I have a homeowner who has an established honeybee colony 30 ft up in an oak tree.  The colony's entrace hole is less than 3 in. in diameter - I can't get my hand inside.  The combs start 10 - 12" from the entrance.  Judging by the brownish color of the wax and the traffic at the entrance, it's the colony's at least second season in the tree.

The homeowner wants the colony dead/removed NOW.  I can bee vac most of the bees coming and going at the entrance and within the first few inches inside.  Then, I can seal the entrance with expandable polyurethane foam to satisfy the homeowner.  But I wish there was a way to remove the combs and the rest of the bees.

Any suggestions?  The tree can't be cut down nor is enlarging the entrance hole an option.  I can't put a mesh cone over the entrance and give the returning bees an alternative hive.

Does anyone know of any clever, flexible manipulators that I can use to extract the combs chunk by chunk?  If I clear the hole of comb, I can insert my bee vac tube deeper and catch most of the bees?  The homeowner has a right not to be a 'beehaver' but I hate sealing a tree and sentencing the colony to a slow death.

Also, are there any second-hand, endoscope-type instruments available to light & look inside a tree colony?

Any tips, suggestions, advice, ideas will be appreciated!!

Waldemar
Long Island, NY

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