You have been given a gift. Leave them alone and set a swarm trap in the spring near them. I would do it every spring. Once had a similar situation from which I harvested swarms at least every other year and some years multiple swarms. That was in the early 1970's. Don't know if our modern bees would continually inhabit a single tree with varroa around but it's worth trying. OMTCW

 

How near is "near"?

 

Its about 1/8th of a mile from me. Im not 100% sure one of my hives did not swarm but both look very full of bees so It may be from another bee yard .

 

excellent, leave them alone till spring. you understand they are almost certain a swarm from some bee-yard not some magic bees, better than excellent. you found a favorite swarm tree, think multi- year treasure. use traps or look up cleo Hogan's methods look forward to every soring, wow.

 

Here is the link to Cleo Hogan's Trap out for Bee's. http://honey-sun.com/tech-tools/hogans-bee-trap/

 

You gotta love free bees.

I too have a bee tree in town, actually the tree has two colonies.

I set up swarm traps every spring and catch multiple swarms. so i would wait until the spring time, which is two fold. they will be free and survivors.

G.

 

Ok sounds good I will wait till spring