Bee rescue - colony in a felled tree

[Richard]

Any thoughts on how one might go about getting this colony out of the felled tree?

 

[Sutty]

Someone on here has done this.
As I remember it was a board on top of the trunk with a hole revealing the colony, a hive box on top with drawn frames and one of open brood.
Leave them until they gradually move up then remove the hive box.

 

[JamezF]

Someone on here has done this.
As I remember it was a board on top of the trunk with a hole revealing the colony, a hive box on top with drawn frames and one of open brood.
Leave them until they gradually move up then remove the hive box.

That's pretty much what I did.

James

 

[ericbeaumont]

Someone ... has done this

Did one years ago; it was a dead willow next to the pavement on the Lea Bridge Road in Hackney; the rangers cut a metre section and trailered it away for us to the back of beyond, and we set up the board and box trick. Didn't work, so out came Nick's chain saw.

He cut the trunk open like a book and we framed the combs and set up a hive where the log had been standing upright. Bees were laid back and couldn't have cared less. At some point Nick saw the queen in the warren of the trunk internals, and we hoicked her out and that was that.

Richard: the nest is in public place so best get permission from the landowner and a few beekeepers to manage the public, get the teas and work with you. Bang posts in or put out cones a good thirty feet away and run a tape around; have a beekeeper give the story to passers-by. Because it's a public location, you'll have to time it so that you stay on site until you can take the box away at dusk, so don't start too early.

Wouldn't take much to open up the nest: cut that narrow wedge off at about ten o'clock, roll the big section to the right and the nest will be exposed.

Leave them until they gradually move up

Public space, so job will have to be done in a day, unless Richard were to mesh both ends of the trunk and persuade the contractor to take it to the back of beyond.

 

[Richard]

Thanks everyone. Before I had chance to round up troups, I spotted someone else having a go on their own. Not sure how they have attempted it as I only drove past and saw from a distance.