We did a cut out yesterday late afternoon.
The bees were up under the eves on an house, moved in last year. Owner thought that they had died out over the winter and was a bit upset to find out that the were still there.
The area they were in was at most 16X16X10 not very big, half the area was brown comb have was new white comb.
The opening to reach the bees and pull out the comb was about 3 inches.
Buy the time I got the comb out I had honey soaked bees and comb.
Cut the comb to fit in frames, mounted them using rubber bands. Filled 8 deep frames.
Took them home in cardboard NUCs. By the time we got home it was dark and cooling off. Decided to wait till morning to move them to a wooden hive box.
Checked them this morning,,,,, All dead, groups of bees up along the top edge of the NUC.
I am thinking it was a combination of things,
1) the dripping honey and dead bees may have cut off air flow in the NUC
the entire bottom and opening were blocked with honey glued bees
2) Stress :doh:
3) The temp dropped to the point were I had ice floating on the pool of water out by the hives,
This was my second cut-out the first is going good, bees coming and going, plan on inspecting it this weekend to see if I can find a queen.
Photo's from both cutouts are out on face book do a search for Billy's Bees
Planning a memorial service for this afternoon for the colony.
Bill
The bees were up under the eves on an house, moved in last year. Owner thought that they had died out over the winter and was a bit upset to find out that the were still there.
The area they were in was at most 16X16X10 not very big, half the area was brown comb have was new white comb.
The opening to reach the bees and pull out the comb was about 3 inches.
Buy the time I got the comb out I had honey soaked bees and comb.
Cut the comb to fit in frames, mounted them using rubber bands. Filled 8 deep frames.
Took them home in cardboard NUCs. By the time we got home it was dark and cooling off. Decided to wait till morning to move them to a wooden hive box.
Checked them this morning,,,,, All dead, groups of bees up along the top edge of the NUC.
I am thinking it was a combination of things,
1) the dripping honey and dead bees may have cut off air flow in the NUC
the entire bottom and opening were blocked with honey glued bees
2) Stress :doh:
3) The temp dropped to the point were I had ice floating on the pool of water out by the hives,
This was my second cut-out the first is going good, bees coming and going, plan on inspecting it this weekend to see if I can find a queen.
Photo's from both cutouts are out on face book do a search for Billy's Bees
Planning a memorial service for this afternoon for the colony.
Bill