Bees in downed tree

[prscotty]

I just recieved a call from a man who said he cut down a tree that was full of honey bees. Asked if I wanted them and I said sure. I have 3 hives and would like to have some more. My problem is I am a new beek. This is my first year and I don't have a clue how to get them into a hive and get them home. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Putz]

Cut the wild comb out of the tree and tie them with cotton string into frames and put in a hive box. Make sure you get the queen in your box. Leave the box set there until dark and move home!

[Jeffzhear]

My goal is to cut out the section of the tree that the honeybees reside in. I screen (staple window screen) the top and bottom of the tree section, if I have cut into the section where they reside. I screen the entrance as close to dark as I can to allow for field bees returning, and then enlist the help of a friend to roll the section with the bees up a ramp and into the back of my truck.

If the tree is down due to loggers, they typically load the section into my truck for me with their equipment.

When I get the tree section to its designated location, I put it upright on a pallet, unscreen the entrance right away, put a top of sorts on the tree and take a break, usually until another day.

I can work on it anytime at my convenience. I typically use a chainsaw to split the tree in half so I can get at the comb and bees. Then I rubberband the comb into empty frames and put in standard 10 frame equipment.

This is a ton of work and I don't typically do this often.

[Barry]

Cut the wild comb out of the tree and tie them with cotton string into frames and put in a hive box.

At this later time of season, you need to pay close attention to the organization of the combs. Place the combs in your hive the same order as you find them or you will set the colony back even more.

[Docking]

being this late in the year, would you not need to worry about feeding? Would it not be better to set the section up in the same position it was in before cutting and wait til spring to do the cutout? You could get an idea of the weight (unless it is a large section) and when you feel they are too light just make a tube feeder on a jar. Just a thought. I had to do the same this past winter with a water tank. I cut a hole in the tank and used a boardman feeder to feed with. I cut them out around last of march first of april.

Michael
2 hives
NW Alabama

[Hobie]

And set the combs in the frames with the original "up" direction still "up". This was my first mistake as a newbie.

I also had a devil of a time with cotton string. It became a tangled rats nest. I wold be tempted to try rubber bands, as people have suggested in other posts.

[D Coates]

I've done it only once but using the rubber bands worked beautifully. They will eventually cut off the rubber bands and pull them out once the comb is secured. It looks like they are wrestling funny colored worms as they drag them out of the hive.

Also assuming you don't have a moderate to heavy flow going on right now I'd feed 1:1 sugar syrup to get them to build up brood, workers and comb for the upcoming winter.

[Sarge]

I've done several of these over the years. Alot depends on how long its been down, how it hit in relation to the combs, and if the queen survived the fall.
In many cases the bees you see are robbing out the dead hive, and either the queen and most of the workers are dead, or have abscounded and are moving the honey to a new home.
IF the queen survived, and IF the comb isn't pancaked into a solid mass, and IF you can get to them and get them out before they decide to move out, you can save the hive.
Otherwise you have alot of honey to feed back to your own bees.
Good luck.