Bees in downed tree

[Hugh McDiarmid]

Rookie beekeeper in Michigan here....got a call from a friend who discovered bees w/honeycomb in a tree he's just cut down. Is there any way to rescue this hive (like you can a swarm), or is it a lost cause?

[Sully1882]

go in get to the comb, smoke them, and then cut it out and try to save as much as you can. Use rubber bands and secure the comb pieces in frames. Place the frames into a hive box and set it there at the base of the tree or where the bees were in the tree. That is if you can leave the tree alone for a few days. If you can find the queen you have a chance. If you can get some good comb transferred maybe there will be eggs and the bees can make a new queen. But you might be better off to order a queen and get as many of the bees as possible and then requeen it if the bees take to the new hive.

best of luck, this late in the season it will be hard.

Sully

[honeyman46408]

Go cut a section of the tree with the bees in it put a piece of plywood on the bottom and top and take it home with you and set it up in the same (as close as you can) position as the tree was before he cut it down, mabee they will make the winter.

[Sully1882]

Go cut a section of the tree with the bees in it put a piece of plywood on the bottom and top and take it home with you and set it up in the same (as close as you can) position as the tree was before he cut it down, mabee they will make the winter.

there ya go, even better idea!

[paintingpreacher]

I agree with Honeyman, This method has worked for me several times in the past. Then when spring comes you can move them into a hive.

[wkinne]

Do what Honeyman said and keep them somewhere no wind will hit em, if you have a root celler or cold basement they wont eat as much. The size of the hive should give some indication of how likely they are to survive.

Or put it on a pallet and send it to me

Wayne

[honeyman46408]

I kept this one for 3 years and made supers of honey on top of it then I cut them out and put them in a hive they died the next winter. OH it was spiting snow on a November day when I got them.

[Hugh McDiarmid]

Thanks for the advice. I finally saw it this morning, about 8-foot section of hollow log....yellowjackets were robbing from the top. I'm going to seal top and bottom with plywood, leaving the knothole open for them, then get some guys to help carry it about 20 yards into a city park woods...and lean it against some trees so it's rightside up.

At least that'll give 'em a chance this winter. Then maybe I'll do something creative in the spring if they make it.

[Slow Modem]

That is a great looking loader. Did you make that or can one like it be bought somewhere? (Sorry about being off topic)

[honeyman46408]

You can buy a "crain" like that from "Harbor Freight" or "Northern Tool" they are made to mount to the truck bed but I used a piece of 2" square tube and it goes into the reciver hitch on the truck>

[Foster]

Go cut a section of the tree with the bees in it put a piece of plywood on the bottom and top and take it home with you and set it up in the same (as close as you can) position as the tree was before he cut it down, mabee they will make the winter.

Isn't it illegal to keep bees in a gum hive since you can't remove the frames for inspection?

[honeyman46408]

Yes it is.

[hpm08161947]

Yes it is.

So you stick a box with drawn comb on top and hope for them to move up.... that ought to make it legal... well.. maybe not. Guess if you had an apiary full of gum tree hives you could get into trouble, but never hard of anyone be ticketed for trying to transition a feral hive to a lang. But - what do I know... bet some one will come along who has.

[rweakley]

I have a good method for getting the bees out of the tree. As most people have said you leave them in the tree until spring. In the spring do the following.
I think the best way to get them out is to figure out how far up the log they go and then take a chain saw and cut to where a little comb is sticking out above your cut an inch or so. Cut a piece of plywood the size of a hivebody, cut a hole in it the size of the opening at the top of the log and place this on the log and screw it down. Put a hive body on with frames in it. Put a top entrance on. Close all other entrances bee tight and force them to exit the hit through the hive body. Wait till you see the queen in the hivebody and then immediately place a queen excluder between the hivebody and the plywood, keeping the queen in the hive body. A month later remove the log and do with as you wish.
You don't have to do any of this until it gets warmer, march or april.I also have drawn up a picture of what this all looks like and it is at: http://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y27...nt=beetree.jpg

[Hugh McDiarmid]

Here's a link to some photos: http://bit.ly/uS4UgG

[Hugh McDiarmid]

Here are some photos and a bit of a narrative from the rescue. My plan is to staple a tin pie plate over the knothole, leaving only a small opening to help protect them from the Michigan winter.

http://bit.ly/uS4UgG

[Corvair68]

It's only illegal if you get caught. I would let them stay in the log until spring time, and then try rweakleys suggestion.

[Duboisi]

Don't know how the laws work over there, but where I live I do not think it would have been against the law as a temporary(overwintering) arrangement.

The reason is that the law is made to make it easier to control for deceases and thus the spreading of viruses etc. Since the bees stays in cluster trough the winter, they cannot cantaige(?) other hives in that time.
But then again, laws(the means) often tend to become a reason in itself. :-)

[Keth Comollo]

Just to be safe I would put a strap around that log and the other trees to keep it from getting knocked over by bears or wind or earthquakes.