Discussions

We have discovered we have bees making a few nests in our sheds. We don't want to kill them as bees are hard to come by but we also don't want them around.  
 
I have Googled Apiary's in Manitoba and seem to only find three of them, all which are quite a distance away.  
 
I was wondering if anyone knew of anything more local than Elm Creek, Gilbert Plains, or Winnipeg and if they would possibly send someone out to collect these bees for us?  
 
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Just south on Hwy 10

Could you possibly post a picture of the bees that are residing in your shed ? .. Hat's off to you for your first concern being for the welfare of the bees but there's a couple of things to consider before you try contacting a local beekeeper. # 1 ... are they in fact honey bees ? ... there are hundreds of wild pollinators in Manitoba in addition to honey bees. # 2 ... a sad reality in todays world is that even if they are honey bees, a beekeeper may be ill-advised to come collect them as they do not know the history of those particular bees and may inadvertently carry parasites and disease back to the apiary ... the same parasites that have led to the decline in bee stocks world wide ... and # 3 ... In spite of all the press, the local honey bees are doing quite well with any beekeeper that follows sound management practices. Again I think it's fantastic that everyone wants to preserve the bees .. they are amazing and valuable creatures .... I currently own approx. six million of the cute little buggers and have been involved with them my whole life ... but the reality is you may have a hard time finding someone to collect them .... just the facts

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Well I have not been able to get any pictures but they sadly don't look like honeybees. They look more round and fluffy.

Probably bumble bees ... of which there a number of different sub-species. Bumble bees are fantastic pollinators and are not typically a bother to have around as they are not aggressive like wasps and hornets. They do live in colonies of up to a few dozen bees but produce no honey, instead foraging for subsistence only. Technically is would be possible to collect them if you could access the nest at night when they are all home and they could be relocated ... but it would be dicey .. If possible just let them bee ;-)