A co-worker heard I was looking to start beekeeping and told me about a tree hove in his back yard. The tree is dead, but still surprisingly sturdy. The only entrance I saw the bees using is about 22-26' up. I am guessing most of the hive/bees are below this because 4' above the entry is a woodpecker nest entry with a large woodpecker inhabitant. My co-worker's grandmother owned the house previously and said the bees have been there many years they swarmed back in the spring a couple of times according to my co-worker he has photo proof. They want the bees gone so they can remove the tree without killing the colony. Should I try a trap that high and drag this out the several weeks (which I informed him it could take) it most likely will take to get the bulk of the bees or attempt a cut out? I could use one of my hang-on deerstands to work from? I would love to leave them and milk this hive for several starts cause they seem very strong even after swarming, but they need them gone.
Trap-out or cut out?
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If you can cut the tree in sections, try to keep the section with the bees in it up right. Put screen on the top and bottom. Then when you set it up put a peice of plywood to cover the top, with a hole aligned with the hive hole. then brood chamber on it. Then you can use a funnel cone to trap trap them. After you get most of them out split the trunk and extra the comb and hopefully queen.
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"Should I try a trap that high and drag this out the several weeks (which I informed him it could take) it most likely will take to get the bulk of the bees or attempt a cut out?"
I would not attempt either a trapout or a cutout that high up. If the tree can come down with the bees, then I would consider a cutout feasible absent some unusual situation. (To me, trapouts are a last resort for times when a cutout is not practical. I understand the romance of taking starts off a trapout and I have enjoyed doing it, but as a routine matter, I would rather take splits off a colony after it is in a hive. Others would disagree.)
I would not attempt either a trapout or a cutout that high up. If the tree can come down with the bees, then I would consider a cutout feasible absent some unusual situation. (To me, trapouts are a last resort for times when a cutout is not practical. I understand the romance of taking starts off a trapout and I have enjoyed doing it, but as a routine matter, I would rather take splits off a colony after it is in a hive. Others would disagree.)
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"Won't I run a high risk ruining the comb and killing most of the bees by felling the tree? I'd really like to save as much as possible, it's a good strong colony."
You will run a risk of ruining comb and killing some of the bees. (Absent something very unusual, I would not attempt a cutout on a tree at that height. Having done a trapout at that height on a tree that needed to not be removed, I would not do so again unless there were a compelling reason to do so and no other practical option. Others will disagree. -- Sometimes, we don't want to be told what we already know because we wish what we already know we're not so.)
You will run a risk of ruining comb and killing some of the bees. (Absent something very unusual, I would not attempt a cutout on a tree at that height. Having done a trapout at that height on a tree that needed to not be removed, I would not do so again unless there were a compelling reason to do so and no other practical option. Others will disagree. -- Sometimes, we don't want to be told what we already know because we wish what we already know we're not so.)
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"I look at it this way. I would rather risk a few bees lives over my own any day."
Well and truly put, Mr. Beeman.
Well and truly put, Mr. Beeman.
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