Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => HONEYBEE REMOVAL => Topic started by: JP on September 03, 2012, 06:20:53 pm

Title: Honey Bee Colony Removed From Fallen Sycamore Tree
Post by: JP on September 03, 2012, 06:20:53 pm
Took me a while to get to them as Sycamore trees are quite dense trees! This was the biggest tree I've ever removed bees from. Had a nice little group of people around me the entire time, which made it more fun than it would have been going solo.


...JP

Honey Bee Colony Removed From Fallen Sycamore Tree (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZTCWr4_-rM#ws)
Title: Re: Honey Bee Colony Removed From Fallen Sycamore Tree
Post by: divemaster1963 on September 03, 2012, 06:31:46 pm
Hey jp
you need to get that chain resharpened. it cutting at a angle and have them re tru the bar. the chain is rolling on you. I repair saws for the city and several loggers. you need to go by a pawn shop and pickup a good used husky 372xp with a 20 inch bar and make sure it has a 72lp chain on it. then go get a skip tooth chain. their is nothing it wont cut down. I have been bucking up a 65 inch dia white oak for my saw mill  cuts like butter. I also use it to cut dryed hickory. watch out with that saw you are using. I know its a husky but looks like a 136 to small to be using on those trees.

john
Title: Re: Honey Bee Colony Removed From Fallen Sycamore Tree
Post by: JP on September 03, 2012, 09:45:37 pm
Hey John, thanks for the tips. It is a Husky 445 that after cutting up a few trees does need sharpening. It does a decent job, better than any other saw I've owned but I really haven't owned that many, so that's not saying much. Was thinking my next one will be a Stihl. A tree cutting gang from Atlanta, Georgia I worked with yesterday (video coming) had all Stihls. I was very impressed with their saws and their expertise.

They removed two very large water oaks yesterday. Was pretty amazing watching them work. No lift on this one as it was in a rear yard. Just climbing spikes and safety harness.


...JP
Title: Re: Honey Bee Colony Removed From Fallen Sycamore Tree
Post by: hardwood on September 03, 2012, 10:11:51 pm
Nice one Bro! Boy that wood sure is nice, would like to have some logs to make the cabinets for our new place.

Scott
Title: Re: Honey Bee Colony Removed From Fallen Sycamore Tree
Post by: JP on September 03, 2012, 10:17:00 pm
You want me to put some aside for you?


...JP
Title: Re: Honey Bee Colony Removed From Fallen Sycamore Tree
Post by: LoriMNnice on September 03, 2012, 10:23:04 pm
Interesting that was a big tree...Are you wearing protective eyewear???
Title: Re: Honey Bee Colony Removed From Fallen Sycamore Tree
Post by: hardwood on September 03, 2012, 10:23:51 pm
Thanks but no. It's gonna be a pretty big job and the transport is unfeasible...Thanks though!

Scott
Title: Re: Honey Bee Colony Removed From Fallen Sycamore Tree
Post by: AllenF on September 03, 2012, 10:32:22 pm
Another day or 2 and the beetles would have slimed that hive good.   Great video JP.
Title: Re: Honey Bee Colony Removed From Fallen Sycamore Tree
Post by: JP on September 04, 2012, 01:39:42 am
Interesting that was a big tree...Are you wearing protective eyewear???

You're absolutely right. I really should have. I have a few pair I keep with me in my truck too. Guess I was just being hard headed or lazy or both.


...JP
Title: Re: Honey Bee Colony Removed From Fallen Sycamore Tree
Post by: JP on September 04, 2012, 01:41:39 am
Another day or 2 and the beetles would have slimed that hive good.   Great video JP.

Correct on that for certain Allen. Not shown in the video, the last few comb sections were writhing with those little s.o.b.s!


...JP
Title: Re: Honey Bee Colony Removed From Fallen Sycamore Tree
Post by: bernsad on September 04, 2012, 02:50:15 am
JP, you stated in the video that the honey tends to ferment quickly when a tree goes over. I'm guessing that's because the comb gets damaged and the spilt honey absorbs moisture and starts to go off, is that correct?
Title: Re: Honey Bee Colony Removed From Fallen Sycamore Tree
Post by: ShaneJ on September 04, 2012, 05:50:39 am
Hows the hive going now JP? The bees have kept the beetles in check?

I'm with John re the saw, stick with a Husky.  All the councils and tree loppers around here use Stihl's but only because they are cheap. All the farmers use Husky's because they are reliable.
I bought into the Stihl hype a while back and upgraded a brush cutter to a Stihl, I kick myself every time I go to use that damm thing.
Title: Re: Honey Bee Colony Removed From Fallen Sycamore Tree
Post by: bernsad on September 04, 2012, 06:10:06 am
Yeah, I'm a bit disappointed with my Stihl, I've got an 056 Magnum. I'm not a contractor so it doesn't get used heavily, anyway, it shat a big end bearing after the warranty period expired and the best that Stihl would do, eventually that is, after I badgered them enough, was replace the part but I still had to pay for labour. It cost me about half the price of the saw to repair it. Boy was I angry! If I have to get a new saw I'll be buying Husky, I've used them with the local emergency service crew and I was quite happy with them.
Title: Re: Honey Bee Colony Removed From Fallen Sycamore Tree
Post by: G3farms on September 04, 2012, 09:12:41 am
Nice cut out!!

