Eleventh hour

[ellypatt]

Months ago I looked at and sent a proposal for removing bees from an old farmhouse wall on behalf of a community group. They (the group managing the site) then lost their lease. Since then I've been back in a professional capacity (reptile translocation). Today the council pest controller came out to kill the wasps and, upon finding bees (duh), said "policy's not to kill honeybees, I'm not doing that" (good man). May be that I now finally have a chance to get them out before they're killed to make way for demolition. Talking to council tomorrow. Weather nice here for the next week or so so fingers crossed, eek. Any cut-out tips gratefully accepted.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Any cut-out tips gratefully accepted.

Leave it until spring.

 

[ellypatt]

Building demolition is scheduled - they're unlikely to wait any longer. Council pest man said his superiors would probably override his decision on economic grounds and get external contractors in. Forecast here not terrible. Going to talk to council rep tomorrow. Will push for delay if it's an option but suspect not :-(

 

[Millet]

Be ready when they are going to smash the wall out, if it was me i would have a brood box ready with frames i could cut out to take the wild comb, elastic bands are needed also to hold the cut out in place.
After that i would feed them 2/1 and hope for the best, that is my short reply but that sums up what i would do in a emergency.

 

[ellypatt]

Idea is we can (fingers crossed) get in to chip brickwork away and remove before they smash wall out, then will remove (hopefully) and feed. Thanks x

 

[Webby]

Good luck. Hope you can save them.

 

[pargyle]

A cut out this late in the season is going to be a very risky venture for the bees ... Hivemaker hit the nail on the head. Cut outs are often difficult - getting the queen is usually the hardest part and without her you might as well not bother. If you do have to go ahead it's going to be messy - if they are even half a colony the combs will be full of honey and it's going to be a sticky bee for all ....and they won't be happy at being turned out at this time of the year.

Good luck - hope you are able to delay the demolition but if it's about money you might be disappointed ... bees figure fairly lowly in the 'need to protect' table of priorities.

 

[charlievictorbravo]

Good luck - hope you are able to delay the demolition but if it's about money you might be disappointed ... bees figure fairly lowly in the 'need to protect' table of priorities.

Now, if they were bats, you'd be onto a winner!

As to your cut-out, I've never done one but seen lots on u-tube. On the basis of that vast experience, I'd try to recruit some help either with the building dismantling or the beekeeping aspects or both, in order to get it done as quickly as possible.

CVB

p.s. lots of sealable buckets for honeycomb and boxes and frames and elastic bands for the brood comb.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Sadly I have seen the Cross Keys Inn in Howden is now demolished and the bees that took up residence in the wall a couple of years ago no longer have a home.
There were a few desolate bees around the following day wondering where their home had gone. Sad.

 

[ellypatt]

Well the council won't delay the demolition for that long but they have given the go ahead to attempt a cut out. They are providing labour to help remove the brickwork. I've enlisted a helper and written a comprehensive kit list and plan (hah!). Fingers crossed.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

If the Q is there (else as said it's all over) then lots of insulation and feed should help you overwinter most things in sunny Oxford. Don't even think about mites etc. Any full frames you can donate will help of course. Good luck.

 

[ellypatt]

Thanks for the replies. Not a happy ending unfortunately - very few bees (500 max), broodless/Q-, no stores, alive with wax moth. Such a shame, especially as was very accessible and could have had a chance of a good result if done earlier.

 

[user 6228]

A brick cavity in an unoccupied building is very poor accommodation from a thermal point of view. Around 1.5 to 2 times worse than wooden hive.