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Author Topic: Free bees for me!!! Whoo Hoo!!!  (Read 6281 times)

Offline Sean Kelly

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Free bees for me!!! Whoo Hoo!!!
« on: May 14, 2007, 07:32:49 am »
A guy at my work came to me today and told me some bees moved into his bird house.  He said I can have them if I can get them out.  I just ordered a new hive body and frames a few days ago for my only hive but might need it for this.  I can pick up a inner cover, telescoping cover, and bottom board from the local bee supply company (WAAY over priced though).
I'm hoping the guy knows the difference between honeybees and yellow jackets.  I don't want to spend any more money than I need to for nothing.
The question I have is how in the world do I get them out without destroying the bird house?  Is it possible to get the queen too or should I re-queen?

Understudy, I know you just converted to a hillbilly and bought a pick-em-up truck, but how did you transport bees before that?  I have a Subaru sedan and this guys place is like 40 miles from my house.  Am I just gunna have to put the hive on my back seat and wear my bee suit on the drive home?  lol

Thank God we have all you guys here helping us new guys out.  I'd be totally lost with out ya'll!

Sean Kelly
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Online Michael Bush

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Re: Free bees for me!!! Whoo Hoo!!!
« Reply #1 on: May 14, 2007, 08:16:21 am »
>I have a Subaru sedan and this guys place is like 40 miles from my house.  Am I just gunna have to put the hive on my back seat and wear my bee suit on the drive home?

I have a minivan and that's what I do.
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Offline Mici

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Re: Free bees for me!!! Whoo Hoo!!!
« Reply #2 on: May 14, 2007, 08:26:59 am »
i drove two of my colonyes for...about a hundred miles, just make sure the holes are closed, with a hardware cloth or something , for ventilation of course!

Offline Understudy

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Re: Free bees for me!!! Whoo Hoo!!!
« Reply #3 on: May 14, 2007, 09:24:03 am »
Bird boxes i have done a few of.
By some window screening. Duct tape the window screening over the entrance. Look for little entrances at the joints and duct tape those.
Place box in up right position and secure it in that position.
Drive slowly over over bumps and potholes.
If you hit a bump hard all the comb will break and kill the bees.
I literally had my wife hold a duck box in her lap so as to ensure the safety over harsh road conditions.

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Offline KONASDAD

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Re: Free bees for me!!! Whoo Hoo!!!
« Reply #4 on: May 14, 2007, 09:42:09 am »
I transport my hives in my pathfinder w/ no problems. I find that playing loud live Led Zeppelin soothes them. As for puirchasing overpriced bee equipment, dont. All you need for the short term is a deep and frames w/ foundation. Any old board can be a bottom or top for the  short term. If bees turn out to be honey bees, put'em in box and take home. When you get the other equipment a week ot two later, put on top and bottom. Its warm now, the bees will be fine.
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Offline TwT

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Re: Free bees for me!!! Whoo Hoo!!!
« Reply #5 on: May 14, 2007, 09:59:53 am »
The question I have is how in the world do I get them out without destroying the bird house?  Is it possible to get the queen too or should I re-queen?

Sean Kelly

most bird houses are made so you can take the top or a side off for clean out, when you open it you should be gentle and pull the comb out out at a time with the bee's on it and you should be able to find the queen, if they has no comb just shake them in a hive body and put a frame of brood from one of your hives in it and that will lock them in. I wouldn't requeen because she might be one of the best queens you ever had, if she doesn't do well then requeen but give the gal a chance.
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Offline Kathyp

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Re: Free bees for me!!! Whoo Hoo!!!
« Reply #6 on: May 14, 2007, 11:00:23 am »
first it's redneck, not hillbilly  :-)

will the bird house fit in a large cardboard box?  you could carry it home that way and if a few escape the bird house, they won't fly around you car.
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Offline Robo

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Re: Free bees for me!!! Whoo Hoo!!!
« Reply #7 on: May 14, 2007, 11:21:41 am »
I'm with kathyp.   Seal up the birdhouse as best you can and bring it home before you try to remove them.  Then just return the birdhouse when your done.   I use my car for removals all the time.   Just open your windows a couple of inches.  Any bees that get loose are more interested in getting out of the car then stinging you.

My son and I did a removal on Saturday,  and although I use a bee vac,  some on the bees do remain on the comb.  We drove an hour in the car and stopped at the mall (for a Mother's Day present) and McDonald's for lunch. 
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Offline Sean Kelly

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Re: Free bees for me!!! Whoo Hoo!!!
« Reply #8 on: May 14, 2007, 05:09:39 pm »
Man, you guys are great!  Thanks for all that info!

