Can my wild hive be moved?

crcurrie · March 17, 2010, 01:27:51 PM

Hi, I'm not a beekeeper but googled this forum and hope you can help answer my question.

I have a property in NW Pennsylvania on which there is a tall, almost-dead maple tree -- little more than a gigantic stump at this point. About 20' up, inside the trunk, there is a large hive of honeybees (at least, I think it's large, judging by the constant stream of bees coming and going). It has been there the whole time we've owned the property (2 years) and I'm guessing a long time before that. Last Fall, the hive built a colony on a limb of the same tree -- several waxy, vertical plates hanging down from the branch. It didn't survive the winter, and it looks like an animal chewed off part of it that fell on the ground (full of honey).

We'd like to cut down the tree, but hate to destroy the hive. Is there any way to relocate a hive of bees that's inside of a tree? I assume if we cut the tree down, the impact of the fall will kill the bees or at least convince them to abandon the hive. Ideally, I'd like to keep the colony on my property, since we're planning to plant fruit trees. But, barring that, if there are beekeepers who are willing and able to relocate such a hive, that would be a preferable option to killing the colony.

Any advice/information from the good folks on this forum is much appreciated!

Chris

D Coates · March 17, 2010, 01:45:16 PM

Chris,

Welcome! Check on the "need bees removed" link on the top left hand portion of the main page. See if there's anyone near by you. What you're asking about can be done, I've done it myself. It's called a hive extraction. It's hard work, but can be rewarding if the colony is healthy and the queen is gotten. Whomever, you find to get the bees would be the perfect person to ask about having a colony or two on your land.

Kathyp · March 17, 2010, 01:54:20 PM

http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/board,77.0.html

you might want to get some good pics ready. i always ask for them before i make a trip out to a place. gives the beekeeper an idea of what's involved.

thanks for the effort. these are the type of hives that many of us try to save.

lenape13 · March 17, 2010, 02:52:59 PM

Where are you located? I am in SW PA. Along with playing with bees, I also have a LOT of experience with trees. If you're not too far away, I may be able to come up and give you some advice, or maybe even help you with your problem.

doak · March 17, 2010, 03:45:30 PM

Be careful, the Africanized bees will build outside more often than European Bees will.
I have never witnessed a swarm here in the south east building outside.
They do in Hawaii. There have been some recordings of European bees building outside here as far north as Ohio. But not often. Are they aggressive? or have you had the opportunity to find out? Where are you hopelessly lost? Guess if you knew you wouldn't be lost.:)doak

Kathyp · March 17, 2010, 04:15:02 PM

it's not a swarm, it's a hive in a tree. PA so not much risk of them being AHB.

crcurrie · March 17, 2010, 04:37:32 PM

Thanks for all the helpful replies, folks!

Lenape13, our camp is between Franklin and Titusville in NW PA. I've driven through SW PA a few times picking up used items on Craigslist to stock the camp, and I know it's not a short drive, but everything's relative -- our primary residence is near Washington, D.C., so anything in western PA seems a short drive. :-D

I'm trying to attach a photo of the tree (the hive is a little under the crotch) and one of the external hive ...

[links deleted due to forum policy -- I'll email the moderator and ask him/her to append them]

I have some zoom photos of the hive somewhere but can't immediately locate them.

Can anyone tell whether these are Africanized bees?

Chris

doak · March 17, 2010, 04:50:39 PM

Some say it's too far north, but there is no guarantee in anything.
Your first clue would be very aggressiveness. They will follow you for a mile or more. More of them will
do the attack thing. Most likely they are not AHB, bees.
You need to check with local Police and fire dept. for a list of local be removal persons.
Maybe the White house beekeeper. Who knows? :)doak

D Coates · March 17, 2010, 04:57:53 PM

Africanized bees haven't gotten that far north and there's question if they can. Because of warm weather where they originated, they aren't known for being heavy honey producers, and the relatively low hive populations it is doubtful they will survive winters of any magnitude as pure African Honey bees. The furthest north that I am aware of that genetically tested positive is Southern Oklahoma.

