AA BEE REMOVALS - we don't kill bees
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Its life appears to be all enjoyment, so busy and so pleased." ~ ANON
AA BEE REMOVALS was established by Terry Winchester some 35 years ago, initially as a personal fascination and hobby, this business has metamorphosed over the years to become a fully operational entity. During the ‘bee season’ - generally September to January in he southern hemisphere - it is a veritable ‘hive’ of activity with as many as 200 callers a day needing urgent attention in having swarms removed from their properties.
Terry is renowned as an holistic beekeeper in South Africa. The telepathic rapport he has with these amazing creatures has astounded all who have witnessed it. Terry "talks" to the bees and is able to remove them from inaccessible places without harming them. In doing this, he truly demonstrates the mind power techniques that he teaches, and how we are all one with the Universe and its creatures.
He is dedicated to saving South Africa's natural bee population from decimation by bee exterminators, and has given many radio and TV talks on Honey Bees and their remarkable healing products.
Although Terry remains involved in the business and will always retain his love for these creatures, he has had to expand the business and employ staff to run the day to day functions.
How to have your bees removed
If you are in the Greater Johannesburg area a call to our office on 011 706 5447 will ensure that your "problem" bees are harmlessly removed. The costs vary, although there is a minimum call-out fee. This, unfortunately, has become necessary due to the high costs of maintaining vehicles, equipment and the employment of staff.
Bees can be removed from private homes as well as commercial or industrial premises and properties.
When he arrives, the beekeeper will inspect the site to locate the hive. The queen bee and all combs must then be removed. These are usually placed in a box or similar container. Once this has been done, the general area is sprayed with an organic substance which repels the bees, thus preventing them from returning to the site.
You may notice a few bees buzzing around the old site for a few days once the queen and combs have been removed. This is quite normal and they should soon leave of their own accord. When we catch the queen, we also try to collect as many of the worker bees as possible but, as many of them will be out when this happens, they will later return and will find their home has been removed. They will seem a little distressed, but will be harmless as they no longer have a hive to protect. They will often gather together, forming a cluster, before flying off to find another site. If they have not left within four or five days of our removal, all you need do is call us again and we will come and remove them for you at no further cost.
As every job is unique, and we are working with live creatures, our many years of experience have taught us to respect their natural behaviour in order to remove them effectively.
We do guarantee that the bees will be successfully removed, even though it may mean that we have to return to the site. If we do not hear from you within seven days of our removal of the bees, it will be assumed that the job has been successfully completed.
Contact us on 011 706 5447 or 706 0236, or by email at beesremoved@mweb.co.za
We do ask that you are patient and, if necessary, leave a message on the answering machine, as our lines are inclined to become quite busy at times.
:: SPECIES
The species most common to South Africa is the African Honey Bee, being one of the most sought after by beekeepers or apiarists, for its superior and prolific honey production, disease resistance and manageability.
The most hardworking creatures on this planet, these amazing little workers have a lifespan of about six weeks and generally die from exhaustion as a result of their concentrated and unrelenting toil. At a rate of about 190 times a second, or 11 400 strokes a minute, the supremely efficient wings of a honeybee which allow it to fly for miles and lift weights heavier than its own body, will often fail them before their little bodies do. Their wing muscles become paralysed at temperatures below 6 degrees C, although they are still able to move their legs.
As they cluster around the hive, there is continual motion, becoming less active towards the edges. Moving backwards and forwards, flapping their wings, moving their antennae and swaying from side to side the bees in the center are ceaselessly in motion, warming themselves and producing heat for the other members of their cluster.
On the outside of the cluster, worker bees can be seen doing the "Figure of Eight" dance as they move gradually towards the center, carrying their messages of potential food sources or new locations for their swarm. A small cluster, not quite as big as a football, can contain as many as 20 to 30 thousand bees.
Left to get on with their lives in peace, the bees are harmless creatures - it is only when they are disturbed or think they are being attacked that they use their stings.
The making of a Queen
Royal Jelly, a thick, white, creamy substance with a slightly acid taste, forms the nurturing environment and food for new Queen. It is a concentrated and highly nutritious food, not only increasing the size of the insect, but also changing its characteristics and destiny. Although, at first, this is fed to all larvae and grubs by the nurse bees, those who are destined to become drones or workers will have their diets changed to honey and pollen. Only potential Queens continue to be nourished by Royal Jelly.
Having mated with the Drone in full flight (an act which costs the Drone his life), the young Queen returns to the hive where the worker bees excitedly remove all traces of the mating exercise from her body. Within 48 hours, she begins to lay eggs in the brood cells or wax cradles which have been cleaned and prepared by the worker bees. As each egg is laid, the Queen determines its destiny and fertilises it with a secretion of the appropriate male cells which have been stored, since her mating flight, in a sac or pouch in her body. A Queen is capable of laying up to 5 000 eggs a day.
