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Author Topic: Always something new to learn - cutout (kinda)  (Read 3188 times)

Offline greenbtree

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Always something new to learn - cutout (kinda)
« on: June 07, 2014, 10:40:08 pm »
I got my first "swarm" call of the season, a swarm had moved into a maple tree cavity.  Of course I have no bee quick, not sure how long they had really been there (homeowner said just appeared yesterday) so I am up ten feet in the air doing a cutout.  Trees are a pain, never a nice stable flat surface to put your ladder against so I have my standard ladder tied to another ladder thing going.  Takes me a really long time to get into the cavity, because the wood around the knot hole is extra hard.  Finally get in, and hey, really is a new swarm, only one small piece of comb with nothing in it.  Bees nice as you please, even with all the sawing and pounding going on.  Figure new swarm effect. 

Forgot the lid to my bee vac (Duh!) so I am scooping handfuls of bees out and placing them in the foam box I have wedged up there.  No dice, can't find the queen, and everybody keeps going back into the tree.  Fine.  I need lunch anyway, I will get more duck tape and rig something with the vacuum when I get back.

  I come back to find the air full of bees, they have decided their new home sucks pond water and are in mid abscond.  Luckily, they settle quickly on the trunk three feet up from the ground, and I think "Great! the queen will be in there, I will just brush them into the box and we will be golden!"  A second and a half and twenty stings later I learn that a swarm that is in abscond mode is a totally different kettle of fish.  Probably hungry and REALLY upset that their new house was ruined.  Rigged up vacuum, and ended up vacuuming them up in the pouring rain (because, of course, the sky opened up just after I was stung).  But, they are home now, and I will get feed on them (For tonight they have a frame of comb with syrup in it.) and put a frame of eggs and open brood in tomorrow morning.

JC
"Rise again, rise again - though your heart it be broken, or life about to end.  No matter what you've lost, be it a home, a love, a friend, like the Mary Ellen Carter rise again!"

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Always something new to learn - cutout (kinda)
« Reply #1 on: June 08, 2014, 07:10:00 am »
The reason they were so mean was not the loss of their home, it was the weather.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline greenbtree

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Re: Always something new to learn - cutout (kinda)
« Reply #2 on: June 08, 2014, 02:19:34 pm »
Yeah, I suppose they knew it was about to rain before I did.  I wish I had another option than vacuuming them in the rain, but I didn't.  Still raining off and on today, so I just gave some syrup to them in the morning and left them alone.

JC
"Rise again, rise again - though your heart it be broken, or life about to end.  No matter what you've lost, be it a home, a love, a friend, like the Mary Ellen Carter rise again!"

Offline greenbtree

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Re: Always something new to learn - cutout (kinda)
« Reply #3 on: June 08, 2014, 02:33:45 pm »
And maybe I should have phrased it differently - not ticked because I had destroyed their home, but ticked because they were out in the bad weather.  A subtle but important difference.  They weren't pissy when they were still in the tree and I was sawing and chipping away at their entrance, even though that was close to the same time. So, swarms in general, when approached during bad weather, can be aggressive, correct?

JC
"Rise again, rise again - though your heart it be broken, or life about to end.  No matter what you've lost, be it a home, a love, a friend, like the Mary Ellen Carter rise again!"

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Always something new to learn - cutout (kinda)
« Reply #4 on: June 09, 2014, 12:49:58 pm »
And maybe I should have phrased it differently - not ticked because I had destroyed their home, but ticked because they were out in the bad weather.  A subtle but important difference.  They weren't pissy when they were still in the tree and I was sawing and chipping away at their entrance, even though that was close to the same time. So, swarms in general, when approached during bad weather, can be aggressive, correct?

JC

Any hive in bad weather usually will be very defencive. I suspect the worst part is when the storm is approaching. Not sure but it might bee that they feel the pressure change on their exoskeleton.
I taught a class,a hive inspection, on a cloudy day. Used my good bee suit expecting them to bee very pissy. Even after removing/inspecting 2 supers and a brood box, they were as calm as can be and I was able to remove the suit. Did not receive a single sting.

Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Diogenes

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Re: Always something new to learn - cutout (kinda)
« Reply #5 on: June 10, 2014, 11:53:29 pm »
Oh yeah. Worst stinging I ever got was a new swarm with rain starting. Fool that I was, I shook that huge swarm off the branch in a pine tree, about 20 ft up, into my swarm collection box and then proceeded to bounce from branch to branch to the ground. (did get the queen tho, I get points for that)

My brother claims he has yet to hear such a non-stop string of invective as I emitted as I took something like 40-50 stings in the scalp. (yeah, that was 1983 and I was an invulnerable teen collecting a swarm with no veil....)

Fun times  :-D

 8-)
"Inflation is the one form of taxation that can be imposed without legislation." - Milton Friedman

Offline jayj200

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Re: Always something new to learn - cutout (kinda)
« Reply #6 on: July 25, 2014, 04:54:53 pm »
Yep 2 points for fifty stings

I had a mean box that got me fifty times
went back a month later was hit again fifty times
no more hive

I only got 2 points in all feeling generous
 

Offline greenbtree

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Re: Always something new to learn - cutout (kinda) (UPdate)
« Reply #7 on: August 14, 2014, 05:52:40 pm »
Well, these girls settled down nicely and drew comb and put up honey like gangbusters.  Very calm and nice to work with now.

JC
"Rise again, rise again - though your heart it be broken, or life about to end.  No matter what you've lost, be it a home, a love, a friend, like the Mary Ellen Carter rise again!"

Offline Packrat3wires

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Re: Always something new to learn - cutout (kinda)
« Reply #8 on: August 24, 2014, 10:27:30 pm »
Trees are a tuff sell.   I have been working on one 18 feet up and have now closed 4 separate openings.    Nothing says fun like doing a cutout or trap out in late August!!!   
"evil prevails when good men fail to act"   Edmund Burke

 

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