Cut outs and Swarms

[King bee apiary]

Ok this has been strangest year foe me so far.I have collected 15,16 swarms this year,have had 6 calls to remove bees from walls of all sorts.

Now I'm not complaining at all but I keep hearing about bees leaveing not to be found again,Well I think I know where they are.....

Has anyone else noticed an increase like this? Or have I not been paying any attention....
Thanks

[kenpkr]

Funny, I've noticed a marked decrease in my swarm calls this year but it may be coincidence. I've gotten almost no free bees so far this year and our real swarm season is over.

[Pete0]

I believe all the publicity has made folks more aware of swarms and more likely to call a beekeeper before trying to destroy honeybees. My problem is that when you respond to a call for a cut-out or trap-out and discuss reimbursement people change their minds. All for saving something as long as it is for free.

Pete0
Bena, VA

[TX Ashurst]

I've certainly seen (and collected :-) a lot more this year.

[King bee apiary]

I had a lady call and ask if I could remove a hive in the wall of a two story home,and yes they were in the second floor wall,but when I mentioned it would cost her $300.00 she said she'd call back later.So far she hasn't called, I figured she called an exterminator.

Had another call tonight to remove bee from a home.So far no less than one call a day.If this keeps up I'll have to find more bee yards..34 hives and two yards now..Have three cutouts waiting..

Good luck!!

[BeeBrothersApiary]

Thoughts on doing a cut-out in January. Any thoughts and advice would be appreciated..

[riverrat]

Thoughts on doing a cut-out in January. Any thoughts and advice would be appreciated..

where your at it wont work in january. It will kill the bees.

[BeeBrothersApiary]

kinda of figured that, tho it is in a bedroom wall and i was thinking about going through the sheetrock so everything, for the extraction would bee from the inside. the house is vinyl siding so it is brittle in the cold also, i dont exactly have time in Jan, would be more like the end of feb., was just concerned about doing it in the spring when loads of foragers are out and not "getting the whole colony"...would prefer they didnt reestablish themselves...such is nature tho.

[riverrat]

If you do it in the spring when they are buiding up. You can get a nice hive out of the deal. You will always have a few straglers that hang on for a few days after the cut out. If they dont have a queen they cant restablish themselves. Even with the queen it would be a slim to none change for them to re-establish. The concern would be another swarm finding the cavity and building another hive. You may be able to do it in january from the inside. If you was populating a OB hive. anything short of that you will most likely lose the bees. I would do the cut out from the inside even in the spring. It is much cheaper to fix sheet rock than siding

[Sarge]

Working from inside lets you work in conditions that would be impossible otherwise. IF you pick a day when the cluster is open and some bees are moving. And IF you can save and frame the comb tight enough to alow a successful cluster. Then you MIGHT get a good hive for the trouble.
I have done cool weather cutouts. The bees are slow moving and the cluster easy to move. A quick shake to get the bees off the comb and into a box, a couple rubber bands and a quick cut with the knife to fit the comb, and then the comb and bees reunited.
Move fast and it can work. But they will need TLC till they get things repaired.