Ted, I just read your tree story and it was a good one.  I was going to
file it away when I happen
to notice a house removal in progress.  I have plans to attempt this
removal for the first time this
week-end.  I am going to try the funnel method with a deep super nest to
the hole.  Will the bees
coming out of the funnel go to the hive if I put some drawn comb in it.
Must I also have to put bees
and a queen in it. Can it bee  accomplished without a Queen?  WALT  tnx for
any help that you can give.
 
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> From: Ted Wout <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Bee Tree Epilogue
> Date: Monday, April 21, 1997 11:28 PM
>
> Hello All,
>
> Well, we felled the bee tree in Lancaster, TX last Saturday and had a
great
> and educational time.  First of all we had a gallery that Tiger Woods
would
> be envious of.  Every neighbor that passed by was interested in our
> adventure and I think we pulled off some great beekeeping public
relations.
>  We only had one bee sting and that was surprising to me considering how
> close people were to the epicenter of activity.  Folks were coming right
up
> and looking into the tree to see the combs and everything!  Even
passers-by
> were slowing down and rubber-necking or stopping to take a look.  It was
> wonderful.
>
> First of all I have to thank Dave Green for giving us the advice to cut
the
> tree down and set it horizontal with the hole pointed up.  We put the
hive
> body on top just like he recommended and have yet to see if the queen
moves
> up.  Anyway, that saved us a bunch of time and much work that would have
> probably left more people nursing stings.
>
> In short, we basically fell the tree.  It was an old sycamore and hollow
> from the base to about 2/3 of its height.  I'd say it stood somewhere
> between 20' and 25' tall.  The bees seemed dazed and weren't all that
> violent.  People were standing around them talking and watching.  Bees
> landed on a few people but there were no stinging incidents at the tree
> felling site.  The owner of the house did the felling wearing a bee suit
> that we loaned him.  Once the tree was down he started cutting where we
> thought the comb stopped at the bottom of the tree.  Another neighbor
went
> and got his chainsaw and started cutting where we thought the hives upper
> extent was.  He wasn't wearing anything resembling protective gear and
> didn't get stung.  It seemed his chainsaw kind of lulled the bees.
>
> That neighbors wife, the member of this list who started this whole
> adventure (I'm not using her name in case she wants to maitain some
> anonymity, she can write a perspective on the event if she wants<grin>),
> took pictures of the whole event.  The homeowner's pet chicken joined the
> party and started eating the bugs and worms that had previously lived in
> the tree.  Through all of this we managed to seal up the hollow section
> that contained the bees.  We stuck it in the back of a pickup truck and
> hauled it to my backyard about 7 miles away.  We unloaded it and set the
> log where I wanted it.  I had previously made a bottom board from plywood
> and some wood scraps to hold a hive body on the limb hole that the bees
had
> used as an entrance.  We mounted and sealed around that board, set a hive
> body with foundation, some drawn comb and honey on it and put a lid on
it.
> The single stinging incident happened in my back yard.  We had a convoy
> come down to my back yard and I guess we let folks get a little too
close.
>
> Now we're waiting for the queen to get tired of that sideways comb and
move
> up into the hive body.  There's some drawn comb just above the opening in
> the log for her.  After that we'll put an excluder under her and
encourage
> the rest of the bees to move up with her.  Once that's done, we'll remove
> the log from below the hive, set the hive on stacked concrete blocks to
> keep it at the same approximate height, and split the log.  I'll let
these
> bees rob it out and render their comb.  I want to hinge the split log,
put
> some sort of roof on it and use it as a swarm catcher.  I plan to split
> these bees eventually to get some more of this queen's progeny.  I don't
> plan to treat for Varroa because I want to see if they have some natural
> defense against it.  If they do I guess I'll need an experts help at
> raising queens.  Keep your fingers crossed.
>
> Thanks to everyone on the list who offered advice or comments.  The help
is
> really appreciated.  This was a wonderful experience that originated
right
> here on this list when someone who lives seven miles away from me
broadcast
> to the world via Bee Line that she wanted to save some bees in a tree
> before the homeowner exterminated them.  After this experience, that
> homeowner wants me to return these bees to his yard in a manageable hive
> and teach him to keep bees!
>
> Ted Wout, 3rd year, 10 hives, 1 house removal in progress, and 1 bee
tree.
> (I love this hobby!)
> Red Oak, TX