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Hive found in abandoned house

9K views 30 replies 22 participants last post by  bluegrass 
#1 ·
We have found a huge hive of bees in a wall of an abandoned house. This house is going to be tore down in a couple of days.
We live in South Central Kansas.

1. Can we successfully capture these bees this time of year?
2. If so, what would be the best way to capture them?

We are newbies. We just acquired our first hive last summer by capturing a swarm. So any help would be appreciated.

Thank you so very much!
 
#3 ·
Cut out the entire wall and carry it home. Transfer the bees next spring. Cut the top plate and bottom plate just beyond the studs containing the bees. It should all stay together to be moved. Once carried one of these home on top of a old Volkswagon Variant ( station wagon ). Stucco on one side and wallboard on the other. Stand it up till spring so comb will be in the right orientation.
 
#4 ·
cutting out the section of wall is a great idea. This time of year is not good for trying a "cut-out" to remove the bees...too cold. The only thing I would add is after you cut out the section of wall they are in, find some way to seal the top and bottom of the wall section to keep them dry. But, make sure you are not closing off their entry point.
 
#5 ·
Really like the idea of cutting out the entire side of the wall that contains the bees. Should be easy to do with a chainsaw. And if done on a very cold day you shouldn't loose any bees. If a warmer day, staple the entance(s) shut with screen wire until you get them to your place.
 
#8 ·
What folks will do to get some "FREE" bees always amazes me.

>Cut out the entire wall and carry it home.
>cutting out the section of wall is a great idea

How much does a huge hive in a chunk of wall weigh?
How many people will spend how much time doing this?

>Should be easy to do with a chainsaw

Nails, electrical wires, plumbing...the cost of a new chain???


You can buy a queen in a few months and divide a hive for $20. What is the saw, gas, transportation and labor worth in this proposed venture???
:doh::doh::doh:
 
#11 ·
- Saw rental and gasoline, $30?
- Transportation and value of time, $200 (figure most of a day to cut and move, probably low)
- Finding a couple of friends crazy enough to help, and moving a wall of honey bees in the middle of winter - - Priceless!

Take plenty of pix, you'll cherish the event in years to come! "The time my crazy folks cut a wall of honeybees out and brought them home!" :applause:
Some things we do, just for kicks and grinnies! Post pix!
 
#13 ·
I actually thought the idea of cutting the section of the wall out was an interesting idea. I agree with others regarding the amount of work, and I wouldn't undertake the project myself... I've tackled some huge hives in walls that would have needed a crane to move...consider how heavy it will be...
 
#14 ·
>>> odfrank, wheres your sense of adventure?

You're right. Thirty years ago I would have spent the whole weekend laboring for free, supplying a truck and saws to complete this venture for a friend.

>>>Frank, It only takes a few of these adventures for them to learn. :) And if they don't... Oh well.

But as one ages and is looking retirement in sight, with the need to save every penny for those declining days, and having learned about time and money well spent, this old man would rather build some new frames for that easy bait swarm catch in a few months than spend days on cutting out a colony that will most likely not survive the cutout anyway.
 
#15 ·
I suggest you contact Farold Hoover in Oxford - he may offer to help or at least be helpful with advice. He's nearby for suggestions on caring for hives in your area. 620-262-1534 This recent break in the winter may offer you the time and conditions you need to be successful with the capture of this colony.
 
#16 ·
I really don't see the problem with cutting out the section of the wall with the bees and taking them home. It they are in between just 2 studs then you only need to take home a section that is aprox. 18 - 24 inches X 8 feet. If the house is old then it should be a problem to open the wall on each side of the section to see what's there. If there is any wire, clip it before using the chain saw.

If you are like me, you always have a chain laying around that needs to be sharpened or you nicked up by hitting the ground when cutting a stump. I don't throw the chain away. I use it again when I need one that is going to take some abuse. I just resharpen it by hand before using it.
 
#17 ·
Go For It!!

but don't use a chain saw - too dangerous and messy.

definitely use a sawzall. or as it is called a reciprocating saw. less debris. almost no kick back and you will be able to use the tool again since it is built for the job and won't be wrecked in the process.

gotta see the pics:applause:
 
#18 ·
I was cutting out a stud in a basement with a recip saw because it was so bowed to mess up the drywall I was hanging. The next thing I knew I was on my shoulder and elbow on the ground, that at my age, took a good month to recover from - they will bind and kick, but not quite as dangerous as a chain saw blade. Be careful (I'm old and weak, tho).
 
#19 ·
and having learned about time and money well spent, this old man would rather build some new frames for that easy bait swarm catch in a few months than spend days on cutting out a colony that will most likely not survive the cutout anyway.

This past summer, my brother in law got the itch to get bees after seeing me play with mine. He picked up a hive body at an auction. Then he found someone with a fixer upper house that had a colony of bees in the wall and soffit at the top of the second story. They were going to put on new siding, and wanted rid of the bees. My brother in law wanted to do a cutout, even though he had never worked with bees. My advice was to take a can of Raid to these bees, and buy a $70 package or catch a swarm next spring, or else charge $100 an hour to remove these bees. He tells the people he will get the bees for free.

Being my brother in law, I can't refuse to help. I let him borrow a bee suit, as all he owned was a veil. I stayed on the ground, and let him be the idiot up top. We managed to get part of the colony removed, carrying combs down in a bucket. Of course, he was trying to save honey too (against my instructions) so bees and everything were covered in honey. After we got several combs removed, we discovered the hive went through a hole up into the roof, and brother in law and homeowners didn't want the roof tore off. The remaining bees in the house got the Raid I recommended to begin with.

