Just brought home a tree hive

[D Coates]

http://s196.photobucket.com/albums/aa190/Drew454/Tree%20hive/?action=view&current=TreeHive1.jpg

I had a lady call me about a hive that was living in a tree that she had just had cut down. I picked it up yesterday. The size of the log was a whole lot larger than I anticipated. I was VERY thankful that she at least had a ladder I could use to slide it up as a ramp. I'll be cutting the top off to level, and adding a little moist pollen substitute and emergency feed sugar and screwing down a plywood cover on top. I didn't see any honey so I am assuming they are low. I did see where a decent size cluster appears to be living but I disturbed them no further. I'd say the population is about the size of a nuc.

It's was above 50 here yesterday and is supposed to get up to 70 today but then head back down in the 40's. I don't have a clue if they'll make it as the drop they made was about 25 feet but the homeowner paid for my gas and time. There was a whole lot of brace comb in and among the rotted wood that seemed to be still intact but who knows if the queen was killed or injured in the fall. I figured this will be an interesting learning experience and I'll cut them out if they make it to spring.

If anyone has some additional tips of how to handle this, I'm all ears.

[splitrock]

Looks like an interesting project.

I think I'd forget about cutting the top flat, so nobody decides to have a seat.

Joel

[hankdog1]

if i were you since it seems to be the easiest option i'd just open feed syrup and pollen sub.  gonna be kinda hard getting a pollen patty to them.  i will say this i had a beetree i did a cutout on because my truck was down and a hive fits better in a car.  but they fell probably at least twice the distance your tree did comb got pretty messed up but the queen survived.  so feed feed feed and hopefully you'll get them to swarm early.

[JP]

I agree with Hankdog, for the time being I would open feed syrup and pollen substitute. If the hive has age to it the comb sections may have been rigid enough to have survived the fall.

Every removal is a learning experience!


...JP

[D Coates]

Can't really open feed yet.  It was 70+ yesterday but it's back down in the 40's today.  Even my OB hive won't go outside today.  I did lop off the top and screwed a defendable plywood cover on there.  There was enough of an open area remaining to get a pollen patty (+/- 1#) mixed with honey and syrup just above and next to the cluster.  They were on it pretty quick.  I put some newspaper next to/on top of that with some granulated sugar in there for emergency stores (mountain camp).  I misted the newpaper before putting the sugar on there and mist the sugar after to get it to crust and harden.  I'll open feed as soon as I can though.