My friend Dave and I did a bee removal out of an NV Energy electric power box the other day.
It was fun, and we had some extraordinary NV Energy employees cheering us on during the bee removal. They stayed a safe distance away, which was best this way as you never know what the bees may do once that box is opened.
When we opened the electric box, the bees had all their honeycombs hanging from the top cover. It was an impressive sight, to say the least.
We gave the bees a Little smoke because it was kind of cold and rainy, and we know the bees don't really like to play with us when the weather isn't very nice. However, these bees were as kind and sweet as you would love every removal to be.
They didn't try to attack or run us off. Seeing that the hive barely had any resources was alarming. There was barely any honey at all despite the bee count being high.
Dave put in a sugar water feeder right away for the bees. He knows these girls will have to be fed right away. Why they had no honey was anyone's guess, as it was a nice-sized beehive.
If your hive doesn't have resources in the middle of January, they probably won't make it through the winter. So getting them started with a nice gallon of sugar water will put them in the right direction, and a pollen patty or two will also help.
When the honeycombs were removed from the hive, the bees on them were dropped into the 10-frame box that would be their new happy home.
One of the combs had the queen bee on it, which we didn't notice right away, and she, along with the other bees, all got put into the comfy box. This is ideal because it was cold, and they all got to cluster up nicely and stay warm inside the hive box.
When we were done putting the combs into the box, we started searching for the queen.
She was found very quickly and put into a clip for a day or two until she will be released to join her colony. This insurance policy allows her time to get used to the box and accept it as her new home. We don't want her to swarm away with her family in this weather.
We finished cleaning out the NV energy electrical box and did our best to get every bee into its hive box. It was a clean and easy bee removal and soon to be relocated to the Henderson apiary.
After the job was completed, we were contacted by a man named Aaron.
This person lives closest to the NV Energy box on the sidewalk. He claimed that those bees were his and wanted us to hand them over to him. He claimed he was using NV Energy's electrical box as their beehive.
Of course, we declined as NV Energy contacted us to remove them.
It was their power box and was not on Aaron's property. They were a danger to NV Energy's customers and employees and needed immediate removal.
When we arrived to pick up the bees, they were gone. Someone had removed the entire box! The queen was still in the clip and would need to be released in a day or two, or she may not make it.
We are still determining who took the bees and where they are.
If the queen is not let out of the clip, she will not survive, and the bees will be doomed without their leader.
Thankfully this is the first time I ever dealt with anything like this, and hopefully, the last. But unfortunately, we asked other beekeepers in the area, and nobody had or came forward with any information on this sad and heartless issue.
When things like this happen, it gives us a moment to pause and think about what is happening here.
Are people seriously removing beehives in Las Vegas? I think I have seen it all now. The poor honeybees already have enough to deal with without being taken and mistreated on top of it.
If you have any information on this situation, please get in touch with us. We promise you will remain unnamed, and nobody will EVER know you gave us any info.
UPDATE on July 2024: The beehive was recovered and it was Aaron R. who took the bees and Dave's equipment. Imagine someone doing that to a beekeeper? I hope to never see a situation like this ever again.
Pete and Betsy,
Las Vegas, Nevada
About Us
We're Betsy and Pete, passionate Las Vegas beekeepers trained by a master in the field. With hundreds of successful bee and bee swarm removals under our belts, we're not just experts; we're enthusiasts committed to the well-being of these incredible pollinators.
We manage dozens of beehives, both natural and honey-bearing at our Joshua Tree Preserve.
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