Bee Removal From Tree

uglyfrozenfish · February 15, 2011, 01:35:54 PM

Hi all,
New beek here. This spring I am hoping to take a colony out of a tree at my grandfathers place and put it into a box hive. I was wondering if anyone has had experience taking a colony out of a tree? Any advice?

More specifically I was planning on taking them out of the tree in mid-late march and feeding them syrup and honey until the flowers here in michigan start blooming. Does that sound like a good plan??

Thanks for your help.

ziffabeek · February 15, 2011, 01:41:31 PM

Hey fish!

At the top of the General Beekeeping section you will see 2 child boards, one of which is Bee Removals. There is HEAPS of information in that board about removals and LOTS of really experienced folk here to help you. I"d start with searching that forum with tree removal and read what you find and then post your questions. I don't know anything about cut-outs or transfers.

Good luck! Feral bees are the best.

love,
ziffa

skflyfish · February 15, 2011, 02:04:17 PM

Hey fish,

No experience, but if you are close to Hesperia and need a hand, would be glad to help. Mid-March does sound a bit early, unless we have a March like last year.

Jay

VolunteerK9 · February 15, 2011, 02:10:01 PM

If it were me, I would just put swarm traps out and trap the stew out of it than risk losing the whole colony on a cutout.

uglyfrozenfish · February 15, 2011, 02:18:37 PM

Jay, the colony is in Alto. Probably 2+ hours from you. I am trying to decide if trying to capture the colony when it is smaller would be easier. I tried to trap the colony last fall and it didn't work.

Kathyp · February 15, 2011, 02:36:13 PM

ditto K9. leave the parent hive and put out swarm traps. those hives usually swarm in spring because their space is limited. you get a hive and leave the source for later swarm catches. if you do a trap out, you lose the queen. if you do a removal, especially if you are inexperienced, you run the risk of losing the entire hive. bee in trees are great and the bees are usually already resistant to lots of stuff that will kill your packages. they should be preserve when they can be.

iddee · February 15, 2011, 04:09:44 PM

It should work fine. Anytime after the first 70 degree day should work.
Tie the brood comb into the frames, but not the honey combs. They are too heavy and messy. You can feed it back to them by setting it out 50 to 100 feet from the hive.

Brian D. Bray · February 19, 2011, 12:04:52 AM

Put out several swarm traps at varying distances from the feral hive. Feral hives, due to limited space, will often swarm 6 or more times in a single season.

uglyfrozenfish · February 19, 2011, 10:35:12 AM

Thanks for the advice. Unfortunately this tree does need to be cut down so I will be cutting them out later this spring. I will use the swarm trap idea for another feral colony I have found. I may need to buy some more boxes if they swarm that much!

Can't wait for spring here in MI.

Please please stop snowing!!!!

Tommyt · February 19, 2011, 10:52:23 AM

If they will give you time a Trap out will work ,It much easier for a new Keeper (fool proof)
I know because I am new. I did the trap-out iddee way and it's just about impossible to make a mistake.
You can take half the hive if you wish (trapped out) move them home, come back do a cut out you'll get 2 lessons from one tree. :-D

Good Luck

Tommyt

Acebird · February 19, 2011, 12:34:55 PM

QuoteYou can take half the hive if you wish (trapped out) move them home, come back do a cut out you'll get 2 lessons from one tree.

What would be your plan for a queen on that half a hive?

Humanbeeing · February 20, 2011, 12:25:36 AM

I would leave them there and put out swarm traps. You will destroy the tree, maybe the bees, and no more wild swarms will ever live there again. Raise some queens and let the virgins breed with the drones.

Tommyt · February 20, 2011, 08:16:28 AM

Quote from: Acebird on February 19, 2011, 12:34:55 PM
What would be your plan for a queen on that half a hive?

I do trapout's with a one comb of brood this anchors the trapped out bees.They make emergency Queen cells
I'm pretty sure IDEE has that in his "Trap-Out" how to's??
If not I know I was told to do it and it worked like a charm, I did 2 since
I did loose my first one 6 months later do too my mistakes but when I set the brood in the trap out box
The bees came from the tree like crooks leaving Mexico.

Tommyt

Humanbeeing

He stated the tree was has too come down but has a chance to get the bees first unless I read it wrong :?
won't be my first :-D

Humanbeeing · February 20, 2011, 08:11:06 PM

Sorry, I missed that the tree had to come down anyway. I'm getting slow in my old age. If that is the case, heck yea, take them. I just hate to see honey hunters tear up a good tree, not saying you are a honey hunter, but I have seen the results, so I am adamant about that. I know of 3 bee trees in my area, and I want to use the Drones and collect swarms from them. Anyway, good luck with the bees you get. Here is a video of one Bee Tree about 10 minutes from my house.

Bee Tree

iddee · February 20, 2011, 08:27:00 PM

This may give you an idea or two. Most bee club newbies love to do the work for free, just to get the experience. I'm behind the camera while they sweat. :-D

http://s81.photobucket.com/albums/j226/Iddee/Stump%20Removal/

Countryboy · February 20, 2011, 09:03:25 PM

The only removals from trees that I have done involved cutting down the tree, cutting open the tree, and then removing brood combs and rubber banding them into foundationless frames.

I always wanted a nectar flow for doing cutouts, so that the bees had a much better chance of survival. I would suspect that March in Michigan would be too cold for them to be able to repair combs very easily.

hankdog1 · February 20, 2011, 10:00:00 PM

I don't like cutting bees out of trees for several reasons it's a pain in the rear using a chain saw with all the vibration and heat kinda tends to pee them off. The only two options i would consider is cutting the tree down loading them up and taking them home to feed up to where they swarm or a trap out. Cutouts are real pains in the rear with trees as the queen has more places to hide. For me a cutout should only be done on a tree when you have no other option. Ya know if they aren't bothering anything you can always leave them alone and put out swarm traps the bees and the tree will be much more happy with that option.

iddee · February 20, 2011, 10:14:03 PM

As in the link above, I only get them from trees the tree cutters give me. I then give them time to settle down, then split the tree open. I have one waiting now for warm weather.

uglyfrozenfish · February 21, 2011, 04:05:38 PM

Iddee, thanks for the pictures those are great!

Thanks also to all who have posted, you are all a wealth of knowledge and kindness that just ROCKS!!!!

Another question....
How do you tell where the hive starts and stops inside the tree?
THanks

Acebird · February 21, 2011, 04:23:21 PM

Pick a spot and drill a 1/4 dia hole to the center. See if a bee comes out. If it doesn't drill another one closer to the entrance. Eventually one will come out the hole you drilled.