This topic came up at our last meeting in Feb 2010 and I came across some advice in the "The Backyard Beekeeper" by Kim Flottum that I thought might be worth passing on. I'll just include the short passage here verbatim. It comes from page 111 of that book.

"A sobering though on capturing swarms is liability. What happens if you are injured capturing a swarm on someone's property? What happens if someone else is injured while you are removing the swarm? The likelihood of either of these events occurring is rare, but they do exist and they often end up in court. This must be considered when removing a swarm in a busy neighborhood, on public property, or from property owned by a business.

"Another consideration is that you should never, ever charge for the opportunity of removing a swarm unless you are in the pest-control business. Moreover, never, ever, offer to pay for a swarm if you remove it. These acts can be interpreted as a business venture and can give you an entirely different liability exposure.

"People and honey bees mix in odd ways, and it can be difficult to predict how a situation will develop once you arrive at the scene. Don't be afraid to walk away from something you consider dangerous or from someone who is pressuring you."


Again, I'm a novice to beekeeping and relatively new to Idaho, too. But the warning is strong enough that I thought it was worth sharing.

Cheers

T