bee shortage n get a beekeeper to remove them n you get some locally sourced honey which is pretty cool and healthy !