:: HONEY … the most complete of all nutritious substances
As Terry calls it, "the nectar of love". It is created with love, by love, from nature, by nature. These little creatures spend their entire lives working and creating this nectar, they never stop - until they die.
Edwin Way Teale, in his book The Golden Throng, describes the honey making process as follows: "As soon as the bee sucks nectar into its honey bag or crop, the chemical factory within its body begins to function. Enzymes, complex organic substances believed to originate in the salivary glands, mix with the nectar. While the bee flies homeward, the sugar of the nectar is being converted into the dextrose and levulose of honey. At the hive, the nectar load is transferred to the crops of younger workers. These bees force it in and out of their bodies several times in what appears to be a thorough mixing process. Then they store the rather tin, partially ripened honey in open cells. Currents of air, produced by fanning wings, evaporate the excess water from the fluid. When it has reached the composition and consistency of honey, it is capped with wax. Thus the harvest of the bees proceeds."
Although not the primary business of AA Bee Removals, we do manage to produce a limited amount of natural raw honey and honeycomb. We do make this available to our clients, but it is essential to call first and place your order before collecting as we only ever have limited stocks.
The amazing healing properties of raw honey have been well documented over the years, and include the popular Royal Jelly.
Honey consists largely of pure glucose, dextrose and levulose, and is one of the most digestible of foods, particularly as it also contains large numbers of other substances which provide essential and easily assimilated nourishment for the cells, tissues and organs of the body. It also contains natural enzymes, calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, iron, chlorine, phosphorous, sulphur, iodine salts and many other mineral salts, making it a treasurehouse of valuable nutrients. As an acid-neutraliser, honey is a great help for digestive problems. Vitamins contained in honey include B2, B6, K, C, folic acid and carotene.
Honey is recommended for boosting vitality in the aged, for those with weak hearts and to lessen post-operative shock. Many other conditions for which honey can prove beneficial include:
* Arthritis and Rheumatism
* Diabetes
* Hypoglycaemia
* Obesity
* Depression
* Indigestion
* Gastro-intestinal problems, eg. Acidity and Diverticulitis
* Prostate problems
* Kidney function
* Prevents tooth decay
* Ulcers
* Bronchitis
* Longevity
* Memory loss
* Insomnia
* Asthma, Allergies and Hayfever
* Bee stings - a true case of "hair of the dog"!
* Scalds or burns
* Quick energy boost, with long-lasting effects
* Respiratory Tract infections: Coughs, Colds and Flu - everyone is familiar with Grandma's fail-safe "hot lemon and honey" for easing the symptoms of these debilitating illnesses.
Topically, a honey and milk face mask is refreshing and cleansing (if a bit sticky!) and many still use it to dress wounds, where it reduces inflammation and has certain antiseptic properties allowing it to help draw infection from the wound.
Young babies who are given honey, instead of sugar, will have stronger immune systems and mothers are assured that the easy assimilation of the honey ensures that their little ones are getting all the essential vitamins and minerals they need for their health and growth.
Shelf life - kept in a cool, dry place, this should be at least 4 months and can be up to a year. Granulation, or crystalisation doesn't affect the quality of the honey or indicate deterioration - this is merely an indicator of the ratio of glucose to fructose. The heating of honey by commercial bottlers often prevents this granulation as the crystal nuclei that may be present are destroyed - along with most of the honey's natural goodness and healing properties.
PROPOLIS … one of the most precious substances and source of remedial powers available for the promoting of human health.
The "magic muti" from the beehive! All entrances to and cracks and joints in the hive are sealed, smoothed over and protected with this dark brown, resinous substance and, if it happens to be scraped off, the bees quickly replace it.
Used both internally and topically, Propolis is a powerful and highly effective anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, natural antibiotic, antibacterial and pain reliever and is used to reduce high blood pressure and fevers, treat fungal infections and to cure duodenal and gastric ulcers. It can dramatically reduce the symptoms of radiation treatment and inhibit and prevent the development of viruses, from herpes to flu. It is also a very powerful healing agent when used to treat burns or bruising.
:: POLLEN
Commercially bottled honey is often strained through fine filters. This may get the honey to appear clear and syrupy, but it also removes many of the essential vitamins and nutrients contained in the pollen and the microscopic pieces of capping from the honeycomb.
If pollen were to be taken directly from the plants, it would not have any effect at all on human health - it's essential processing by the bees, taken in combination with the honey, has been said to delay the onset of senility, strengthen blood vessels - particularly in the brain and heart, boost the production of red blood cells - making it excellent for anaemic conditions, reduce inflammation in the prostate, calm nervous conditions and assist in regulating bowel and kidney functions.
:: PRODUCTS
Please remember that these are all seasonal and are available only in limited quantities. All products are raw, natural and unprocessed, containing all the nutrients of the different elements described above, with the thicker, purer Crushed Honeycomb perhaps containing the most goodness.
