Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => DOWN UNDER BEEKEEPING => Topic started by: OzBuzz on March 21, 2010, 02:57:44 am
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Hey Everybody,
Does anybody know the whereabouts of a feral hive in the general Melbourne area but can't be bothered doing the work to get it? I'm interested in having a crack...
Cheers
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I know of one, I'm just waiting for the woman to call me back. It's in a possum box 3 metres up a tree.
See my post for "more than I can chew" for the pics.
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I know of one, I'm just waiting for the woman to call me back. It's in a possum box 3 metres up a tree.
See my post for "more than I can chew" for the pics.
Yeah, i saw that! very impressive! but you already have dibbs on it :) don't wanna cut your comb :-D sorry! couldn't help myself - bad joke i know
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I heard this morning of another possible swarm at my daughters school. I saved one late last year from there. If I get out of work early enough, I will have a look tonight. You can have that if you like. :)
My wife had a quick look this morning saw plenty of bees, but could see where they had their base.
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Mate that would be awesome! would have to wait a few days though as i don't have any of my gear yet :(
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I heard this morning of another possible swarm at my daughters school. I saved one late last year from there. If I get out of work early enough, I will have a look tonight. You can have that if you like. :)
My wife had a quick look this morning saw plenty of bees, but could see where they had their base.
Any joy with this one Phil?
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Well, I dropped in this evening (about 7) and didn't see a single bee. :'(
I'll ask them to be a bit more specific as to where they thought they saw bees. Unless it was a late swarm and they had moved on by the time I got there...
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Well, I dropped in this evening (about 7) and didn't see a single bee. :'(
I'll ask them to be a bit more specific as to where they thought they saw bees. Unless it was a late swarm and they had moved on by the time I got there...
Bummer - why can't warms just stay put! i mean we're going to put them in a warm happy place where they don't have to worry about much! albeit we will pinch their food every now and again but some kids pay board when they live at home - they can just consider that board!
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So does anybody know of any feral hive removals that people want done?
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Mate that would be awesome! would have to wait a few days though as i don't have any of my gear yet :(
I've got all the gear now so ready to roll!
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Unfortunately you're at the end of the season for swarms, unless you've got a mandarin and macadamia next to each other...
You will probably have to wait for spring now. The bee club link I sent you earlier has a listing of people who will collect swarms. You could sign up for that. I don't remember there being anyone up your way offering to collect. No competition!
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Thanks Phil,
I'll do that - cheers...
I was also meaning any hives that had overtaken weird objects around their property that they wanted gotten rid of :) me has the hive numbers 'growth' bug :-D
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Went to get, what i thought, tobe my first ever swarm/cut out yesterday - turned out to bee European Wasps! Didn't even fire up the smoker!
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Yeah, I've seen a lot of those around this year.
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Yeah, I've seen a lot of those around this year.
Yeah they reckon there's a plague of them! how annoying though going out pumped to have my first feral collection - and it's european wasps!
Did you ever have any joy with that feral in the bird/possum box?
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Nah, She hasn't called again. Don't worry there'll be plenty more where that came from in Spring!
If I can find somewhere to house them, I'm thinking of building up my hive number this year.
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Nah, She hasn't called again. Don't worry there'll be plenty more where that came from in Spring!
If I can find somewhere to house them, I'm thinking of building up my hive number this year.
Bummer - and i can't wait for spring! i'm looking forward to getting in to the nitty gritty of bee wrangling
That offer is still open mate once i get the a-ok from the council... there's more than enough land there for a few hundred hives!
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Sweet! 8-)
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Hey, you guys come on over, We've got plenty enough spring to share some with you. :evil: :-D :-D
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darn! Just had a call to "come out and remove bees out of my back garden". It only took about 3 seconds to decide they were those darned European wasps again. And I was just thinking it was time to get another hive going. Oh well, spring is not THAT far away!
Anyway I need time to build another couple of boxes to put them in. Seems like I am always building boxes.
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Deja vu - european wasps suck!
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Another call out today, another European wasp nest. :-x
"Oh, they definitely are bees"
Yeah, right.
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That sucks! i'm definitely feeling for you mate... i'm chewing at the bit for my first real call out
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Another call.
I'm more hopefull this time as it's for abandoned hive boxes. The owner of the property thinks there may be a colony in one of them and says that there are no rego numbers on the boxes. Sounds like a bit of fun anyway.
As it's a bit out of town so I'm going up there on the weekend to check it out.
That list I sent you the link for is paying off ok. One call a week so far. Pity 2 have been for wasps! Come spring though I think I'm going to be swimming in them. :)
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Another call.
