Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => HONEYBEE REMOVAL => Topic started by: JP on June 24, 2012, 10:16:43 pm

Title: Zoo Bees
Post by: JP on June 24, 2012, 10:16:43 pm
I've been pretty busy & its been extremely hot down here. Been also working on a new website which will be active soon. JPthebeeman.com. Anyway, been taking some video, mostly pictures. Just been too tuckered out and hardly any time to put videos together. I will have some coming once I get a little time.

Here's one I did on June 11, at our New Orleans Audubon zoo. Hope you enjoy it!


...JP

Zoo Bees (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNmazwwXBBs#ws)
Title: Re: Zoo Bees
Post by: AllenF on June 24, 2012, 10:41:17 pm
Tore up a lot of wall on that one.   I hope they can match that brick.   Loved that green honey.   And must have been great working with all that platform there.   Great video.   
Title: Re: Zoo Bees
Post by: JP on June 25, 2012, 12:18:12 am
It was an extremely messy and difficult job that took forever. The lady who hired me told me the bee's favorite snow cone flavor was green.  :-D The building is approximately ten years old. The bricks are solid St. Joe bricks that are apparently available in this area. I haven't been back over but I'm sure all repairs were made within a few days of the removal.


...JP
Title: Re: Zoo Bees
Post by: tefer2 on June 25, 2012, 09:33:55 am
Bet the brick mason had words for you guys. :-D
Title: Re: Zoo Bees
Post by: D Semple on June 25, 2012, 09:49:44 am
Wow, tough removal. Hope you bottle up some of that green honey.

Thanks for posting, nice to learn from others what's a bee removal job I don't want!
Title: Re: Zoo Bees
Post by: JP on June 25, 2012, 11:38:38 am
Bet the brick mason had words for you guys. :-D

I met with two contractors about 6 weeks prior to doing this job. Actually, I looked at this job last year and the zoo people were not prepared for something of this undertaking at that time.

The two contractors that I met with do work for the zoo on a regular basis. They just happened to be bidding against each other. Both knew full well the scope of this job, so there were no hidden surprises when we opened the brick wall up. They were fully aware that many bricks would likely have to be replaced.

The main guy who assisted me (Andy) worked his butt off getting those bricks out.  About every 14" there was a metal strap secured to the sheetrock wall, which had to be cut in order to remove those bricks clustered around the straps.

What a job folks!


...JP
Title: Re: Zoo Bees
Post by: D Coates on June 25, 2012, 12:16:05 pm
When I am feeling confident in my beekeeping abilities, all I need to do to remind myself I'm a removal novice is watch one of JP's videos.  Thanks for posting it was a great watch!
Title: Re: Zoo Bees
Post by: hardwood on June 25, 2012, 12:35:01 pm
St. Patty's day honey...talk about a novelty market!

Scott
Title: Re: Zoo Bees
Post by: blanc on June 25, 2012, 08:34:48 pm
Went on down to da Audobon Zoo and dey all ask for you!  :-D
Title: Re: Zoo Bees
Post by: JP on June 26, 2012, 03:09:24 am
Went on down to da Audobon Zoo and dey all ask for you!  :-D

My Dad used to book bands for Beaver Productions in the 1970's. Back then he used to book the concerts and even catered some of the events, preparing red beans and rice and Jambalya. We often had entire bands come by the house for seafood parties. One such band was the Meters. We even took Leo Nocentelli fishing once. http://www.nocentelli.com/html/index.html (http://www.nocentelli.com/html/index.html)

Always did like that song! They All Ask'd For You (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nCJIlOOg9Y#)

BTW, there is another building on the premises with two hives. I will be meeting with the contractor to coordinate that job this Thursday. This guy I know who has a strong cajun accent will be helping out that day. I know him as the alligator man, you know him as Schawee!  ;)


...JP
Title: Re: Zoo Bees
Post by: blanc on June 26, 2012, 09:16:15 am
Use to go with the family to those river side concerts back in the day and remember those left hand cigarette smell in the air.
Title: Re: Zoo Bees
Post by: JP on June 26, 2012, 09:43:52 am
Yep, that was one of the reasons my Mom wanted my Dad to get out of the music business. The wacky tobaccy was the least harmful stuff floating around back then but still nothing compared to what you have today.


..JP
Title: Re: Zoo Bees
Post by: lenape13 on June 26, 2012, 10:04:24 am
Perhaps they're Irish bees?  You need a shirt that reads, "Been there, destroyed that!" after this job.  That had to be a lot of work.  Hope they supplied you with an endless supply of sno-cones during the day.
Title: Re: Zoo Bees
Post by: annette on June 26, 2012, 08:55:20 pm
Very hard word, but as usual you do this in a nice calm manner.  So that green honey is mostly sugar right?
Title: Re: Zoo Bees
Post by: JP on June 27, 2012, 12:38:10 am
Very hard word, but as usual you do this in a nice calm manner.  So that green honey is mostly sugar right?

Pretty much snow cone syrup Annette. Andy wanted some to bring home to his wife. He said she loved it! I fed it back to the bees.  ;)


...JP
Title: Re: Zoo Bees
Post by: TwoHoneys on June 27, 2012, 04:58:22 pm
JP, you say you knew last year that this would be a really big job...but how did you know the extent to which the bees had built comb?

At every single removal, I fear that the bees have built waaay more than I anticipated. Until I see that last comb, I dread that I'll have to tear down a brick wall or a chimney or take a roof off. I can't tell you how happy I am each time I realize I've reached the end of the comb just because that's the point when I know it's not as extensive as I imagine.

I wish I had Xray comb vision.

-Liz
Title: Re: Zoo Bees
Post by: duck on June 28, 2012, 09:38:08 pm
yeah I wish I had a FLIR..  :'(
Title: Re: Zoo Bees
Post by: JP on July 01, 2012, 01:09:42 am
Liz, I knew we'd have to perform some exploratory surgery on this one but the zoo people, contractor and myself were all game. We began by looking over blueprints to get an idea of what the construction of that wall was like. The interior is a bit of a nightmare for inspection purposes as there is all kind of shelving, cabinetry and even an elevator on the other side of that wall! Sometimes you just need to dive in with the idea of worse case scenario which this one did not wind up being. Thank God!


...JP