Barn Bee Thing

[Kathyp]

turned out to be two hives.  the one under the window was the original, and the one in the corner the new one.  No brood, don't know if i got the queen.

because the second one was so small and because i don't know if i got either queen, i put the hives together with news paper for the moment.  i need to get back in there and fix frames, etc. but it will have to wait a couple of days for the weather.

the hairy guy is the guy who owned that REALLY neat barn.  he doesn't like bees much, so he was very brave to pull those boards for me.  once he got them cut, i yanked them the rest of the way out.  my husband was my second and i was very glad not to be doing it alone.

anyway...it was fun and an experience, but not the easiest way to get bees!!!    :-)

http://picasaweb.google.com/pearce.km/BeeExtraction/photo#s5032703672933386674

[Jerrymac]

The one under the window looks really old. How long did he say it had been there?

[Kathyp]

he said about 3 years.  i think maybe longer.  the comb all the way in the back was black and very dry.  even so, it was not that big a hive and the new one was not to big.  makes me wonder if there are more in there somewhere.  the floor was double with about 8 in between floor boards.  we pulled some boards, old 2X10's but didn't find any in the floor.  did find evidence of old hives in other places the someone had removed years ago.

other thing is, the bees were really mellow in the old hive.  in the new hive, not so much.  i had two sets of clothes on and was glad for it!!  they still found their way under the veil a few times and that was my only sting, but thinner clothes would have been a big mistake on this one :-)

[Jerrymac]

If there were any holes for the bees to run into, upper parts, then it is possible you missed a bunch of bees. But I suppose also in your part of the country they probably haven't built up much yet from the winter reduction.

[Kathyp]

the barn was 3 stories.  hard to tell from the pics, but it's built on a hill.  i could go to the floor above the hive and check for runners.  the didn't go up, but i killed a bunch trying to dig the comb out of the space between the support and the floor above.  you are correct.  they have not yet begun to build up.  i found no brood at all and that made it hard to determine where the queen might have been.  i looked for clumps of bees and scooped them up as i found them, but i may well have missed them or killed them in both hives.

i consider this a learning experience and there are things i will do differently if i do this again.  one thing that might have been helpful would have been some bee quick on rags to drive them down out of that tight space.  i'll make sure i have some next time.

[Understudy]

An excellent job.

So did you have fun?

Sincerely,
Brendhan

[Kathyp]

i had a blast and only got stung once.  you were right about the mess!  i had so much honey on me i couldn't hold on to anything.  we had bees and honey everywhere and i'm sure micky D's didn't appreciate us going through the drive thru on the way home!  :-)

thanks for all your help.  your info was invaluable.

[Finsky]

Very few bees and no honey?

[Michael Bush]

>not the easiest way to get bees!!!

But it is the most exciting way, isn't it.

[Kathyp]

Very few bees and no honey?

not a huge number of bees.  it's early yet here for build up of hive.  TONS of honey.  that was about a 6 to 8 in deep wall space and 4 combs deep with mostly honey.

   just love the US Navy overalls. I used to wear a pair of those myself

i think one of my boys must have left them behind...i am from the dungaree navy  :-)

But it is the most exciting way, isn't it

it was fun.  don't think i'd make it an every weekend event....the one sting i took on the throat has me looking like Pumpkin Head today.  :-)  should have popped the benadryl when it happened   :-\

[Kirk-o]

Hey Kathy isnt that the most fun.I think you did a great job.I love going to get bees.I think you did great I'm proud of you.I think joining them was a good Idea

keep going
kirk-o

[Kathyp]

thanks kirk-o.

one last note.  upon taking inventory, i found that i had several more stings than i had thought. not a big deal.  all but one had gone through the clothing and were very small.

however...the one i took on my throat turned out to be a bit of a big deal.  it was a direct hit and i'm sure i got the full benefit of the contents of the sac.  knowing that i have BIG reactions to stings like that, i should have popped the benadryl at that  moment.  i had it with me.  being caught up in the moment, i did not.  the result was most unpleasant.

i ended up with swelling from my eyes, all the way down my chest.  my neck was so big that there was just a deep crease where i bent it.  i haven't had pecks like that since my weight lifting days :-).    the itching was/is intense.  it might not have been a big deal on a leg or arm, but on the neck it was.

this is a mistake i do not want to repeat, and i thought i'd share it with those of you who have big reactions also.  be prepared ( i was), and take the cure!!!!!  (i didn't )  :-)

[Michael Bush]

My bet is you won't have a strong reaction again.  After my one and only really bad reaction (my ankle swelled so much I couldn't walk for about a day), I haven't had much of one at all since.

I've never taken benedryl for a beesting.  If you want something for stings, I'd recommend plantain.  If you can't get that, tobacco, if you can't get that a crushed wet asprin.

[Kirk-o]

Keep going Kath
kirk-0