Bee tree hive

[Scadsobees]

Hi all!
Well, we cut down our first bee tree Saturday.  40 degree day, overcast, the bees clustered but not flying...perfect!!!

We managed to get the section down without bashing it around much, and now have it set up in a backyard. (sorry, no pics, batteries went dead at the wrong time, not that there is much to see, its just a log with a hole!!)

Hive takes up about 5 feet of the interior of the log, and the cluster looked to be in the bottom half yet.  I think they have plenty of stores to get through winter.

Super below is defined for my purposes as any bee box that might be used for a hive/brood with drawn comb.

Question: What is the best way to get them out of the log? (without busting the log open)

I thought about just putting a super on the top and hope they move up, but then thinking about it I think they will have excess stores in the spring so they won't need to move the queen up.

Thoughts:
1. BeeQuick on a charcoal handwarmer in the bottom?
2. Put the log upsidedown and put the super on the bottom of the hive (now top)?
3. If they aren't moving up in the spring cut off the top 1/3 and then hope they move up (or put that on top of the super)?

Worse come to worst we can cut it open, but I want to try the less traumatic way first.

Thanks!
Rick

[Understudy]

Getting bees out of a tree trunk is about as hard of an extraction as you can get.
My not so succesful idea is to force the bees to exit the trunk directly into a super with frames.
Once the queen is in there laying brood. The rest is easy. The trick is explaing to Miss Queenbee that she needs to move.

The problem is if the bees fill the frames with honey before she is convinced to move she won't move.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

[bassman1977]

Bust the thing open.  You're going to save yourself a headache.  I highly recommend doing this when it warms up though, if possible.  40 degrees to do all this is too cold for the bees IMO.  I did this very thing 2 years ago. Started when it was 60 degrees and it was 70 degrees when I finished.  It was a great success until that coming winter knocked off my survivors.   :'(  If you do this, be careful that you only cut the log and don't go into the comb.  It's not as hard as you would think.  Good luck and let us know how things go.

[Scadsobees]

Yeah, they should be all set for a few months.  I'm not messing with them till spring which is March/April.

Since I've got time, I thought I'd try the following, starting in mid to late march.  In theory it should work easy enough, but so far theory hasn't done so good for me....

1. Flip the log upside down, trim the bottom so there is comb sticking up, and try to lure the queen out with a super of comb, trying to get the log comb to poke up into the super.  Close all entrances except the super. I've read that the bees would rather not use upsidedown comb, and would like to see if it works.  Give them a week or two and see if they are moving up.  If the queen is there, then slap on the excluder, wait 2 or 3 weeks then take the log away and cut that apart and give them the honey.

2. If not working, try some warm BeeQuick at the bottom for incentive.

3. If that doesn't show any signs of working, then we will cut it open.  By this point it will be mid/late April, and if the queen gets killed in the process they can raise their own.

Thanks, Rick

[JP]

I'm hoping you have the tree hive situated now, just like it was positioned before you brought it home, meaning the same way, drectionally. If not situate it like it was before you cut the tree down. Let them winter in the tree as you plan. As Brendhan mentioned, the queen does not want to leave the tree, so you will need to cut the tree open and perform a cutout, and transfer them to your bee box. Sorry, but I don't like the idea of turning the hive upside down. Just start with a small hole when you do the cut out, take your time, use your smoker, and gradually open the log as you do your removal.

Best of luck, JP

[Michael Bush]

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesferal.htm#moving