Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Bees In Miami on October 11, 2012, 10:15:04 pm

Title: Need advice...Can I save this colony with a floor removal and custom hive?
Post by: Bees In Miami on October 11, 2012, 10:15:04 pm
I have an awesome and docile feral colony set up under a work shed.  They have already allowed me to capture 5 swarms this year, so I have my long wanted working bee hives, but my husband is insisting he wants the feral hive removed.  I hate to do that to them, but really have no choice  :'(.  I have been thinking of ways to save the colony.  I know the size of the hive, which is built under a plywood floor, with a space open to the yard that they use and their entrance/exit.   The colony is between floor joists, and goes from the middle support of the shed to their access point.  The hive is 16" by 4 feet long.  (stethascopes are awesome...lol)   IS is possible, for me to build a hive box a bit bigger than that size, and cut out the hive, and place the entire colony, piece of floor included, onto/into the box?  My idea is to make it the width of a standard hive, so I could add some frames for them to work, and continue the life of the colony.  Am I out of my mind?  I know the hive will be huge, but...Any other ideas?  I know, I am a newbee, so maybe a bit crazy/clueless...Any and all help and ideas will be truly appreciated!!! 
Title: Re: Need advice...Can I save this colony with a floor removal and custom hive?
Post by: AllenF on October 11, 2012, 10:26:07 pm
You need to have removable frames for inspection.   Cut out each comb and tie it into frames.   
Title: Re: Need advice...Can I save this colony with a floor removal and custom hive?
Post by: Bees In Miami on October 11, 2012, 11:15:22 pm
This will take more than one traditional hive box, and my brain says the girls will all try to migrate back to the box that the queen ends up in.  Single broods are most popular here in FL, but perhaps this is a time I should stack a couple brood boxes??   Thanks for making me thing along these lines...  :)
Title: Re: Need advice...Can I save this colony with a floor removal and custom hive?
Post by: hardwood on October 11, 2012, 11:25:02 pm
The only comb you'll transfer into frames is brood comb. Transferring honey/pollen will invite SHB. It's rare even here in FL that the bees will have more than a ten frame deep full of brood at this time of year but if they do just use two boxes. I keep my bees in double deep brood boxes BTW.

Scott
Title: Re: Need advice...Can I save this colony with a floor removal and custom hive?
Post by: David McLeod on October 12, 2012, 12:33:58 am
Go take a look in the bee removal forum. JP and several others have videos of that exact presentation and how they transfered them.
Title: Re: Need advice...Can I save this colony with a floor removal and custom hive?
Post by: hardwood on October 12, 2012, 09:59:29 am
They're under a shed floor you say?

Jackie's bees.wmv (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGSeysb7eqs#ws)

Scott
Title: Re: Need advice...Can I save this colony with a floor removal and custom hive?
Post by: tefer2 on October 12, 2012, 10:26:28 am
Scott, I wish some of my removals were that easy. You two always seem to luck out and find the queen.
Title: Re: Need advice...Can I save this colony with a floor removal and custom hive?
Post by: hardwood on October 12, 2012, 10:27:12 am
Sorry...not a very good example just smoking them out. Try this one:

Glenna's bees.wmv (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4uVnV6kaGs#ws)

That should give you an idea or two.

Scott
Title: Re: Need advice...Can I save this colony with a floor removal and custom hive?
Post by: JP on October 12, 2012, 11:37:10 am
I think this video may give some insight as well. Did this one without a bee vac.


...JP

Kenner Platform Bees (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7bTBIzo-t8#ws)
Title: Re: Need advice...Can I save this colony with a floor removal and custom hive?
Post by: Bees In Miami on October 12, 2012, 04:09:57 pm
Scott, JP and all:  I can't thank you enough!!!  Those videos were exactly what I needed!!!  You pretty much answered all my questions!  I never would have thought of the rubber bands to secure the brood!!  I was looking for videos, but since I am still learning my way around this forum, I wasn't very successful.  You sure made it look easy, which I know it's not.  Again, I can't thank you enough.  I will watch the vids a couple more times before I dive in!  It also looks like I need to be ready with a cage for the queen...I will order one ASAP.   I can't justify the expense of a bee vac yet, so hopefully I will get as lucky as JP.   Thank you, thank you, thank you!  I'm sure my bees will thank you too, when they're in their new home.  ;)
Title: Re: Need advice...Can I save this colony with a floor removal and custom hive?
Post by: wadehump on October 12, 2012, 05:53:29 pm
Dont use a whole lot of smoke go slow take your time and find the queen stay away from the honey until the end then i would crush and strain and feed it back to them
Title: Re: Need advice...Can I save this colony with a floor removal and custom hive?
Post by: hardwood on October 12, 2012, 08:43:12 pm
Glad we could help Bees! You might want to check out more of our videos as well as from others (schawee for example).

Scott
Title: Re: Need advice...Can I save this colony with a floor removal and custom hive?
Post by: ScooterTrash on October 13, 2012, 08:04:44 am
Just go to Youtube and search on Swarm; the results will provide hours of information/entertainment.