Bee Tree

Haddon · June 15, 2011, 05:44:00 PM

So the question is whats the word do we charge for bee removal from fallen trees / cut trees.
I just got a call about one 50 miles from here.
Told the lady gas money if I could put it in the back of the truck she is going to send me pictures.

So tell me what yall think.

rbinhood · June 15, 2011, 05:50:17 PM

With the price of petrol what it is today traveling 50 miles is much too much for a swarm of bees unless you are going to be able to salvage at least 35 to 40 lbs of usable honey.

Plus, I'm not sure about your time, but mine is worth $$$$ when I go out on a call like this one.

AllenF · June 15, 2011, 05:59:41 PM

Something to keep in mind is if the tree has fallen, there may not be much to salvage. All the comb might be squashed in a honey/bee/way soup inside the tree.

Time and gas if you are doing this as work.

Haddon · June 15, 2011, 06:28:01 PM

Okay I don't know if this link will work but here it is
http://bee-removals.com/bee-removal-pictures.html
was easier to just put them on my site than play with facebook

Thats the photos the girl just sent me.

Tell me what yall think?

AllenF · June 15, 2011, 06:45:20 PM

Take that log home and trap them out. Do you have a way to lift it into your truck? Or a trailer?

Haddon · June 15, 2011, 06:55:11 PM

No and don't even know if the truck would hold the weight girl said they tried to roll it over and they couldn't because of the weight. I was thinking I would have to split it there and do the cutout. Price will depend on the amount of work I have to do there.

Haddon · June 15, 2011, 06:55:53 PM

I kinda want to do it for the fun of it to tell the truth I have never done a bee tree.

Mike Tuggle · June 15, 2011, 11:55:14 PM

:-D Just thinkin' "out of the box" .... My first thoughts were:
> That tree is too big to move.
> That cavity is too irregular to easily chainsaw split the log.
> Then, an 'ah ha' moment. A completely "off the wall" idea.......

Why not drill a hole at the other end of the log (from what we can see in your photo), into the cavity, and then at night, dribble some "Bee-Go" into it. It doesn't look like there is a lot of ventilation there. Set up a hive box with one frame of eggs and brood at the open end and see how many of those you can sweep into the box during the evacuation. You get no honey beyond what you scoop out or come back for later but you might get most of the bees and the queen if you're lucky.

Mike

Scadsobees · June 16, 2011, 10:02:11 AM

That's up to you...what it 100 miles of gas and time worth?

Two hours of driving, plus around $20-$30 gas?

That would be at least $100 to make it worthwhile to me (I'm not in it to make money, I just need a little extra to get me moving, since it is far easier to just make a split!). Sometime the hardest part is being able to walk away when they don't want to pay. I agree, cut the section, throw it in the trailer or truck and take it home. That's still three hours of work/driving.

Haddon · June 16, 2011, 10:53:47 AM

I think I am going to tell her a hundred bucks that's the cheapest a exterminator would do it for in her area. That would give me 40 bucks or so over cost I hope I don't think the hive will be worth much but I would love the pics of me opening the trunk for my site. :)

skflyfish · June 16, 2011, 12:51:17 PM

Based on my own personal experience, I would only transport the tree section in an upright position.

Jay

D Coates · June 16, 2011, 02:54:28 PM

Sounds like you're itching to do it. If you are and you've got the time, do it. Look at it as a great learning experience that will help in the future when you've got a challenge like this nearby.

AllenF · June 19, 2011, 11:05:59 PM

Just ran across this and thought it might help.
http://www.youtube.com/user/BeeHealth#p/u

iddee · June 19, 2011, 11:33:50 PM

As beekeepers, it's a good video. As for tree cutters, they need to go back to kindergarten.

Kathyp · June 20, 2011, 12:19:29 AM

i think you could open it. what if you chain saw it part way through on both sides and then wedge split it the rest of the way? don't know how long it is, but since the comb seems to be intact, it might be worth the try....if you can get the queen and a good bit of brood comb.

you really need someone experience to help you out. someone who can help you spot the queen and get the comb squared away properly. would be a shame to do all that work for nothing. and someone who knows about splitting logs.........

annette · June 20, 2011, 01:59:30 AM

Similar situation last year with an old oak tree that fell down. A couple of beekeepers and I went to cut them out. One man cut both ends until we found the beginning and end. Then he chainsawed very slowly until the hive was exposed. We probably got lucky that we never disturbed the hive or the comb. We were able to cut out the comb and tie into frames. Not much brood or honey. They had just swarmed a week ago.

We scooped the remaining bees with our hands into the super and never saw the queen. We saw fanning at the super entrance and felt good that we got the queen. Went back at night and all the bees were in that super. Not one bee left in the tree.

I was the lucky one and got to take this hive home and they are the most prolific bees ever. Feisty, but strong.

Good Luck on getting your hive

annette

Haddon · June 20, 2011, 10:48:36 AM

Well I got it Saturday. Here is a pic of it own the trailer.

and small video
http://youtu.be/jGjoJRJAl58

Well it was 100 degrees Saturday with a index of 110 and a bee suit on. One darn bee would not quit buzzing me so I couldn't take the hood off. I tried my best to swat that darn bee it was so hot I had to go get in the truck 3 times to cool off. Would not have been hard at all if my chainsaw had wanted to run and when it did run the chain was to dull and it had so little power left that it wouldn't cut. I end up using the clients I need to just go buy a new one.

I will split the hive today or tomorrow. Right now it is set up in the back with a board on top the log to keep rain out.

Kathyp · June 20, 2011, 11:00:27 AM

glad you made it home ok. how far did you have to drive loaded like that? :evil:

now, make sure you take pictures of each step. no matter how it ends up, it will be a good one to learn on.

Haddon · June 20, 2011, 11:50:41 AM

50 miles

I should have took a pic of it set up in the back yard they don't have that much comb and seem to have been threw hell. Guy even tried to burn the tree a laugh able attempt but it paid gas money and was not that hard to do other than my crappy Craftsman chainsaw, and I had another job there that I needed to look at I will not be doing it I will post pics of it also.

Haddon · June 22, 2011, 03:26:26 PM

I busted the log yesterday afternoon SHB and wax moth larva every where the log was down for 3 weeks. Very small bee population I hope to get the video edited down to something reasonable tonight so I can post it.

I hope they can't pupate in a ash pile that is where the log ended up I might even soak the field in pyreth
tomorrow. I set the log on fire it just scorched really but hopfully that killed the larva on it I don't need 4000 SHBs in my yard.