If I have to leave the bees in the bird house for a couple weeks before taking them out, is that ok?  I don't have the time or money to do it right now.  Plus I wont talk to the guy again for 3 days.  That hive body I ordered should really be put on my current hive.  They're running out of space and it's starting to get overcrowded.
The place here locally will charge me almost $120 (plus tax) for an assembeled hive where Mannlake will ship one to me for about $80 (including shipping).
What about a nuc?  Rossman sells a pretty neat looking nuc for $30 and includes everything but frames.  How much time would that buy me before shelling out the big bucks for an actual hive?
I guess this bird house is pretty small, so I'm assuming it's gunna be a small job, maybe a nuc would be better anyway.
The more I think about doing this, the more I feel like I'm talking my self out of it.  Thoughts?

Sean Kelly
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Offline Mici

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Re: Free bees for me!!! Whoo Hoo!!!
« Reply #9 on: May 14, 2007, 05:16:43 pm »
if you're gonna leave them for a couple of weeks, then you'll surelly have a cut-out, assuming they are a swarm at this point.
nuc should do it for the first year, yeah.

Offline Kathyp

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Re: Free bees for me!!! Whoo Hoo!!!
« Reply #10 on: May 14, 2007, 05:25:20 pm »
http://www.glorybeefoods.com/gbf/Shop_List.cfm?PC=3&PSC=15&ProductCat_Name=Kits&Token=70.104.247.35:{ts_2007-05-14_13:22:05}-145426

maybe you should investigate other places from which to order?  this was sitting on my desk, so i posted it for you, but there are others.

get the part and put your own together.  saves money and doesn't take long to do.  even if you have to order some foundation, it should end up costing you less to do it yourself.  you can order multiple kits and put them together.

if you ever come down portland way, there is a good beekeeping supply place here.  the prices are good compared to catalog and shipping costs.
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Offline bluegrass

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Re: Free bees for me!!! Whoo Hoo!!!
« Reply #11 on: May 14, 2007, 06:50:30 pm »
first it's redneck, not hillbilly  :-)
Yeah....there are no hills in the Miami area:D
I have a pickup with a cap.....when moving hives I tape screen over the entrance and leave the windows on the cap open.
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Offline Jerrymac

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Re: Free bees for me!!! Whoo Hoo!!!
« Reply #12 on: May 14, 2007, 07:22:09 pm »
The place here locally will charge me almost $120 (plus tax) for an assembeled hive where Mannlake will ship one to me for about $80 (including shipping).

Must be one of those fancy gold plated hives. You know how much wood you can buy for that price?
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Offline JP

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Re: Free bees for me!!! Whoo Hoo!!!
« Reply #13 on: May 14, 2007, 08:58:58 pm »
I would do the transfer in the evening. Smoke the bees, carefully open the birdhouse (bring tools like a small prybar, screwdriver, hivetool, hammer...) bring frame of broodcomb in your hivebody, tranfer bees to your hive body. Remove all comb from birdhouse, clean it good, put it back together for your friend. At near dark, smoke the bees into the hivebody, close it up, seal the entrance, leave the birdhouse there, and take the bees home. Open in morning or that night if you want to and don't forget to feed them.
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Offline Sean Kelly

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Re: Free bees for me!!! Whoo Hoo!!!
« Reply #14 on: May 15, 2007, 12:18:46 am »
I think I'm going to buy a nuc.  But I still have to wait until next payday (May 25th) before ordering one.  The guy who has the bees sorta has a dim bulb upstairs, so I wouldn't be suprised to find out that it's a wasp nest.  From what I understand, the birdhouse is only 10 inches by 10 inches.  Seems like a weird place for a swarm to call home.  So I'm pretty sure this guy is full of it.

Jerrymac, it's just a plain old hive body with all the trimmings.  Heck, I paid that much for my kit from Mann Lake and it came with a vale, gloves, smoker, hive tool, feeder, and book.  This is also the same place that sold me my 3# package of bees for $75 with a $5 deposit for the beecage (costs more for gas to drive up there to get my $5 back).  I wont say their name cause they're really nice people and have been very helpful.  But I'll only go there if I need some equipment in a emergency.

Kathyp, thanks for that link!  We actually have Glory Bee Food's catalog.  We come down to Portland almost once a month to visit my in-laws.  We lived in Beaverton for the last 6 years and just last October moved up here to Washington.

I want these bees, but in a way I'm hoping I don't have to do it.  I wish I was a little more prepared for something like this.  Even if I don't get these, I'm gunna buy a Nuc just for emergencies anyway.

