Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => HONEYBEE REMOVAL => Topic started by: PeeVee on April 01, 2012, 08:46:52 am
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Good morning,
I have a removal scheduled for tomorrow. The unfortunate thing is the weather is not cooperating. When I planned this removal, the forecast temps were near 60ºF. Now we may be lucky to see 50.
I have a large cooler and plan on placing a bottle of hot water in to keep the framed brood warm until they can be recombined in the box with the bees. I hope that will be enough.
I haven't seen the location. I don't have accurate information of how long the bees have been living there. It is in a wooden structure. There is a "man lift" on site. I have an experienced partner.
The good thing is the site is a DOT facility and I will be doing the removal during my normal work hours. This will be my 5th removal from DOT structures and I have another lined up.
Hope to get some pictures to post here.
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An experienced helper will be a big plus, an extra set of hands is always welcome!
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See if you can set up a contract with DOT to set out swarm traps on DOT property with that many removals.
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Not a problem Allen - I work for DOT. I've been removing from their structures for 4 years now. They are happy to get rid of the bees and I enjoy doing something different during my work day.
One old building has become it's own swarm trap - four colonies for me. And, there had been others removed before I was aware of them.
A couple years ago, I set a swarm trap out and the bees set up housekeeping 8 feet away in the wall!
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I would take advantage of it also, on the clock and playing in the bees :piano: can't be beat!!
I don't guess you are trying to seal up the building too good either.............just kidding you a little!!
Didn't you post up some pics last year of a hive in an old salt bin type of a building?
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Last year one of the engineers asked if there was a way to keep the bees from moving in. I just played that off. :evil: The building there is an old barn from when the Psych Center ran a farm. Now mostly storage. In a few years it will need a complete siding re-do.
I may have posted last year - that memory thing again?
I would really like to know where those bees swarm from.
Biggest concern tomorrow is keeping the brood warm enough before being recombined with the colony.
How much chill can they take?
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with the temps low they will not be moving very much. they will be covering the brood. try if you can when you start cutting to cut and leave the bees on the comb. place them in the box in the same position as you cut it out. if you can catch the Queen place her in the middle frame and the rest will gravitate to her. but 50's is not bad My girls were flying when it was fifty outside.
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I did a cut out when it was only in the mid to upper 50's and they did fine. I did sit the box that the brood was going into in the sun and had a bottom board on it and a top cover to keep any wind off of them though. Combined about five hours later (time from first combs cut out til recombine).
Hot water bottle maybe!?!?
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With them temps they could be mighty pissy! Good luck!
...JP
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I'm sure the temp will give them an attitude. Also, i've noticed from previous early morning removals, they really don't like to be up at that time of day :shock: And I'm sure everyone will be home to greet us!
I do plan on putting a couple gallon jugs of hot water in a cooler and then setting the deep on top with a big towel to cover.
Well, either way here we go...
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The removal went well. Nice bees. No smoke. But then it was pretty cool out.
(http://img831.imageshack.us/img831/2695/oxfordremoval1.jpg)
(http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/3963/oxfordremov2.jpg)
JLG lift (already on site) put me right where I needed to be.
(http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/4870/oxfordremov4.jpg)
I cut the comb and lowered down in a bucket for my partner to band into the frames. Box with loaded frames sat on a cooler that contained 2 gal. of hot water and kept covered with a drop cloth.
While I never saw the queen, I suspect I did get her. I'll be checking in a week or so to be sure.
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Great job
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Sweet. That lift really made the cut out easy. Nice pics.
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Couldn't get that lucky as i am a DOT manager . We havn't had a honey bee problem just wasp and yellow jackets
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And I have another removal in a DOT building planned in a couple weeks. That one will be done from the ground with just a short step ladder.
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Great pics. Very interesting thread. Thanks - you guys answered some questions I had about chilling.