Sean Tinney answers honey bee calls from a base in Pflugerville, Texas, where the Travis-Williamson county line puts a broad slice of the northern Austin area within reach. Pflugerville’s mix of established neighborhoods, new construction, and open Blackland Prairie farmland gives honey bees plenty of forage – and plenty of tempting cavities when a swarm decides it is time to settle down.
Rather than exterminating, live-removal beekeepers safely capture the colony and relocate it to a managed apiary whenever possible – protecting the bees while solving the problem on your property. Relocation is genuinely a second life for the colony: once rehomed into a hive box in a bee yard, a healthy colony goes right back to raising brood and foraging, this time somewhere a beekeeper can manage it.
Before you call, a little observation helps. Note exactly where bees are entering and exiting, roughly how long the activity has been going on, and whether you can hear humming inside a wall in the evening. Fresh arrivals – most common during the March-to-June Texas swarm season – are far easier to collect than a colony that has had all summer to build comb behind brick or siding.
Sean Tinney is a member of the Texas Association of Professional Bee Removers, the statewide organization of beekeepers who perform live removals. Call to describe where the bees are and schedule a visit. As with any independent remover, terms and any fees are set by the beekeeper.
