Stephen, looks like y'all were playing "see who can get a hernia first game!"
If there are shb in your part of the country, they are likely to be in just about every hive. When the combs compress against each other the environment becomes most favorable for shb to take off and start laying eggs by the gazillions and unless they are able to abscond with a queen, that hive is doomed.
I was lucky with this removal for a couple of reasons, one-the combs were so rigid they didn't compress. Two- the limb was lowered to the ground, gently.
And three-I was able to get there the day the limb was lowered to the ground.
After 2 days in most cases, particularly 3 days it seems is the magic number, The situation is a mess not worth salvaging.
Hey Stephen that tree section y'all dealt with had a nice ripe smell to it huh? Nothing like the smell of rotten brood and fermented honey, no thanks!
...JP