Hello from Macclenny, FL

[The15thMember]

A cut-out is when you remove a bee colony that is living a structure, like the wall of a house or something like that, or from a bee tree and put them into a hive.  If you peruse around the Bee Removals section, there should be lots of info. 

[BeeMaster2]

Michelle,
Our swarm season runs from February to late September. Depending on the location and flows. In Jacksonville this is especially true because people have planted all kinds of trees that have flows at different times. Being in Macclenny you have way more flows than I do out here in the middle of Osceola National Forest where our bees will start starving here in another month or two until fall.
Bill Murray lives close to you and can give you a better idea of when your flows are.
Keep your swarm traps set. A full size hive makes a good swarm trap.
Jim Altmiller

[animal]

cut-out is how I started (not exactly willingly) and rather than describe it as "rewarding" as Ben did. I would use terms that can't be printed on this site...

However ... I wouldn't hesitate to do it again, but I would do several things differently than the first time. The biggest surprise to me was how weak the comb actually is, so my biggest screw-up was dropping a big slab of it on my head and painting top of head to middle of back and chest in bees and honey. As it turns out, it isn't pleasant.

but if you can still let them come to you ...

[Terri Yaki]

I have no idea what a cut-out is. If you have a link or a thread I can check out, I'm game! I'd rather try something than twiddle my thumbs.

It's when someone tells you by one of various methods, that they have honey bees living in a structure. Walls, floor of a shed, etc and you go cut them out. I don't feel the need to rise to that task.

[Michelle]

Well, if cutting out is what Texas Bee Works does, then that looks fun! Problem is, the only place I know of with bees needing removed is in my friend's backyard tree. He says come and get them, but they're inside the tree with the opening at the base of the tree, so I'm just going to put a trap near there and wait till they're feeling swarmy - unless anyone knows of a real way to get to the bees.

The bees we had were pretty chill and let me scoop them by hand. I discovered that I'm more likely to get stung bumbling about with thick gloves than by patiently and deftly working with bare fingers. Cool experience!

Jim, that's super helpful info! I've been scratching my head trying to correlate the "flows" I've read about in Russia with Florida's. Big difference, eh?!  Thank you. I'm hoping to meet you at Firehouse this month. And I'll put my traps back up tomorrow with renewed hope. 

[animal]

if he doesn't want the tree ... chainsaw

[BeeMaster2]

If he doesn?t want the tree don?t cut it down. You want to cut it open and remove the comb/bees. I had several calls after they dropped the tree to come and get them. Almost every time, large numbers of bees were killed as well as the queen. To make matters worse, the bees were mean as can be making the job more challenging. Then there is the problem of the comb is all mashed together and then you find out that they spayed the bees with bees g poison. Call me if you decide to cut them out.
Jim Altmiller

[Terri Yaki]

It looks to me like if you post ads on craigslist or fakebook marketplace, that you take swarms, you'll get all kind of calls for removals. Both easy grabs and hard cutouts, if that's what you want to do. I follow my local club on fakebook and see many posts from people looking for swarm removal. In that case, the early bird gets the swarm and they do get spoken for quickly.

[Terri Yaki]

Here's a fine example. Maybe it's even close to you.
https://www.reddit.com/r/bees/comments/1d970zf/bee_neighbors_need_help/

[Kathyp]

they do get spoken for quickly.

I used to get tons of calls for both swarms and cutouts.  That was before everyone started keeping hives to save the bees.   

I don't do cutouts anymore because the unions here got twitchy about people doing work on homes.  Guess I could still do outbuildings but they are a lot of work.
So many beekeepers around here I don't get calls much anymore.  Most of them are Yellowjackets anyway.