Why do you ask? Have they show defensive or aggressive tendencies?

doak · March 17, 2010, 05:25:26 PM

D Coates, The person may have ask because of my reply. Didn't mean to start confusion. :)doak

iddee · March 17, 2010, 08:11:44 PM

There's more wild kangaroos in Pa. then there are Africanized bees.
Check with your local exterminators and the county agricultural agent for names of local bee removers. Both keep a list of beekeepers who do it.

Dracono · March 17, 2010, 08:35:40 PM

If you have an image shack acct you can post the pics here from there you just have to copy and past the forum code in the message of your replys and we all can see your tree to help you out better.
Dracono

Kathyp · March 17, 2010, 08:41:51 PM

he/she doesn't have enough posts to link pics yet. i like picasa better. image shack is harder to use and to look at the pics.

David LaFerney · March 17, 2010, 11:05:44 PM

Quote from: kathyp on March 17, 2010, 08:41:51 PM
he/she doesn't have enough posts to link pics yet. i like picasa better. image shack is harder to use and to look at the pics.

And it's started spawning pop ups when you click through too. I hate pop ups.

crcurrie · March 17, 2010, 11:17:52 PM

The photos were posted at the top of the thread. You can't see too much. The crack in the tree trunk is pretty narrow; you can just barely make it out under the crotch. I still haven't found close-ups of the external hive but will keep looking ... -- Chris

crcurrie · March 18, 2010, 01:53:14 AM

Well, I found a better photo of the external hive and have emailed it to the moderator to append to this thread. You can see the bees, but I guess the consensus anyway is that these are not Africanized honeybees.

Why would they build a hive out in the open like that, right before the harsh NW PA winter? Seems the colony would have instinct not to try that ...

Chris

hankdog1 · March 18, 2010, 02:30:47 AM

they will normally build out in the open when they swarm and can't find a suitable home. kinda the loggers faults though they cut everything anymore even hollow logs. it's a shame that good bee trees get cut down and left every day because of ignorance.

JP · March 18, 2010, 10:48:56 AM

Quote from: crcurrie on March 18, 2010, 01:53:14 AM
Well, I found a better photo of the external hive and have emailed it to the moderator to append to this thread. You can see the bees, but I guess the consensus anyway is that these are not Africanized honeybees.

Why would they build a hive out in the open like that, right before the harsh NW PA winter? Seems the colony would have instinct not to try that ...

Chris

It could be that they just had to build in that spot due to a weather change and the colony had rested long enough, expired their energies to move to a better spot.

I get calls on a small handfull of external colonies every year, so they are not the norm. All have been gentle.

I believe some just like to build on the exterior.

...JP

crcurrie · March 19, 2010, 12:22:49 AM

Well, I've struck out so far in getting any interest from local beekeepers in removing my colony. Unless lenape13 wants to drive up from SW PA, I may be out of luck using experts and professionals ... :(

So ... What's likely to happen if we just cut the tree down with the bees in it? The power company has offered to do it for us for free while they're cutting some of our other timber to install new poles, so I need to act soon if I don't want to spend a ton of money to do it later on.

Would the fall kill the colony, or would they just swarm off in search of a new home (hopefully near by but not in an exposed branch)? Is it possible we could just set the trunk section up off the ground somewhere and they'd just go on as before? :?

Chris

JP · March 19, 2010, 12:38:41 AM

Quote from: crcurrie on March 19, 2010, 12:22:49 AM
Well, I've struck out so far in getting any interest from local beekeepers in removing my colony. Unless lenape13 wants to drive up from SW PA, I may be out of luck using experts and professionals ... :(

So ... What's likely to happen if we just cut the tree down with the bees in it? The power company has offered to do it for us for free while they're cutting some of our other timber to install new poles, so I need to act soon if I don't want to spend a ton of money to do it later on.

Would the fall kill the colony, or would they just swarm off in search of a new home (hopefully near by but not in an exposed branch)? Is it possible we could just set the trunk section up off the ground somewhere and they'd just go on as before? :?

Chris

Chris, there is a decent chance that if you simply cut the branch, the queen will be killed in the fall. Without a queen this colony will be doomed.

If you could gently place the branch so its supported and the comb sections are off the ground, you could then up your chances of some beekeeper coming out to get them.

...JP