3 Big Reasons Why You Shouldn't Kill A Colony Of Bees On Your Property
Have you recently realized that a colony of bees has moved into your home or yard? Do you want them gone because you're afraid that they will sting someone? While bees are important to the environment, they aren't necessarily creatures that you want to share your living spaces with. While some people's instincts might be to go get a can of bug spray or even to call in an exterminator, there are better ways to deal with the situation that you are currently facing. Instead of having the hive killed, call someone in to relocate it. Advantages of doing this include:
No harmful chemicals: If you're worried about exposing your household to pesticides, you should be glad to know that honey bee relocation is an option that doesn't use these products. Instead of pesticides, the beekeeper will use smoke to calm the bees so that the hive can be removed. This smoke is produced by burning things like damp hay or woodchips in a special container and is not unlike the smoke that gets produced when you have a barbecue. In most cases, the amount of smoke that is actually needed is so small that it will be gone almost immediately once the beekeeper is done.
Better diversity: As you might be aware, bee populations around the world are in flux. Although bees are important to pollinate various plants, scientists aren't quite sure exactly why bee populations have been dropping nor what makes them rebound. While having one more colony of bees around may not seem like that much, anything you can do to help is only going to boost the local biodiversity and give bees an all-around better chance at succeeding than they might have had before. The hive you save today with your honey bee relocation efforts could wind up being very important for the future.
Cruelty-free: Even though bees are only insects, there are plenty of people who see no point in killing them needlessly. It doesn't matter if you're a vegan or not — avoiding harming others tends to be a good practice in life. While honey bee relocation does annoy the bees in question and a few may sacrifice themselves to save the colony from the beekeeper, the vast majority of the bees will be just fine and will barely even notice that they have been moved somewhere else. If you have children, this can also be a valuable lesson that you don't need to hurt those who are smaller than you just to get what you want.