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Author Topic: Removal today, very docile bees  (Read 5721 times)

Offline JP

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Removal today, very docile bees
« on: December 04, 2007, 10:33:54 pm »
Did a removal today in Westwego, Louisiana, for an older Cajun fellow, sorry didn't take pictures. The hive was at last 3 yrs old and had good honey stores, in fact we filled two medium sized ice chests with the honey comb. The guy was quite interesting and will really miss the bees. He believes the people across the street from him ratted on him about his shed (where the bees were) being in a state of disarray. The neighbors I don't believe even knew he had bees. Well, anyway, because of the time of yr, I didn't know what we'd find, numbers wise, honey wise, or brood wise so I showed up with a nuc. Its the best choice for a transfer, generally speakng this time of yr. Found a decent bit of brood, and the queen was laying a pretty tight pattern. No drones.
  The guy was real interested in the process, and watched me do most of the removal. Of course he asked me several times if I saw the queen or got her. I told him not yet, that I may have her already in the box, and if not we'll get her late in the game which is usually how it works out. Well after all the brood comb was secured in the nuc and all the honey comb was set aside, I was left with approx. 400 bees or so in a little vertical grouping. He was right there with me looking for that queen. I told him what to look for and that her abdomen would be much larger than the worker's and most likely a golden color. I looked to the side for a second and he spotted her before I did, he was thrilled! It took us three tries to catch her because of the amount of bees that wanted to surround her,but we got her,a big juicy one. Every thing went well and the nuc is still over there, which I'll bring back home probably Thursday or Friday. It's nice when things work out. Oh, the bees were extremely docile. Have a good one, JP.
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Offline Understudy

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Re: Removal today, very docile bees
« Reply #1 on: December 04, 2007, 10:39:46 pm »
That is awesome. Next time take the camera.

Keep us updated.

Sincerely,
Brendhan
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Offline JP

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Re: Removal today, very docile bees
« Reply #2 on: December 04, 2007, 10:57:04 pm »
 I hate to say it but I had the camera with me. In retrospect it would have been great to have taken pictures and I can just kick myself now. The queen wasn't real shy and I could have snapped a few or had the guy do it. Kicking myself now. Actually he took pictures with a little disposable camera. I will take pics of the set up when I return, the least I can do. I guess I could get his negatives also when his pictures are developed, and put them on disk, yeah, that's what I'll do.
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Offline Cindi

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Re: Removal today, very docile bees
« Reply #3 on: December 05, 2007, 10:00:03 am »
JP, nice, I bet you feel good when you retrieve these bees, and especially when it is not too hard of a job, yea!!!  Beautiful day. Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline Kathyp

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Re: Removal today, very docile bees
« Reply #4 on: December 05, 2007, 11:48:04 am »
i know Westwego :-).

you probably gave that guy the best day he's had in ages.  sounds like he really enjoyed the adventure. 

it's hard to take pictures even in your own backyard.  sticky fingers and sticky camera!  i usually drag my husband out with me to take the pics, or i wrap some plastic wrap around the parts of the camera i'll touch.   that doesn't always work so well.....  i'm thinking that a ziploc with the lens hole cut out and banded might work better.

Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline JP

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Re: Removal today, very docile bees
« Reply #5 on: December 05, 2007, 06:00:28 pm »
Kathy, those are some good suggestions. I talked with the guy today and the bees are doing great, lots of activity. I think he had a really good time observing the removal process and he got a bunch of honey to boot!

Cindi, this job was not very labor intensive, it was time consuming, I was there a while. Of course we had to b.s. a bunch, that was part of the fun.  :-D
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Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Removal today, very docile bees
« Reply #6 on: December 05, 2007, 09:43:23 pm »
I'd love to see some measurements of cell size at the core of the brood nest.  :)
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Offline JP

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Re: Removal today, very docile bees
« Reply #7 on: December 06, 2007, 01:13:15 am »
> [quote author=Michael Bush
I'd love to see some measurements of cell size at the core of the brood nest.



----Michael, when I get them in their new home on a warm day I'll take some measurements. I saw no mites and no shb which is odd because I always see at least a few shb in my removals.

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Offline Angi_H

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Re: Removal today, very docile bees
« Reply #8 on: December 13, 2007, 03:26:19 am »
Well how did it go? Did you pick them up yet? Would love to see some pictures. My hubby does construction and  is good at wood working so him and I should make a nice pair for doing cut outs. Just have to get him a suit. I should have bought the used one at Dadant for half price was used one day.

Angi

Offline JP

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Re: Removal today, very docile bees
« Reply #9 on: December 13, 2007, 07:09:44 am »
Angi, things went great, don't have pictures yet, bee are doing fine, been very busy.

Sincerely, JP
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