Customer testimonial: MRS TAN SHARING BEEKEEPING EXPERIENCES!

Back in March 2021, Mrs Tan approached Nutrinest with her Bee “problem”. I get her to send me  some photos and videos of her bee “problem” for me to understand the situation.

​She asked:” Hi I just discovered this mass here on this tree and I thought it is a beehive. I got your number online and wondering if you could advise me what to do with it. I do not want to harm the bees.”
 
I told her that these are dwarf bees and they are docile.  Looking at the beehive location it might be ok to leave them alone and share some space in her garden with the bees.
 
She Replied:” Thank you Xavier for your quick response.  It is not in the way and I do not mind giving them the space for a while, if they don't grow too big. I had once previously and a pest control came and exterminated it, which made me feel very sad. I didn't want to do that again. I will let it stay if it is docile. However may call for your service if it grows too big. Thank you very much for your advice.”
 
To be sure, I requested her to send me a video of the surrounding area that is near to the beehive to ensure it is ok for people living close by. After reviewing her videos we both think that it is ok to keep the bee as it is. The only precaution is to only water the plant at the base without splashing. She was happy after keeping the bees for a few days and gave me a 5 stars review!
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In September, Mrs Tan came back to me to let me know that the bees had decided to move on to their next destination.

Based on the empty comb we can observe that the colony had already gone through a full cycle. There are empty drone chamber and a few queen chambers. There was a slight wax moth infestation (one of the reason why the colony decided to move to a new place).  It was natural shift as all honey was removed, chambers are all empty. The colony had produce about 12 new queens!
 
Then I requested her to help do a write up about her experience to share with everyone. Hoping that will encourage more people to coexist and share some space with the bees! She agreed and below is her sharing:
 
The first time I saw a beehive in my garden was many years ago. I panicked and called for a pest control company promptly.  It came and exterminated it swiftly. It was a regrettable experience for me seeing the dead bees on the floor.  I didn't feel right.
 
When I encountered a hive again in March this year,
I decided to go online to look for a better solution.  I was lucky to find Xavier who is experienced and knowledgeable in bees. From the pictures I sent, he was able to advise me the kind of bees I had in the garden and their living habits. Assessing that the beehive location was not in anybody way, he asked if I could give it space as the bees are nomadic and they would probably move on subsequently.  I decided we could give it a chance and learn to live with it for a while.  I also learned that the bees are having trouble surviving in the modern world.

It soon became our 'house pets' of kind, and we checked on it every now and then. We noticed that there was a tree chameleon (actually it is garden lizard) which was always looking at the hive. The bees would flutter whenever it got too near to them. 

Over times we observed that the colony expanded, than decreased and then expanded one more time.  Unfortunately, my new neighbour spotted it one day and we thought it was time we get Xavier to come and remove it safely.  Then out of a sudden, we found the hive empty one rainy day in August.  Our little friends had also decided to bid goodbye.  We were relieved but kind of missing them at the same time.  We cut off the branch and removed the hive.

The bees were with us for about half a year. It was a good experience for us to get so near to nature and observe them first hand. I am glad that I didn't kill them and they moved on to a greener pasture in due time.
 
I saw a tiny bee in my dinning room the other night,  I hope it is not looking for its hive.

There are bees everywhere,  with a beehive near us or not the risk of getting stung by a bee is equally low.  in fact if we know the location and try to make some adjustment on how we use the place. the risk is lesser than when we don't even know where the beehive is.  

Next time when you encounter a beehive just leave them alone.  if you are not sure, please WhatsApp to Xavier at 91474065 with a video showing the beehive and the surrounding area.  We are happy to provide free advice on how we can manage the wild bees.  Please do not engaging a pest control or try to handle the bees yourself, if you do not know how.  Bees are very important to our eco-system and they are not dangerous.  please help to conserve the bees.