Another colony rescued!

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Ian48

New Bee
Joined
Jul 6, 2022
Messages
49
Reaction score
47
Location
Berkshire
Number of Hives
5
Had a call from a fellow tree surgeon this morning, after hearing about the bees I saved from an Ash tree a few weeks ago.

Turns out he had the same problem,
Felled the tree, bees everywhere!

Popped over this evening, and got them into a hive.
These were the calmest bees I’ve ever known, not like the last ones who were a bit challenging to say the least.

I’ll go back on Saturday and pick them up,

93B3E4FE-2F7A-4473-888B-84E4B9A04D4C.jpeg0F1D013D-DA18-4BE8-B726-EDE9F54386EA.jpeg6BEF935E-0514-4609-97BA-C24536E3A6A8.jpeg

Another lot saved! 👍6EB7A122-E665-4DD8-A6B0-C06D0A7FCAED.jpeg
 
Yes, they are all suffering badly with Ash die back, although this one was a rotten multi stem.
We’ve took hundreds down this year, along with every other tree firm up and down the country.
sad to see it happen. 😞
 
Yes, they are all suffering badly with Ash die back, although this one was a rotten multi stem.
We’ve took hundreds down this year, along with every other tree firm up and down the country.
sad to see it happen. 😞

What a shame :(

We have a few around us, including a very large one in our garden and several in our hedges. Fortunately they all look ok at the moment, but I'm dreading the moment when what largely seems inevitable happens, particularly as the one in the garden is within easy falling distance of the house.

James
 
What a shame :(

We have a few around us, including a very large one in our garden and several in our hedges. Fortunately they all look ok at the moment, but I'm dreading the moment when what largely seems inevitable happens, particularly as the one in the garden is within easy falling distance of the house.

James
We have had four. One diseased but out of harms way, two OK and the biggest right by the house had to be felled as it was dropping dead branches all over the place. It was 150 years old :cry:
The hedgerows around here are studded with sick trees
 
I was in a meeting with parish councillors yesterday discussing which trees around the parish needed removing due to dieback. It's likely to change the landscape like Dutch elm disease did in the 70's
 
yes, it’s having a big impact on the Ash tree population, as said, it’s certainly changing the landscape, and it’s happening very quickly.

If you look at any hedgerow or landscape you will be guaranteed to see at least a handful of trees affected. 😩
 
Brilliant work Ian, it must give you a great sense of achievement/ satisfaction. The bees give the impression of keenness to get into the hive!
There’s several ash with die back around the village here. I have one which is looking ok at the moment, but I guess it’s only a matter of time before it’s infected.😩
(I don’t see the price of ash logs falling like the trees though😤)
 
Thank you, they were quick to get in hive last night, I’m 99% I got the queen inside on the first big handful of bees?

The moment they were in, the rest followed without fuss!
I love to sit and watch them march in,
Its one of the most satisfying moments of beekeeping 😀
 
Had a call from a fellow tree surgeon this morning, after hearing about the bees I saved from an Ash tree a few weeks ago.

Turns out he had the same problem,
Felled the tree, bees everywhere!

Popped over this evening, and got them into a hive.
These were the calmest bees I’ve ever known, not like the last ones who were a bit challenging to say the least.

I’ll go back on Saturday and pick them up,

View attachment 33027View attachment 33028View attachment 33030

Another lot saved! 👍View attachment 33029
Amazing photos
 
Brilliant work Ian, it must give you a great sense of achievement/ satisfaction. The bees give the impression of keenness to get into the hive!
There’s several ash with die back around the village here. I have one which is looking ok at the moment, but I guess it’s only a matter of time before it’s infected.😩
(I don’t see the price of ash logs falling like the trees though😤)
It's a tragedy ... Ash has been used for centuries for making everything from chairs to spoons, carriage frames, wheel spokes - even the stops for church bells are made out of ash staves. The uses are just far more than any other native British timber. It's a beautiful wood to work with - straight grained, flexible and resilient, takes a finish and it's a lovely wood to turn on the lathe. You can get also get figured 'olive' ash which has a wonderful grain ... losing this volume of our native timber is so sad - American ash is still available but, by comparison, it is very bland.

One of my all time favourite woodturnings is from olive ash ... about the only piece 'er indoors has tolerated on show for any length of time ...



It's a crime to use ash as firewood but that's where most of it goes sadly.

I went to a talk by Robert Penn some years ago ... fascinating - he's written a book about what he did.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Man-Who-Made-Things-Trees/dp/1846148421
 
Always nice to see something crafted from a piece of Ash👌

Most of ours gets processed for fire wood, we do get a few people who pop in to get some for turning bowls etc.

I haven’t burnt anything other than Ash at home for the last 2 winters,
I’ve got enough for at least another 2 if not 3 if I’m lucky!
There is so much of it around.
 
Just a quick update,
We collected the hive last night, and had a good look through them this morning.

Queen present, now marked, and laying well.
Very placid bees, an absolute joy to inspect.
They had been working hard collecting stores, should have enough time to build up into a nice colony before the autumn.
 

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