Subject: | |
From: | |
Reply To: | |
Date: | Tue, 24 Apr 2007 12:18:27 GMT |
Content-Type: | text/plain |
Parts/Attachments: |
|
|
>>a site I set up with photos of the hive and a brief history from
last fall. http://www.smthreepines.com/hive.html
You have a nice, 'easy' situation. I say this because the entrance
is low and the tree can be sacrificed.
[By the way, the reason for the frequent swarming is the relatively
small size of the tree cavity. They quickly run out of room and cast
a swarm.]
Here is what you can do (long approach):
- screen the entire entrace hole in the tree to prevent bees from
coming out (old window screen works fine, caulk any side gaps between
the bark and the screen)
- chain saw 6-12" logs off the top of the tree until you expose the
hollow top of the colony; make the cuts reasonably horizontal;
screen this opening as well for now
- cut a piece of 3/4" plywood (or other wood) the size of the
footprint of a deep hive body; in it's center, cut a hole 4-6" in
diameter
- in a cold evening, unscreen the top hole in the tree and screw the
plywood board onto the tree trunk aligning the center holes and
making sure one of the widths of the plywood is facing south
- place a deep hive body (it should have a south-facing hole for a
bee entrance) on top of the plywood
- cover the screened bottom hole in the tree trunk with tar paper
etc. to block light from shining in
Since they are crowded, the bees will soon expand up into the deep
hive body. When they run out of room in the tree, the queen will go
up into the deep as well. As soon as you seen the queen there, move
the deep to a more desired location for a hive.
At the same time, cut the tree down, move it to a different location
to be robbed out. Once this done, you can cut the tree open and
remove the wax combs.
This approach may take a couple of months.
Here is what I would do (being less patient):
- smoke the bees, cut the section with the colony out
- with a chain saw, make two, diametrically opposite, lateral cuts
and stop just before the chain enter the nest cavity
- smoke the bees some more and use steel wedges and a 2-lb hammer to
finish splitting the log at the chain saw cuts
- remove the combs with the bees
You can dispense with the above menthods all together and try to drum
the bees out. I've this can work quite well but I no personal
experience with this method.
Good luck! You have fun project on your hands.
Waldemar
******************************************************
* Full guidelines for BEE-L posting are at: *
* http://www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/guidelines.htm *
******************************************************
|
|
|