RATS!!!

[golfpsycho]

A woman called and advised me she had a large colony of bees living in a birdhouse on her property.  She asked if I would come and get them.  I said sure, as soon as it warms up in the spring.  No problem she said.  Been there for years now.

I was very anxious to have a look at them, but it's been in the mid 20's for several weeks now.  Finally, today, it got up to 49, and I went to have a look.  She apologized when I got there.  I asked what was up?  She told me a raccoon had torn a hole in the roof and destroyed the colony 2 nights ago.  She was right.  THere was comb all over the yard, and a large hole scratched right through the roof.  She did offer me the raccoon if I wanted it to make up for my loss......  um.. no thanks

Really thought I might have something when she said they had been there for years.

[manowar422]

Would this have been your first capture?
I would think that after getting wound up
with the possibility of starting a new hive,
that had a be a bit of a let down. :(

[golfpsycho]

Not my first capture, although the first one in several years.  I was just very dissappointed that this colony had been surviving untreated for a number of years but was destroyed before I could get them.  I really wanted to observe their comb building, mite load, etc, compared to the three colonys I currently have.  I don't like putting chemicals in my hives,  and I got them late, so I haven't had time to regress them.  There is alot of discussion on feral survivors, so I wanted to see it first hand.