OH, Michelle, that reminds me, If you get calls for swarms/bees ask people to take pictures for you and text you.  I have had people call for all kinds of things that were not honeybees.  I have had people call and want to know if I could come pick the bees out of their flowering bushes 

[animal]

cutting the tree down first ... yellow jackets ... picking bees out of bushes ... the public never ceases to amaze 

Sometimes when they call you and you're in a sarcastic mood, those types of calls can be fun, though...

yes mam , no problem, I can send a guy right over to remove those bees and blooms. But it sounds like a seasonal infestation so I recommend removing the bush before the problem spreads to every flower in the yard. You haven't seen the bees on other flowers yet have you? YOU HAVE !! In that case everything flowering will have to go. I won't be able to get to it for a few days .. so please ! and this is important ! warn all the neighbors of what is going on ! ... and call me back to let me know what they say about their situation ...
 
I did have a woman refer to a hornet nest as a beehive once. They had built it directly on the soffit so it was a cone hanging down and about 12" in diameter. It did look kinda like an upside down version of a beehive like is drawn in cartoons, but still.

[Terri Yaki]

I grew up in a rural area where all of God's creatures ran wild so I'm pretty familiar with most of the normal stuff and where it can be found but I have come to grips with the fact that many people do not know one from the other. One of my city slicker buddies just saw his first ever turkey buzzard.    OTOH, I get a kick out of people who insist in wising me up that bald faced hornets are not, in fact, hornets. Who cares? I mean really, do you not know what I'm referring to? I have also had enough bad encounters with them that I have no problems ensuring that they will not sting me, ever. I just try to get pictures and try to advise them on what they have and what it can or will do.

[animal]

 .. and hardly anything sold as a bolt is a bolt, but who wants to say "hex head cap screw" or any of the other names for specific fasteners ... I will continue to knowingly(and sometimes unknowingly) call some things the wrong thing to get a point across ... but there's gotta be a line somewhere !
 
I think for me, the line is where they start wasting my time 
and it's fun to say "clip" at the range with an evil grin on your face (and an as-yet unrevealed Garand in the case)

[Michelle]

Thanks for the laughs, guys! 

I just love how this forum can go from giving insight to hive behavior to volunteering to accompany me in sawing open a tree! My kinda people.

I've already counted this experience more than a win. My 12-year-old son begged me to do bee projects today instead of his homeschooling. He's resetting the swarm traps and even building me a trap stand in one of the trees to set the swarm trap on. Better than book work any day! Our bee garden is about to burst into full bloom. We just need some bees here to enjoy it. I just might ask my friend if he wants to keep that bee tree after all.... ::buzz buzz:: <-- chainsaw, then bees

[Kathyp]

and it's fun to say "clip" at the range with an evil grin on your face

Nope.  It's not hard to say magazine and if it doesn't ping it ain't a clip!     That's my brothers rule, BTW.  They used to range master a lot.

[animal]

I also take strippers to the range for some rifles and many that have detachable box magazines can take strippers ... so your brother's rule is suspect and he's fair game for the "I'm empty, could you hand me another clip? while your buddy has a few strippers concealed in his hand
(call this a tip if you ever want to get under his skin)

strippers can be fun both at the range and talking about using several at the range in front of someone that hasn't ever heard of 'em

[The15thMember]

I've already counted this experience more than a win. My 12-year-old son begged me to do bee projects today instead of his homeschooling. He's resetting the swarm traps and even building me a trap stand in one of the trees to set the swarm trap on. Better than book work any day!

That's awesome!  We're a homeschool family too, so I can certainly relate. 

[Ben Framed]

animal
Sometimes when they call you and you're in a sarcastic mood], those types of calls can be fun, though...

yes mam , no problem, I can send a guy right over to remove those bees and blooms. But it sounds like a seasonal infestation so I recommend removing the bush before the problem spreads to every flower in the yard. You haven't seen the bees on other flowers yet have you? YOU HAVE !! In that case everything flowering will have to go. I won't be able to get to it for a few days .. so please ! and this is important ! warn all the neighbors of what is going on ! ... and call me back to let me know what they say about their situation ...