Browsing Tag

bees

City

Who to call for bee removal services in Singapore

While bees pose a threat to most urban dwellings, and the instinctive response is to call pest control and opt for bee extermination in Singapore, there is a better way. A less messy, non-toxic approach is have bees relocated with the assistance of experienced beekeepers. Humane bee removal in Singapore is possible and affordable.

Does anyone remove bees for free in Singapore?

Whether it is bee extermination or bee relocation, it incurs a fee, so why not opt for a more ethical, chemical-free, and natural approach? Bees play an important role in Singapore’s ecosystem, pollinating flowers of food crops and flowering plants, they just need to be moved to a place that doesn’t threaten humans, or adopted and raised in a bee hive.

How much does beehive removal cost in Singapore?

Expect to pay $150 – $600 depending on which beekeeper you call, and at least $120 for pest control bee removal. It can take hours to remove the beehive, and the price reflects the complexity of the job.

It is important to note that bees do not go around stinging people, unless provoked. This only happens when they feel threatened. Female honey bees in particular die shortly after stinging someone because their stinger is dislodged from their body and they are disembowelled in the process. How to avoid being stung by a bee? A few things that get their attention are hairspray, deodorant and bright clothing. These can cause alarm to bees.

August 5, 2021 by Olivia

City, Garden Stories

Garden Stories: Thomas Lim of Edible Gardens

This month, I joined beevangelist, Thomas Lim and his Edible Gardens colleague, Suekay, on one of their bee rescue trips. It was Thomas’ second visit to this property in Punggol, where he had previously removed a hive successfully.

On this occasion, the whole process took more than two hours, which is not uncommon, so lots of patience is required on their part. Their task is not as easy as it seems, as the bee suits, although much thinner than the conventional version, is quite warm when worn, especially for that duration. Also, angry bees will swarm around them, and they are sometimes stung in the process, like they were that day.

Thomas and Suekay had to walk away a couple of times in order to calm them down, the rationale for that is bees don’t fly too far away from their hive, and at some point, the bees will have to go back. Bees also picked up on their scents, and would leave the owners and I alone even though we were standing quite near the both of them.

November 1, 2014 by Olivia

City

Who to call when you find bees in your home in Singapore

Most certainly not pest control! We have a shrinking population of native bees in Singapore and we need to protect them. While they might seem scary in a big swarm, don’t let it intimidate you and your family members, because they will not sting anyone unless they feel threatened. They are important pollinators in Singapore and it breaks my heart each time I hear about pest control companies killing bees.

There is a humane, constructive, and gratifying solution to this. Get in touch with the following parties if you require bee removal services:

Xavier Tan of Nutrinest – Xavier has been relocating bees in Singapore for several years now, and is highly experienced when it comes to bee removal. He also runs education programmes at The Ashram in Sembawang to raise awareness on the need to conserve bees. He can be contacted at 91474065.
Clarence Chua of The Sundowner – Clarence rescues bees and rehomes them to The Sundowner, located at Siglap, and organises events for people to experience a bee hive up close and learn more about bees. Whatsapp Clarence at 96177164 to get in touch.
John Chong of Bee Amazed Garden (above photo) – John runs a bee education centre at Singapore University of Social Sciences in Clementi. He runs education workshops and tries to spread the love for bees. Contact him at 96696370.

Unfortunately for me, termites took over my apiary, and a pest control company had to treat the wood for me (my area has historically been termite territory, Rentokil’s van is on my street very often, and I wonder why they don’t co-ordinate home visits so they can visit the whole street on the same day). As bees are very fussy when it comes to sanitation, it’s unlikely for them to move in to spaces which have been inhabited by other insects, they also stay away from chemicals.

There’s a lot to learn about bees, I’ve heard from the folks at Edible Gardens that our local bees are not as productive as bees in colder climates because they don’t have to store food for winter. More on this topic soon!

August 3, 2014 by Olivia