I'm more hopefull this time as it's for abandoned hive boxes. The owner of the property thinks there may be a colony in one of them and says that there are no rego numbers on the boxes. Sounds like a bit of fun anyway.
As it's a bit out of town so I'm going up there on the weekend to check it out.
want a hand :)
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Not sure yet, I don't expect to be able to collect them immediately as when I get there they will probably be out foraging and I wouldn't want to risk loosing too many bees out of a single box colony at this time of the year. Also if I bring a weak hive home I could face the other bees robbing them. The other concern is I don't know their disease status.
At the moment I plan on just checking out what is there. I will take all my stuff with me just in case.
PM your number to me just in case.
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Sounds good - where are they located? I'll send you a PM in a sec
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Whittlesea
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Awesome - nice and close for you
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PM your number to me just in case.
Did you get my PM mate?
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Well, I'm afraid that was another disappointment. :(
I got there and I could only see a couple of bees hanging around. The boxes were a bit deteriorated and lids didn't fit properly. The grass was long and I couldn't see which side of the boxes had the opening. Apparently the hives have been there for quite some time. They belonged to the ex-boyfriend of the previous owners daughter and they had no contact details nor knowledge of his whereabouts.
Given I had no idea if the hives were nasty, I donned the gear and lit the smoker just in case. I gave the lids a quick puff or four. I heard nothing at all. Not a good sign. So I flipped the lids and both hives were a mess. 10 Framers fully framed in the bottom boxes but the supers just had a handfull in each. There was no intact comb in any of the frames and the only signs of life I saw was a harlequin beetle, a wax moth, some slaters and a few ants.
My recommendation to him was to just burn them.
Oh well, spring is only 4 short moths away! :) Swarms!
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Phil, got your voicemail... Sorry I haven't returned your call yet. Bummer about the hive! The comb you might have been able to salvage could have been good for some swarm traps maybe?
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Nah, the comb was crumbled and there was wax moth casings and all the other bugs living in there. I'ld be just asking for trouble.
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Definitely better to be safe than sorry...
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Anybody seen any?
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Fresh in today.
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/7131/18052010109.th.jpg) (http://img225.imageshack.us/i/18052010109.jpg/)
(http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/7872/18052010110.th.jpg) (http://img265.imageshack.us/i/18052010110.jpg/)
A bit hard to see the entrance they are using because the grapefruit tree is shading it, but they are living in the wall cavity of a bungalow. The wall is old cement sheeting (great asbestos!) which will need to come off to access the comb. The number of bees makes it look to me like it is a decent size hive.
I'm thinking that this is a job for the new bee vac! Yee Ha! I haven't decided when I'm going to do the cut out yet. I still have to get a few things together.
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Fresh in today.
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/7131/18052010109.th.jpg) (http://img225.imageshack.us/i/18052010109.jpg/)
(http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/7872/18052010110.th.jpg) (http://img265.imageshack.us/i/18052010110.jpg/)
a bit hard to see the entrance they are using because the grapefruit tree is shading it, but they are living in the wall cavity of a bungalow. The wall is old cement sheeting (great asbestos!) which will need to come off to access the comb. The number of bees makes it look to me like it is a decent size hive.
I'm thinking that this is a job for the new bee vac! Yee Ha! I haven't decided when I'm going to do the cut out yet. I still have to get a few things together.
Why is it that you get all the fun stuff :) be brave! are you sure it's asbestos? Would be fun i'm sure to pull it off the wall and get all of the comb... if you need a hand heheheh
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Any cement sheeting older than about 30 years is going to have asbestos in. Will let you know if I think it's going to be a 2 man job.
It's not far from work down in Moorabin but beeing a cut-out it means it's going to be a weekend job.
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Any cement sheeting older than about 30 years is going to have asbestos in. Will let you know if I think it's going to be a 2 man job.
It's not far from work down in Moorabin but beeing a cut-out it means it's going to be a weekend job.
The old sheets weren't that big though so by rights if you were careful at removing the nails, most of the nails used to hold those sheets on were the large headed ones which are pretty easy to grab with pliers, you should be able to take the sheet off in one piece, get the comb and the bees, and then put the sheet back on. Just wear a mask to be on the safe side...
More than happy to help if you need it mate...
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I've already told him I'm not putting them back. ;)
Looks like I'm going Sunday. Don't know what time yet, it will depend on when I finish the vac box. I've changed the design in my head after some feed back from the gurus.
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I hope it goes well mate.. Take plenty of pictures. Are you getting all these referrals off the Beek register you mentioned to me?
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I forgot to ask with the others, but this one certainly was from that site.
