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Author Topic: taking the tree and the hive!  (Read 4260 times)

Offline Kathyp

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taking the tree and the hive!
« on: January 22, 2008, 03:05:08 pm »
in the spring, i am doing a hive in a cherry tree.  the people with the tree don't mind the bees, but the tree has problems and needs to come down.  i hope to identify the entrance or entrances and wrap them in mosquito netting the night before the tree cutter comes.  they will section out the hive and i'll just take the whole thing home and try to trap them out into a box.  i know there are a zillion things that can go wrong, like cutting in the wrong place, or the arborist deciding that they don't want to take the chance of being stung.  unfortunately, this tree is to big and to close to the house for me to take it down.

anybody ever do one like this?  the hive section looks to be about 3 to 4 feet long.
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Offline Jerrymac

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Re: taking the tree and the hive!
« Reply #1 on: January 22, 2008, 04:59:52 pm »
How do you come to the conclusion that the hive is 3 - 4 feet long?
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Offline wayne

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Re: taking the tree and the hive!
« Reply #2 on: January 22, 2008, 06:07:20 pm »
  I've brought several home like that. That's the easy part. Getting them into a box can be the challenge.  I cut well above the nest and work down toward it until I find the comb. I then staple wire over the hollow. Then start at the lower end to free the section and get it down. Once down I staple wire over that end and transport home.
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Offline Understudy

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Re: taking the tree and the hive!
« Reply #3 on: January 22, 2008, 07:20:13 pm »
Take a wire hanger bend it straight. Use it as a probe to get rough guess as to how long the hive is in the tree.  Then add an extra 20%.

Place screening over the entrance and wrap the entire area again. Look for anything that might be an entrance.

Have the tree trimmer trim all surrounding branches. Except ones that might be useful for support of the section you want.

You will then need to get some rope and securly wrap the section of the trunk that the bees are in. If the trunk is split like a Y and you can use the thick branches from the other side of  the Y that is great. If not you will need to have a lift or something that can support the weight of the trunk section in mid air.

Cut the low section of the trunk and be prepared to cover it with screening right away if you didn't guess deep enough. Don't forget to then cover the upper section you just exposed also.

If the cut went well, lower the trunk section into the truck or trailer gently. And secure it so it won't roll around.

Drive home. When you get it home if you can put the branch in a position similar to what is was that would be great.

Use a cone method to get the bees out.

Notes. These bees will want to abscond after moving the trunk around. You have a very high failure rate with this type of removal.

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Offline JP

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Re: taking the tree and the hive!
« Reply #4 on: January 22, 2008, 10:42:58 pm »
What would we do without duct tape? :-D

Gotta have it, JP
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Offline Scadsobees

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Re: taking the tree and the hive!
« Reply #5 on: January 23, 2008, 09:51:47 am »
Use a drill with a 1/2 inch paddle bit or bigger, then you can use that to define the cavity.

The top is easy, but the bottom is a little harder to find because there is quite a bit of debris built up from the bees, squirrels, chipmunks, rotten falling wood, etc.
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Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: taking the tree and the hive!
« Reply #6 on: February 02, 2008, 10:37:14 pm »
What would we do without duct tape? :-D

Gotta have it, JP

Use baling wire like we used to before Duck tape was invented.
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Offline Kathyp

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Re: taking the tree and the hive!
« Reply #7 on: February 26, 2008, 05:47:25 pm »
well, my MIL went by the house with the tree.  they are friends of hers.  the tree is gone.  guess they didn't want to wait.  their child was afraid of the bees so i'm guessing that as soon as it warmed and they saw flying bees, they killed them and took the tree :-(.  they had seed so interested in saving them.  oh well....maybe the bees just left and found another home.
Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline Cindi

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Re: taking the tree and the hive!
« Reply #8 on: February 29, 2008, 10:47:56 am »
Kathy, ooooh, that is a major bummer!!! What a drag.  It is a shame when humans react this way, oh brother.  Have a great and greatest day, Cindi
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