Sean Kelly
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Offline Kathyp

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Re: Free bees for me!!! Whoo Hoo!!!
« Reply #15 on: May 15, 2007, 12:59:57 am »
http://www.ruhlbeesupply.com/

here is the link to the place in clackamas that i use.  they are really good about answering questions and they have stuff at pretty good prices.  they carry lots of stuff that you can put together at home.  i like that.  saves me money and space.  :-)
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Offline Sean Kelly

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Re: Free bees for me!!! Whoo Hoo!!!
« Reply #16 on: May 15, 2007, 04:38:05 am »
Wow kathyp!  Ruhl has great prices!  And in Clackamas!  Plus I wont have to pay sales tax.  How cool is that.  We go down to Oregon all the time and are due to head down pretty soon.  Do they actually have a walk-in store or is it out of someone's garage?

Thanks again!

Sean Kelly
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Offline Kathyp

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Re: Free bees for me!!! Whoo Hoo!!!
« Reply #17 on: May 15, 2007, 11:06:42 am »
it's a real store.  they have been in business for a long time.  it's a family thing.  it's in a small industrial looking area and doesn't look like much from the outside, but they have a huge area in back where they cut their own stuff and keep supplies. they also get bee deliveries and that's where i buy mine.  i think it cost me a little more, but they check every box to make sure the queens are ok, etc.
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Offline DayValleyDahlias

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Re: Free bees for me!!! Whoo Hoo!!!
« Reply #18 on: May 15, 2007, 12:29:25 pm »
I wonder how far they are from Grants Pass..I'll look it up in MapQuest...it would be fun to actually puruse a bee supply store, and not an online or snail mail catalog...I would love to "see/feel" before I buy...

Offline Kathyp

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Re: Free bees for me!!! Whoo Hoo!!!
« Reply #19 on: May 15, 2007, 12:32:32 pm »
i think there are places closer to you.  i know there a bee place farther south in oregon, and i remember someone talking about a place in N ca.  maybe they'll repost for you.  you can probably do a search and see what you can find.  it is fun to see and touch stuff before you buy.
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Re: Free bees for me!!! Whoo Hoo!!!
« Reply #20 on: May 17, 2007, 12:01:24 am »
I buy mine supplies on line in quantity if possible.  You can usually get a price break when you buy 5 or more.  Also I shop around.  I might buy my boxes from Western Bee and my Frames as 2nds from Mann Lake @ 25 cents each.  I make my own slatted racks, SBB, inner covers and tops because they don't make what I use.  My local Skagit county bee supplier Lange's Honey in Burlington is a Mann Lake dealer, I can get the stuff sent to me using volume discounts and pay shipping and still pay less for what it costs to drive 20 miles and purchase stuff.  The Big boys (Mann Lake and Dadant) seem to be the most expensive on the more popular and necessary items.

Buying it unassembled is the way to go.  That's why god invented winter--So beekeepers had time to build their hives and supers.
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Offline Sean Kelly

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Re: Free bees for me!!! Whoo Hoo!!!
« Reply #21 on: May 20, 2007, 07:40:52 pm »
Hey guys!

Looks like my co-worker is right, they are honeybees.  Italians even!  Kinda weird they decided to move into that small bird box, but I guess it'll be a easy first cut out for me!  He said they've been in there for a month now and are coming and going, bring in lots of pollen.  This coming payday I'm gunna buy a Nuc from Rossman.  Unfortunately my digital camera broke (daughter thought it needed a drink of milk), so pics are out.  Maybe I can borrow one from someone.  I'm really excited about this and can't wait!

Sean Kelly
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Offline UtahBees

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Re: Free bees for me!!! Whoo Hoo!!!
« Reply #22 on: May 24, 2007, 06:28:19 pm »
Keep us posted - I'm excited for you!

UtahBees

Offline Sean Kelly

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Re: Free bees for me!!! Whoo Hoo!!!
« Reply #23 on: May 29, 2007, 06:32:41 pm »
Thought I'd give yall an update.

Ends up they're not honeybees after all.  My co-worker told me they were Italians and everything and he was TOTALLY sure.  Yeah right.  Italian bumblebees maybe.  I was pretty dissapointed when I got a close look and saw they were freakin bumbles.  I'm not sure why he thought they were italians, looked nothing like a honeybee.  Solid black with a single yellow stripe behind the head?  Nah man, not even close.  Plus they were twice the size of a honeybee!!!

Oh well, no free bees for me and now I have a complete nuc with nothing to put in it.

Sean Kelly
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Offline buzzbee

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Re: Free bees for me!!! Whoo Hoo!!!
« Reply #24 on: May 29, 2007, 11:00:18 pm »
Yeah,
But you're like a boy scout! Always prepared for that next swarm!
Good reason to swoop up extra equipment too! Better luck next time!