Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => HONEYBEE REMOVAL => Topic started by: G3farms on June 29, 2009, 11:09:50 pm
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Went to get a bee tree this morning. The tree trimmers were going to remove the tree since it was too close to the owners house. They were going to let me use their bucket truck to cut the top of the tree out. The bucket would only reach 65 feet and the colony was at least 80 feet to the top. They have a crane with a man basket coming in for wednesday morning. This ought to be fun!!!
http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/1733/georgespics053.jpg
my wife looking for the bees.
http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/2185/georgespics052.jpg
look a little bit higher honey, they are in the top of the tree.
http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/1679/georgespics051.jpg
Here we are waaayyyyy up here, come and get us if you can hahaha
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/3339/georgespics056.jpg
this must have been some of the house bees laying out since they were not flying, the main entrance is to the right and lower.
To be continued.
G3
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Wow! This should be interesting! So, once you get the section home (I assume), are you going to cut it open and remove them, or leave it as a gum, a "bee tree" to throw feral swarms?
I'd go with the second option, your odds of getting the genetics are much higher!
What are your plans?
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I think i will leave it till next spring. catch one swarm off of it then split it open and put in a hive. The tree where the bees are is not that big, maybe 1 1/2 feet in diameter.
G3
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Went back this morning to get the bees......
thats me in the crane basket and on the chain saw, my wife was taking the pics. where the comb is hanging out of the tree was at 80 feet, nice view, wish I had taken the camera with me, maybe next time.
http://img509.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=georgespics057.jpg
enjoy
G3
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Oh, WOWWWW!!!!!! That is so cooool!!!!!! I am so incredibly envious!!
Riding in a crane basket, getting that awesome hive... it all looks like so much fun!
I'm interested to know how you set it up, once you get it where you want it.
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That is so cool. Adventures in beekeeping. :)
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right now it is just sitting on a cinder block tied off to a telephone pole.
I will do a cut out later, still trying to put up hay.
G3
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right now it is just sitting on a cinder block tied off to a telephone pole.
I will do a cut out later, still trying to put up hay.
G3
I will be putting up hay later this afternoon, unless it rains! You are most welcome to come over and help.....??
HOw big is the bee gum? Are you going to split it with a saw to remove them?
Brenda
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HA, I just got through rolling up the last field for first cutting, taking a little break and getting some lunch, now back out to put it on the trailer.
It's not all that big, i dought it will fill a 10 frame deep. I was going to wait until next year to split the tree open, hoping for a swarm, but as you can see there is brood comb hanging out of the side and I'm afraid they will freeze over the winter. Might build a little box on the end of that broken branch to get them out of the weather. They are so gentle, even after the 20 mile ride home on the trailer they were not even aggitated.
G3
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I really like your idea of building a box on the end of the branch. If you're really into woodworking, why not make a stand for a hive, then a hive to fit over the end of the branch and see if Her Majesty moves into her new home. That would save you a whole lot of trouble and maybe losing the queen during the cutout.
I'm actually visualizing it in my mind -- a temporary setup with the log and a hive, etc. a stand/scaffold and a few modifications is all it would take. Like a trapout, only without the mesh cone - and with the hive attached to the log.
Maybe even lay the log down on the ground, prop the hole facing up and super it. That would be incentive for them to move to comb that was angled the right way.
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you must of read my mind, I was looking at them this morning and thinking just that. build a box around the end of the branch to where I could set a 5 frame nuc on top of it. This was part of the brood nest and the main entrance is on the other side.
I had thought about doing a trap out just to see what was left inside of the tree after all was gone.
great minds must think alike :-D :shock: :-D
G3