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Somerford

Queen Bee
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Location
Wiltshire, Somerset, S Glos & S Oxfordshire
Hive Type
National
Hi all.

Answers welcomed for this conundrum

I have located a wild next in a tree that isn't due to be felled (more is the pity in this example).

How do I get the wild nest out. Should I wait until next year.

I was thinking that the old 'skeppists' used to drive bees up out of the old skeps into new ones using copious amounts of smoke. Would this work, ie. lots of smoke drives the bee colony out and then I capture it as a swarm ?

Obviously I could put a one way spray entrance on it if it can fit but then what about the stores for winter ?

should I wait 6 months ?!

S
 
Having been contemplating a similar situation all summer............smoking from one skep to another would work because you could put the old skep on top of the new.....where are you going to put your hive to capture "the swarm"?

You need to get the queen out otherwise they will all go back to her.

There was no way my tree bees would have been accesible had the tree not been felled, the entrance was narrower than my hand and at least a double arm length up inside the trunk before the nest.

Persuading them out wouldn't work as they have too much investment in the old nest - brood, stores, you need to be able to move all that as well so there is nothing for them to go back to.

We had a bait hive hanging in another tree all summer............all through the swarmy season, but nothing, not interested.

Any pictures of your tree?

I'm sure someone else will come up with a good idea.

Frisbee
 
Somerford I would leave them to it. I see you have 2 hives allready these could be split in the spring giving you 4. If the bees in the tree are in no danger why try to remove them?
 
How do I get the wild nest out. Should I wait until next year.

Leave it well alone if it is doing no harm keep a eye on it and if you are lucky you may catch a swarm or two of it next year.
It may be a swarm from a hive this year either way its a wild colony now and is best looking after itself

Let nature take its course
 
Having been contemplating a similar situation all summer ../ /.. you need to get the queen out otherwise they will all go back to her ../ /.. nothing for them to go back to ../ /.. come up with a good idea.

Frisbee

I'm not sure you were sufficiently committed to this project Fris .......


..
 
I'm not sure you were sufficiently committed to this project Fris .......


..

Sometimes the impossible just takes a while longer...............miracles I can generally do straight away, although to be fair it generally runs along the lines of "It'll be a miracle if this cow's in calf........" Hey ho :)

Frisbee
 
Believe me folks, .... Fris considers a chain saw to be a half-hearted approach !!!! ....

Be afraid, ..... be very afraid, .......... :)

JC.

(love it really fris, well done)x
 
and complaints of angry bees are flooding in....

Stop banging on the tree every time you walk past!

Depending on what it is, and how big or small the nest, they may not be there after the winter.....

Regards, RAB
 
good point RAB

Apparantly the footpath is 10m away from the nest...and still they want to chase interlopers off. I'm so busy at the moment I suspect I'll take the advice and leave it be until next season.

I'll just have to put a sign up to stop those naturist ramblers from using the footpath. we get all sorts round these parts. it quite upsets the yokels and the vicar.
 

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