Old Oak Trees

[AllenF]

My house is surrounded by really really old oak trees.  I come home just a few minutes ago to sounds of that buzz.   After spending the next 10 minutes looking, I find that swarm 40 or 50 feet up.  Don't times like this just make you want to cut down all the trees?   At least all of them over 15 foot?   Clear cutting ain't all that bad, is it?   :-D

[BlueBee]

I believe oak trees can supposedly live 200 to 300 years.  Most around here seem to start declining or get hollow cores around 100 years.  I had an old hollow oak tree fall over and block the road in a wind storm.  Lucky there were no cars around at the time.

Cut some down while the wood is still worth $$$  :-D

[Kathyp]

did you put out an empty box?  they might take it.

[AllenF]

I am surrounded by empty boxes.   They did not take any of them.  Don't know which way they went.   

And with the wood in the trees, that is how we heat the houses down here.   

[rbinhood]

Why didn't you try and drum them down......it works.....a empty box or anything to drum on can draw them down.

[SEEYA]

I think that I shall never see,..... :-D

[BlueBee]

I think I will never see a staircase more lovely as the one from that walnut tree.  Next would be oak  :-D

[AllenF]

So I wanted to skip the whole drumming process and just decided to shoot the wings off the queen bee (Beverley Hillbillies style), that way I could catch her and bring the whole swarm home, but I just did not think the neighbors would mind the lead flying. 

[divemaster1963]

we use single 0 buckshot over here to get the ones that are to highup in the pine trees. hit about the mid point on the limb. one or two shots and the limb bends by its self  :-D. then ask your nieghbors if they heard the turkey hunters shooting. 8-)

john

[carlfaba10t]

All you have to do is fire up a chainsaw rev the engine a couple times and they will come right down.You guys are terrible!! Bees are smarter than most people anyway.

[jredburn]

Boy, you guys are primitive. 
Take a bow and arrow set up for fishing and shoot an arrow into the limb.  Then jerk the line a little and the bees will all slide down the line and you can catch them in a box. 8-)
Helps if you put a little oil on the line first.
Regards
Joe

[rbinhood]

I think that I shall never see,..... :-D

If you are talking about drumming or some call it tanging a swarm it works great....do a search for tanging I think there is a video of it in action.

[derekm]

i think the bees are better off with 6 inches of oak with a bottom entrance rather than 3/4 inch of pine with a top entrance