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I definitely have to register on it...
I read somewhere you have some KI Ligurians Phil-how do you find them?
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hi
i would also talk to the fire wood cutters,i got two hives out separate trees week ago .from a post cutter.i left my boxes there heading back this week to pick them up,didn't see any queens.young feller told me plenty activity at hives.if there no queens i join them up with a weak hive.ma by even let tree loppers no .at times they would have come across bees
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I'll do that, thanks westmar... How was the cutout Phil?
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:(
I was still trying to finish the vac and ran out of time. I now have to wait for a good time to collect them now.
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Bummer... Weather doesn't look like it's going to be flash for the near future atleast... I went in to my hive in Saturday-amazing seeing the differences as they're gearing down for winter-very little brood, mostly capped/almost capped honey and pollen. Lots and lots of bees!
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I read somewhere you have some KI Ligurians Phil-how do you find them?
They seem more friendly than the caucasians. Less prone to attack if I take too long with the hive open.
They didn't fill up the super as quick as the other hive, but they started off smaller. Besides the colour, I guess not alot.
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I read somewhere you have some KI Ligurians Phil-how do you find them?
They seem more friendly than the caucasians. Less prone to attack if I take too long with the hive open.
They didn't fill up the super as quick as the other hive, but they started off smaller. Besides the colour, I guess not alot.
I'm thinking about re-queeing a swarm that, hopefully, i will get in spring with a KI Ligurian and see how they go- i've heard they're good producers and quiet... albeit if they're anymore quiet than my current Italian X Carniolan hive they will probably be asleep!
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I'm thinking about re-queeing a swarm that, hopefully, i will get in spring with a KI Ligurian and see how they go- i've heard they're good producers and quiet... albeit if they're anymore quiet than my current Italian X Carniolan hive they will probably be asleep!
I was thinking of doing the same with my caucs. I received them as an ex feral so I have no real certainty how old the queen is. She could be from last Sept as the bees turned very black after a few weeks. I really haven't decided yet.
I went down to Redpaths last week to get some boxes to keep me busy over winter and they only had 2 left. Next shipment comes in in July. I'm using them for my vac collection boxes and have to pick up some more boxes elsewhere. I want to make sure I have plenty of supplies come spring for swarms and to extend my two existing hives upwards.
I'm building some of those hinged frames for putting feral comb in at a cut out. Just interested to see how they compare.
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I was thinking of doing the same with my caucs. I received them as an ex feral so I have no real certainty how old the queen is. She could be from last Sept as the bees turned very black after a few weeks. I really haven't decided yet.
I went down to Redpaths last week to get some boxes to keep me busy over winter and they only had 2 left. Next shipment comes in in July. I'm using them for my vac collection boxes and have to pick up some more boxes elsewhere. I want to make sure I have plenty of supplies come spring for swarms and to extend my two existing hives upwards.
I'm building some of those hinged frames for putting feral comb in at a cut out. Just interested to see how they compare.
The good thing with re-queening is it doesnt take too long for the hive to take on the characteristics of the Queen!
Sounds like most other people have the same idea bout having something to tie them over for the winter! Sunrise apiaries in Geelong are quite good price wise - i've met the guy personally and he's great! I really hope i can jump on the swarm bandwagon come spring!
I reckon those hinged frames are a gret idea! so much less stress! and the good thing is you'd be able to embed the wires in the comb if you wanted and just use them as normal frames and swap them out over time.
Have you been able tos chedule that cut out down in Moorabbin yet?
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Have you been able tos chedule that cut out down in Moorabbin yet?
No, I'm flat out at work at the moment so I can't take an afternoon off during the week. I have to wait for a good weekend which is going to be darn hard to find now.
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hi every one
phil have you found much hive beetle in any ferrail bees.the two i saved up at miles the hives were full of hive beetle i was very supprised as it was very remote location.wonder how much damage this is going to do to to wild bees.
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Hi Westmar, No hive beetle yet. Apparently it's only been found in a couple of places in Vic so far.
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hi
very lucky down there talking to a bloke took his bees to the coast for the tee tree they are losing hives to the beetle.
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hi
very lucky down there talking to a bloke took his bees to the coast for the tee tree they are losing hives to the beetle.
Yeah, that was one of the places I'd heard they had the beetle.
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Hey Ozbuzz, you busy tomorrow afternoon? Going to look at a feral in a chimney. The house is being demolished in the next couple of weeks and the guy is concerned about safety.
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G'day Mate,
I'll drop you an SMS - should be able to come and lend a hand.
A chimney sounds interesting! should be some nice long combs in there!