The almost ideal cutout

Understudy · January 06, 2008, 10:58:42 PM

Well it has been busy. I did a cutout this morning in Plantation. The bees were in a soffit. Stop me if you have heard that before from me. However the punch lines in this case is different.

Now these bees had been in the soffit since October. Now here's the funny part. They were a swarm from a hive that lives in the wall of the house. Did I mention it was a cinder block wall. I think the bees in the wall laughed at the bees in the soffit.

So I decided today to go after the bees in the soffit. This cut out was fun for the homeowner. We helped pull down a bunch of old wood with dry root and signs that termites use to live there. Nothing like adding to a husband's honey-do list.

The soffit was located in the back patio area near the pool. It was almost a full sheet of plywood. The homeowner was helpful in getting the plywood facia down. We removed it slowly so we could make sure we didn't damage the comb if it was attached ot it. Also I could smoke them as we gradually opened the facia.

The bees behaved themselves as we did all this. I starting doing my cutout. I gave the homeowner some of the honey frames. I was putting brood frames in the hive body. Inspecting them as I go along. I have pretty much resigned myself to the idea that finding the queen in cut outs is next to impossible. So I look at the comb but I don't expect much.

Now I had been using the pool to keep my hands from getting sticky. I was also freeing the occasional bee from drowning in the pool due to the disruption of the hive. Now this routine went back and forth a few times. And suddenly the fact that there is a god he is Irish and likes me come into play.

I went down to the pool edge cleaning my hands and here are these two bees sunning themselves on the edge of the pool tile just working on their tan lines. And one of them is the queen. :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D

That's right the main skirt of the hive has one attendant and has some honey on her and she is getting cleaned up by the one attendant. I freaked. I very gently nudged the queen into my hand. I have a queen cage with me just for these occasions. I lifted out the staple and lifted up the screen. I packed one hole with sphagnum moss because the cork was missing. Now I am trying to put some worker bees into the cage. They don't want to go in the cage. Did I mention I am working this one handed as the queen is in one of my hands. I eventually coaxed (forced) some bees into the queen cage. Now as I am doing this a mad worker bee flies into my ear's upper ridge and stings me. Now I can't do anything because I got the queen in one hand and the queen cage in the other. I put the queen in the cage brought the screen down and put the stable back in. I put the queen in the hive body on an empty frame.

Meanwhile the bee that was still buzzing in my ear even after stinging me. I took my thumb and did a mercy that brought an end to the buzzing in my head.

Now for the myth. Once you have the queen all the bees start flying toward her right away. The truth. Bees start going there but there are thousands that are distressed from the cut out. They aren't going anywhere near the queen for hours.

So after doing the cutout. I told the homeowner to leave the hive right there on the pool deck under where the hive was located. I had them sprinkle some cinnamon around the legs of the table so the ants don't raid the hive. I will go by tomorrow and pick up the hive.

This is the first time on a cut out I have ever gotten the queen for certain.

Now for the pictures:

Sincerely,
Brendhan

Brian D. Bray · January 06, 2008, 11:34:20 PM

Ain't it great when everything works the way it is suppose to--in the ideal mode. Great pics, reminds me of some of the ones I've done in the past.

Cindi · January 07, 2008, 01:16:10 AM

Brendhan, oh you make me wanna laugh. That was a great little story. What a lucky thing to have gotten the queen, finally, without even trying, yeah!!!! Have a wonderful day, Cindi

JP · January 07, 2008, 01:54:46 AM

Brendhan, congratulations on finding that queen.
When performing a cutout I always keep an eye out for the queen, but I know from experience that she can be a crafty little thing, finding those hard to get to spots that sometimes are impossible to get to without dismantling the entire house, and you know she is in that impossible spot. Fact, usually one of four things is certain. 1) The queen is generally found late in the game, when you have just about given up on the idea that you're gonna find her, she's there, and you catch her. 2) You find her by accident. By that I mean, suddenly, early in the game, in all her glory, as if to aggravate you and surprise you at the same time, aggravate you because the 4 cutouts before this one, you didn't find her and you were meticulous in your efforts and nada, nilch, which frustrated you to no end and finding her early on is a surprise and an insult to you for the times it was impossible finding her on the cutouts you didn't. 3) You get her but don't know it, she happened to be on a section of broodcomb with a ton of other bees and she was placed in the hive body, because you lucked out. 4) You put in your efforts, in fact went back the next day and still couldn't find her. This eats at you in your sleep, you even wonder if they even had a queen, but you know they did, because you have the brood to prove it. So it goes and you're off to the next one.

Here queeny, queeny, JP

pdmattox · January 07, 2008, 09:47:21 AM

congratulations brendhan, you make it sound so easy. I would not call it luck, call it skill. I am gonna go on one of your cutouts one day.

Understudy · January 07, 2008, 10:03:25 AM

Quote from: pdmattox on January 07, 2008, 09:47:21 AM
congratulations brendhan, you make it sound so easy. I would not call it luck, call it skill. I am gonna go on one of your cutouts one day.

It sounds easy. Because I write that way. i don't want to discourage others from trying. Think of it as refined editing. If they only knew the truth.

And I will have to take the incident with the queen as luck. But if you want to tell everyone else it was skill I certainly won't stop you. Do you need a press release? :-D

Sincerely,
Brendhan

Kirk-o · January 07, 2008, 10:25:16 AM

Fantastic

kirko

Cindi · January 07, 2008, 10:53:10 AM

Well Brendhan and JP, you that do cutouts when we are having our winter sleep. I still take my hat off to you guys with doing all these incredible stunts (and I know others are into the cutouts big time too, I take my hat off to you too). I see the tall places where you get in deep to get out these colonies, the work that is involved, and I still stand with my mouth hanging open when I read these posts. Eeeks. I remember in a post some time ago that someone said that I would probably love to do cutouts one day. Nope. I don't think so. I am just going to watch and listen to the stories that you guys tell. That is enough for me, it keeps me enthralled and I love it, that is close enough. I don't even know up here how common it is to do cutouts. That would be an interesting thing to find out. Oh well, keep those posts and pictures and descriptions of cutouts and the like coming on, they are great and interesting reads!!! Have a wonderful, greatest of days. Cindi

JP · January 07, 2008, 11:16:57 AM

Cindi, and to all others who haven't performed a cutout, if you have the opportunity to go along on one, possibly with a friend or mentor, to see how its done and perhaps even assist, you won't regret it. No, its not for everyone, they are a challenge indeed, some are much more difficult than others, but they are all a learning experience, and you get to see first hand at what honeybee survival is all about, the places they will get into to make a hive, oh brother. Good local feral stock is hard to beat. You have to have some construction knowledge to perform cutouts and its a real bonus for the customer if you can put everything back the way you found it, so they don't have to hire others once you leave with their bees. It all starts in your locale, you get on board with the fire or police department, county office, etc...informing them that you are a beekeeper and will collect swarms. They often will put your name on a list. As you progress, the word gets out and you have more than you know what to do with. Just check your local laws to see if you have to be registered or licensed before you start doing things illegally.

Sincerely, JP