Bees in a birdhouse

[TwoHoneys]

A neighbor of a friend just called me. He found a "small" hive of honeybees building comb in his birdhouse, and he called to ask me to come and get them...which I plan on doing this afternoon (this will be my first capture of this kind...).

However, when the guy discovered the bees in his birdhouse last night, he relocated the birdhouse into the woods behind his house. I didn't ask him to move it back to the original spot, but I don't know if we've lost bees because of the move.

1. Should we move the thing back to the old spot before I get there, or do you think the bees found it to the new location in the woods last night?
2. The guy says the comb is small...the largest is the size of a tennis ball; the others the size of quarters. Should I (can I?!) tie comb that small to foundationless frames?
3. Once I get the bees and the comb into a hive box and on frames, should I leave the box where it is for a few days before moving it to my place?
4. Anything else I should be thinking about?

Liz

[AllenF]

How big of a birdhouse is it?  Just take the bird house home with you.  If you are worried about losing some field bees take the bird house back to the same spot and when you remove the bees, leave your hive there until after dark. 

[TwoHoneys]

Make that "yellow jackets in a birdhouse." Dang.

[AllenF]

Ya, so what did you do with them?   Every body needs a good yellow jacket nest.   They are good at keeping the birds out.

[TwoHoneys]

I didn't have to do anything with it...there were only about 5 dead yellow jackets on the nest when I got there. The guy said that the night before there had been "swarms" there...but then he moved it into the woods.

My suspicions should have been raised when my friend described the comb as "the size of a tennis ball." I wouldn't think to describe honeybee comb as ball sized, but I might describe yellow-jacket nests that way.

[Kathyp]

doesn't matter so much when it's a neighbor, but i ask people to email me pictures before i travel to do removals or swarms.  it's amazing how many times it's not honeybees! 

[D Coates]

The first thing I thought of as I started reading this post is, "those aren't honey bees."  KathyP is right on.  I ALWAYS ask for photos of the "bees" in question.  It was a hard learned lesson, but now it's saves me all types of time.  Too often people use "bees" as a generic term for a flying insect that has a nest and can sting.

[AllenF]

But bees are bees, right?     All bees sting.    They looked like bees to me.   And I am deathly allergic to bees.

[hardwood]

If it wasn't for the 99.9% of people who are "deathly allergic" to bees there would be no such thing as bee removal!

Scott

[D Coates]

I had a call about bees in a birdhouse yesterday.  I asked for photos and told him to make sure they are bees.  I hadn't heard back yet so I think he figured out they aren't bees.  If I hear back and they are bees I'll get pictures.