He had the bees so ticked off that I got stung 6 or 7 times down on the ground. He stopped counting stings at 20. I never saw the queen. After 2 weeks of having the hive, they appeared queenless, so I donated a frame of eggs and larva from one of my hives. They made 2 queen cells which emerged but never started laying. The hive dwindled and died out after a couple more weeks.

He finally admitted that I was right. A package is much cheaper than spending 5 hours on a ladder doing a cutout for a hive that still dies. And he is almost 20 years older than me...
 
#20 ·
Use A Skill 77. Bring a carbide trash blade and a metal cutting blade. The milage to the one I took was 40 miles one way. I even had to bring my own generator. The most fun was the looks I got carrying a piece of wall on the top of my VW wagon with an occasional bee flying out. Almost more stares than riding my Honda 90 motorcycle with a box of bees on the luggage rack and wearing full bee suit You are only young once. LIVE IT UP!.
 
#21 ·
Look out for live electric wires. Just because the house is empty does not mean the power is turned off. That could end up being an expensive hive. I am in my late forties and I have not yet learned to avoid projects like that. I would love to try to figure out how to make that work. It would be fun.
 
#22 ·
Although not rocket science, removing bees does take some knowledge of building, structure and engineering. Its all easy to just bust open a wall and start to cut out bees. The hard part is to remove the bees, find the queen, get the hive to a new yard and then get them building up again. I average one of these a week and I loose maybe two or three a year. I've shown many beeks how to do it and I think to date only one has stayed in the business. Its not fun and its not easy. Its hot, sticky and I get stung - a lot. In most cases the job has to be done and removal is the only option. In this case due to the time of year the construction company could just tear the house down and that would be the end of it. But if 1blessedmom has some help and wants to take this on then good fr her.

I agree at this time of year the best thing to do is cut the wall section out and move the whole thing. A chain saw will work just fine. The house is scheduled for demolishion so just be sure the power, gas and water are turned off. A good chainsaw will cut through wire just fine and except for steel pipe I don't think copper pipe would harm the saw. Be sure to close up the enterance before you start. Think it through and have help available. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

As far as whether this endever is worth it? Well that is in the eye of the guy doing the job and is not for anyone else to say if it should be done or not, or if they are wasting their time. Everyone has their own idea of how to best spend their time.

As far a spraying them goes you better be careful! Applying pesticides without a license is against the law and carries a large fine. The only person who can spray those bees using a house hold spray is the owner of the property. At least that is the law in Virginia. Most pest control guys around here will not spray honeybees. And home owners don't want to mess with them.
 
#23 ·
This is an amazing read for me and shows both caring, compassion, indifference and greed?
I have been to the corner and back, many a time. Have spent most of my life, digging wealth for others, more than a mile deep underground. No need to tell me about value of money and need for it during our life and after we retire.
Most people have not even one day spent life in Hell, let alone 32 years!
Life is not all about the almighty dollar - spent foolishly or saved - scrounging-ly?
Have been retired for 12 years and I would in a minute, give this person a hand at saving those poor bees from certain and terrible death!
I would even bring my truck, gas, saw and/or what have you, to save those beautiful winged God's creatures, which are, to no fault of their own, facing extinction at this perilled time of year.
Don't anyone think that we did them enough harm? No need to do more, when a simple hour or two of exercise will save us (if one don't care for them) from sitting in front of TV and do ourselves more harm than good?
As we, ourselves, every day slide closer to our own end - perhaps not enough of us ever think about saving some other creature for a change..?
One day, or night, we will have to answer this to a higher power than that miserable greenback... Don't you think - friend?
 
#24 ·
What he said! :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Doesn't matter how long you have been a beek. You can always learn something new. It's nice to go to bed at night knowing that you did something good even if it didn't work or that eventually the bees died. Next time you can try again and hopefully be better at it.
 
#25 ·
Hello France and many thanks for your message. As we progrss through life and if we keep our senses sensitive, we experience changes and appreciations of a different kind.
The values of time, of health and of satisfaction take on much more importance. The most important value I believe is to be aware of them and act as we are supposed to do.
Therefore, take care and have fun.
 
#26 ·
I love doing cutouts and do a few dozen a year.

I glanced through the posts and one thing I want to add that I did not see mentioned:

A house being torn down is usually done because it is not savable...that usually means that the structural integrity of the building is poor or lacking.... cutting out an entire section of wall may be the one block in the Jenga game that brings the whole thing down. Make sure that that house is not going to fall in on you before you start cutting things.
 
#27 ·
cutting out a wall is crazy, if you want them remove them and leave the wall, unless you are going to transport the wall standing up I wouldn't bother, laying the wall down could cause the comb to collapse on each other killing the queen and bee's, one drop or hard bump could cause the comb to collapse also, the safest thing would be to just take the chance and on a warm day remove the hive and inserting as much comb as possible into frames and let them take their chance. thats just my 2 cents
 
#28 ·
I had one like that in a house that was being tore down for a new interstate exit. They had started the demolition and partially exposed the hive when the dozer operator started getting stung. I gave them a price, they said fine, I said I'll be there in two days. When I got there two days later, the house was in a pile. I found where the hive was. It appeared they doused it one night with sevin dust or something similar.
I'm glad I didn't have to drive far to find that out.
 
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