I just know Schawee is thinking there is a vanilla shake in that camel back :lau:
Title: Re: Honey Bee Colony Removed From Fallen Sycamore Tree
Post by: JP on September 04, 2012, 01:46:32 pm
Bernsad, broken comb sections and spilled honey exposed to the air inside of a dark, very moist and warm environment I would say is a quick recipe for fermentation along with the contribution the shbs are adding to the situation.

Shane, the hive is doing fine. I am feeding them. I did not use any of the comb sections as they were unusable. Nothing in there now for the shbs to lay their eggs in so they are doing fine.

G,now there's an idea!  :-D


...JP
Title: Re: Honey Bee Colony Removed From Fallen Sycamore Tree
Post by: bernsad on September 04, 2012, 05:21:13 pm
Thanks JP. Enjoyed your video too btw.
Title: Re: Honey Bee Colony Removed From Fallen Sycamore Tree
Post by: bud1 on September 04, 2012, 06:30:00 pm
yep coon###, listen to john, you saw how fast shawee could open a road with mine, that thing you got is a pruning saw  made fo something like a peach tree
Title: Re: Honey Bee Colony Removed From Fallen Sycamore Tree
Post by: JP on September 05, 2012, 01:31:44 am
I took down the info John wrote Big Daddy for future reference. You saying you want me to cut down your peach trees?  :-*


...JP
Title: Re: Honey Bee Colony Removed From Fallen Sycamore Tree
Post by: bud1 on September 05, 2012, 09:00:54 pm
nope  done pushed all the suckers in the pond  too mch trouble for the return  now soon as shawee up to it we gona se if the bass like them.  we gona let you be ballast so you wont have to make up them dreams about you catching the biggun
Title: Re: Honey Bee Colony Removed From Fallen Sycamore Tree
Post by: JP on September 06, 2012, 08:40:47 am
You know you gonna be hoggin' the shady side of the tree once sacalait season rolls around. Gettin' to be time to go catch some redfish. The ones you call trash fish that I like to saute' in butter, then pour a cream sauce with shrimp over. Your loss is my gain.  :-D


...JP
Title: Re: Honey Bee Colony Removed From Fallen Sycamore Tree
Post by: divemaster1963 on September 07, 2012, 12:10:44 am
pack up one of those redfish and send him my way.  :-D Man do I love a good redfish baked with just a little lemon butter. wish I was at the coast to go fishing for the type fish I love to eat.

john
Title: Re: Honey Bee Colony Removed From Fallen Sycamore Tree
Post by: JP on September 07, 2012, 12:33:57 am
Redfish on the half shell is hard to beat & so many ways to season 'em!


...JP
Title: Re: Honey Bee Colony Removed From Fallen Sycamore Tree
Post by: annette on September 07, 2012, 01:00:27 am
Boy that was a monster tree to cut, but you did such a great job JP. Loved watching them leave the tree. So you removed all the combs?
Then you used the smoke and beequick??

Title: Re: Honey Bee Colony Removed From Fallen Sycamore Tree
Post by: JP on September 07, 2012, 12:22:25 pm
Annette, I removed most all the comb, then smoked them from the cavity towards/in the set up. After they had all exited I used some bee quick to keep them out of the cavity.

I realized there was some more honey comb inside a void that was running the left side of the tree (my left as I'm facing the new set up from the backside of the tree) which I cut out after dark. Once this pocket was opened I was able to remove what comb was left.

Incidentally there were about a thousand more bees in that section of the tree that I had to combine with the majority of the bees that were already in the new set up. (which btw, I had already sealed and placed in my truck.)

I had to take the set up from the truck, place the hive back onto the tree and allow the remaining bees to enter the hive.

I left to go home around ten o'clock that night.


...JP
Title: Re: Honey Bee Colony Removed From Fallen Sycamore Tree
Post by: bud1 on September 07, 2012, 05:38:14 pm
john and coon##; i ant fo munching on something you gota burn (blackned) to get it where you can eat it
sure looking forward to seing you 2 suckers driving in buddie, river came uo might have flushed out that duck weed
Title: Re: Honey Bee Colony Removed From Fallen Sycamore Tree
Post by: Lone on September 07, 2012, 08:02:58 pm
Impressive tree JP.  Zacheus would have a good view.  What do you do with all the beehives you collect? 

Lone
Title: Re: Honey Bee Colony Removed From Fallen Sycamore Tree
Post by: annette on September 08, 2012, 12:41:22 am
Annette, I removed most all the comb, then smoked them from the cavity towards/in the set up. After they had all exited I used some bee quick to keep them out of the cavity.

I realized there was some more honey comb inside a void that was running the left side of the tree (my left as I'm facing the new set up from the backside of the tree) which I cut out after dark. Once this pocket was opened I was able to remove what comb was left.

Incidentally there were about a thousand more bees in that section of the tree that I had to combine with the majority of the bees that were already in the new set up. (which btw, I had already sealed and placed in my truck.)

I had to take the set up from the truck, place the hive back onto the tree and allow the remaining bees to enter the hive.

I left to go home around ten o'clock that night.


...JP

WOW!! A lot of work for sure but very successful.

Title: Re: Honey Bee Colony Removed From Fallen Sycamore Tree
Post by: JP on September 08, 2012, 12:54:02 am
Lone, the hives go to either one of my several bee yards or to Emil or Schawee's yards.

Annette, it was a good bit of work but lots of fun.


...JP