What does it cost to set up a bee hive?

We are honeybee keepers in Butler County (Southwestern PA). We remove bee swarms (swarms are bees that are hanging from a tree branch or other item). Swarm removals are easy as long as the swarm is accessable. Cost is minimal. This year, we have only asked for donations. However, I know most bee keepers are charging less than $100. Colony extraction is a different story. This involves removing bees that have take up residence inside a home's wall or other struction. Extraction is the only way to effectively remove the bees, and to stop further damage to your home. Most people wll spray the entrance point and "plug" the entrance point with caulking. This the WORST thing you can do! No the bees are trapped. You will have thousands of bees rotting inside the wall. AND, the honey will attract other insects for years to come. Also, if they have been there for a while, the heavy honey and comb (weighing hundreds of pounds) can cause great structural damage! Extraction may involve removing parts of walls to properly remove the bees. The time involved to do this job correctly could take many hours. Colony extractions start at $300. Prices increase there depending of time, travel and difficulty of the job. We try to minimize the structure damage, but any repair work beyond simple takss, will require the homeowner to call a handyman or contractor! If you want further information, honeysweet@zoominternet.net We are honeybee keepers in Butler County (Southwestern PA). We remove bee swarms (swarms are bees that are hanging from a tree branch or other item). Swarm removals are easy as long as the swarm is accessable. Cost is minimal. This year, we have only asked for donations. However, I know most bee keepers are charging less than $100. Colony extraction is a different story. This involves removing bees that have take up residence inside a home's wall or other struction. Extraction is the only way to effectively remove the bees, and to stop further damage to your home. Most people wll spray the entrance point and "plug" the entrance point with caulking. This the WORST thing you can do! No the bees are trapped. You will have thousands of bees rotting inside the wall. AND, the honey will attract other insects for years to come. Also, if they have been there for a while, the heavy honey and comb (weighing hundreds of pounds) can cause great structural damage! Extraction may involve removing parts of walls to properly remove the bees. The time involved to do this job correctly could take many hours. Colony extractions start at $300. Prices increase there depending of time, travel and difficulty of the job. We try to minimize the structure damage, but any repair work beyond simple takss, will require the homeowner to call a handyman or contractor! If you want further information, honeysweet@zoominternet.net