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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
"Smart, Billy Y" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 23 May 2005 11:08:52 -0500
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Last year I had a neighbor call me to remove a hive that was in a
automobile gas tank like the one you describe, except this one was
laying flat on the ground and the bees were flying in and out of the
tank spout. I went there after dark and took it to my apiary and lay it
flat on the ground. Centered on the top surface of this tank was a
fitting for what I assume to be the gas gauge. It had a round hole
pattern and was around 3" in diameter. I was able to remove this plug
from the tank which in effect gave me a upper entrance to the tank. I
then placed a deep box of drawn foundation on top of the tank and
centered about this hole and I sealed the interface with duct tape. On
this went a inner cover, upside down with a notch to serve as an
entrance, on top of this a inverted gallon bucket with 1:1 syrup, a
empty deep box to cover the syrup bucket and then a telescoping cover. I
leveled the tank so that the hive box would be level. I plugged the
spout hole with duct tape to force the bees through the deep box and in
and out through the entrance in the upper part of the box as provided by
the inner cover. It took several weeks, but eventually the colony
migrated into that upper deep and when I found the queen up there I put
a queen excluder under the deep box and left the tank under the hive for
three more weeks so any brood that was still in the tank would be able
to hatch. After this period of time I set the tank aside and let the
colony rob the tank for a week or so before I disposed of it.

Assuming your tank has a gauge hole on top of it like mine did you could
do the same procedure. Since yours is tilted at 60 deg., laying the tank
flat on the ground would bring the comb out of orientation and I think
force the colony into the top box quicker than mine.

Billy Smart
Rock, KS

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