Welcome, Guest

Author Topic: My First Non-Swarm Removal  (Read 1945 times)

Offline CAHighwind

  • New Bee
  • *
  • Posts: 40
  • Gender: Female
My First Non-Swarm Removal
« on: July 14, 2010, 07:31:22 pm »
So, being as that I'm really liking this whole bee thing, I frequently look at the Craigslist for people with bee issues.  Well, I spotted one that looked like it would be easy.  Ad said there were bees in an electrical spool, and that the whole thing would be easy to move.  I responded to the ad, and that afternoon, we headed out.  Sure enough, out back of a house undergoing renovations, there was an old, old electrical spool in the back pasture.  I approached it, doing the "Please don't be wasps" prayer.  To my delight, it was bees!



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

The homeowner came out and told me that they had been there "for a long time", and that there had been a swarm out of the spool a few months earlier.  Also, he had moved the spool down the hill from the barn, not knowing it had bees at the time, until after he kicked it to roll it down the hill and he got mobbed by angry bees.

Since it was still light out, the owners wanted them gone ASAP, and I didn't want to leave any stragglers behind, I taped over the entrance, then used my improvised bee vac to suck up the foragers that were returning.  After about 45 minutes of that, we had most of them.  We slid a piece of wood under the spool, strapped it to that, and set it in the back of the truck.

I got it home and set it out with my other hives, dumped the bees from the vac on top, and they all scampered inside.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Now... when I look inside, sure enough, the lower portion of the tube is full of collapsed combs, presumably from when it was kicked down the hill.  I can also see some new combs hanging from the upper wood of the spool.  They have been coming and going from the hole on top, with comb right up to the entrance/exit.  For grins, I've put a deep on top of the spool, over the entrance/exit, with enough of a gap on the bottom front of the super to give them a way in and out, as well as air.  I reckon I was hoping I could get them to start moving up into the super on their own, hopefully getting the queen up there.  Then I can cut open the spool and frame what comb I can from within and get them set up proper.  In the deep I set on top, I put in a frame of brood and honey from one of my strong hives.  I don't know if this will work or if I'll just have to cut them out, but I figured what the heck.  As of this afternoon, there were a ton of bees hanging around inside the deep box and frames, and lots of foragers coming and going... so here's to hoping...

Offline Kathyp

  • Global Moderator
  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 20363
  • Gender: Female
Re: My First Non-Swarm Removal
« Reply #1 on: July 14, 2010, 09:09:11 pm »
very nice.  sounds like a heck of a plan to me  :-D
Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline AllenF

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 8192
  • Gender: Male
Re: My First Non-Swarm Removal
« Reply #2 on: July 15, 2010, 02:13:02 pm »
I like your new hive style there.

Offline Sparky

  • Field Bee
  • ***
  • Posts: 804
  • Gender: Male
Re: My First Non-Swarm Removal
« Reply #3 on: July 15, 2010, 04:35:09 pm »
The plan of them going into the hive sounds like it will work. If you remove the nuts on the rods that go through to the two ends of the spool, the mess inside from the kick and roll episode may have some things to salvage at this point to help them get off to a better start in their new hive. Chances are some of the larger sections of comb could be rubber band, fitted into your frames. CAUTION: When you pull the end off after removing the nuts, the ends have a cut that the sides pocket up into. Suggest to wrap a ratchet strap or two around to support the sides while you remove the end so it will not completely fall apart to make a bunch of angry girls. Good job on using your resources to save some bees and give them a fighting chance.

Offline CAHighwind

  • New Bee
  • *
  • Posts: 40
  • Gender: Female
Re: My First Non-Swarm Removal
« Reply #4 on: July 15, 2010, 09:08:37 pm »
Thanks for the insight, Sparky.  I'll keep that in mind when I get ready to open the spool to salvage comb.  So far, they've been very active up in the deep I placed on top, checking it out and foraging busily.  I'm really liking these bees.  They've tolerated so much already and not one sting or head butt from them. :)

...when I set the spool there next to my other hives, I could hear little voices saying "There goes the neighborhood..."