Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => DOWN UNDER BEEKEEPING => Topic started by: jelder on July 14, 2012, 09:50:34 pm

Title: colony in a tree
Post by: jelder on July 14, 2012, 09:50:34 pm

a friend has just told me that he found a colony of bees in a conifer tree in his yard, he sent me a photo showing about 6 sheets of honey comb, not very big, hanging from a branch.  i would say that they have been there since earlier this year, he said he has seen some activity around the wax. he knows i am on the lookout for another colony.  the question i have is should i remove it now and house them, i dont think they will up stakes and leave any time soon, also when would be the best time to remove them if thats the case.     

Title: Re: colony in a tree
Post by: the-ecohouse.com on July 15, 2012, 11:53:51 am

i'd grab it on a warm day, .....that could be hard in Tassie :)

Title: Re: colony in a tree
Post by: jelder on July 15, 2012, 11:33:28 pm

average temp around 13-14 degrees C i may wait for a few weeks

Title: Re: colony in a tree
Post by: bernsad on July 16, 2012, 12:00:35 am

I would have thought it better to get them in a nice warm box then hanging out in a tree in a Hobart winter. Are the in a cavity in the tree or just in the tree?

Title: Re: colony in a tree
Post by: jelder on July 16, 2012, 12:58:06 am

no just under the canopy of the tree

Title: Re: colony in a tree
Post by: bernsad on July 16, 2012, 01:05:22 am

Then they've got to be better off in a box protected from the elements.

Title: Re: colony in a tree
Post by: OzBuzz on July 17, 2012, 02:04:46 am

I'd suggest leaving them - they've been doing fine until now - going and pulling all the comb sheets apart can cost a lot of energy both in keeping things warm and also in repairing damaged comb...

Title: Re: colony in a tree
Post by: bernsad on July 17, 2012, 02:35:01 am

I agree about the expense of energy at this time of year but what if you removed the hive intact from the tree and mounted the branch in a box? You could possible put a super above with drawn comb, with any luck they'll start filling it or moving up into it.

Title: Re: colony in a tree
Post by: OzBuzz on July 17, 2012, 04:57:16 am

The theory sounds great - I tried that one day! The mess they made was crazy and it was more detrimental to them than if I'd left them in place until conditions were better

Title: Re: colony in a tree
Post by: bernsad on July 17, 2012, 05:03:20 am

Well, every theory needs testing. Thanks for being the guinea pig. :roll:

Title: Re: colony in a tree
Post by: OzBuzz on July 17, 2012, 05:34:36 am

Haha absolutely agreed! That's why I tried it... Never again  :)

Title: Re: colony in a tree
Post by: jelder on July 17, 2012, 11:14:05 pm

alas bad news, on closer examination all the bees around the comb were dead.  such is the way of things......bum

Title: Re: colony in a tree
Post by: Lone on July 19, 2012, 08:45:58 am

Too bad, Jelder.  The inhospitable Tasmanian snow sleet hail and frost has probably cryogenically preserved those few bees.  It has always amazed me that your patch of frozen tundra can support any life..  ;)

Had the colony been viable I would have suggested boxing them ASAP and moving them to Queensland to thaw out.  I don't think it would take much to knock an external colony in winter there.

Are you on a swarm catcher list there?  You might find a few swarms around when Spring comes.

Lone