Help - Wild Comb in Hedge

[region2]

Ok, it's nearly the end of October and my neighbours rang - "I think your bees have swarmed". Their house is located in a small quary and the offending 'swarm' is in the hedge at the top so access will be fun. The swarm is, in fact, a hanging colony that's been there for a few months at a guess...

Trouble is, they want it gone so they can trim the hedge and, I guess, get the bees away from their garden (!).

Obviously I can carefully cut the comb out of the hedge but what to do with it this late in the year?

So please, fellow forum readers, let me have your thoughts on what to do!

R2

 

[dpearce4]

If you can cut it out you could tie it into frames then put it in a nuc box and put fondant on top straight away.

And just hope it makes it through winter.

 

[newportbuzz]

depending on size you could try and take it as one lump (intact) and put it in a poly box/ or any sutible sized container. try and get it through the winter and do a proper cut out next year.

just my tupence

 

[thurrock bees]

depending on size you could try and take it as one lump (intact) and put it in a poly box/ or any sutible sized container. try and get it through the winter and do a proper cut out next year.

just my tupence

just put a box around them and sort it out in the spring.

 

[Swarm]

"I think your bees have swarmed."

They sound like the usual intolerant sort, more concerned with trimming a hedge than welfare of this colony. What harm are they likely to cause at this time of year? Their request has probably condemned these bees to death. You could consider explaining this to them (for what it's worth) as well as the fact it is an established colony and not a recent swarm.
Good luck with the attempt, hope you are successful.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

One lump if possible. If not comb with brood (if any) and any stores can be put in brood frames with elastic bands holding them in place. A bit of improvisation may be required. If you can steal a drawn frame or two from elsewhere that would help a lot.

All you can do is to do your best for them.

 

[region2]

How will they do out in the open over winter? I'm trying to weigh up moving versus leaving?

R2

 

[Chris B]

How will they do out in the open over winter? I'm trying to weigh up moving versus leaving?

R2

Biggest factor is do they have stores. Cold might kill them, but starvation certainly would. Not sure how you heft such a colony though. Good luck.

 

[Chris Luck]

How will they do out in the open over winter? I'm trying to weigh up moving versus leaving?

Almost impossible for them to survive.

Chris

 

[Heather]

Here to help with the swarm if you need an extra pair of hands- cut and wire into a poly Nuc then feed++ fondant - if they are vulnerable where they are.

 

[Vergilius]

Where are you based in east sussex are you region2?

Ben p

 

[itma]

If the neighbours were hoping to "trim" their hedge, just how big (or small) is the chunk are you are likely to have to chop out to try and remove the colony as one?
I'm worried that the value the neighbours may place on their hedge might be greater than the value you place on the bees and their wellbeing.

 

[region2]

Thanks all. I think if they stay they will die of cold and/or starvation so moving is the best (only) option. So moving will give them a chance and I have a poly nuc (good idea Heather!).
Hedge is tatty (house is built in an old chalk pit) so I suspect their plans to trim it might be a ruse to encourage me to move them.
Thinking about it, I 'lost' a swarm I collected in Worthing a few months ago - there one day, gone the next - so this might be that one as none of mine swarmed...

R2 (near Lewes)

 

[Phil280]

Hi there.

I agree with the - try and get the colony out of the hedge as is (cut the branches) and fix it in a box - method.

Greets
Phil

 

[region2]

In the end we had me on one end of the rope and my helper on the other cutting the frames off the branches at the top of the slope (it was too entwined to get out in one lump).
Tied comb into frames and now in a Paynes Poly Nuc and taken 3+ miles away and fed fondant. They were starving - about 4" x 4" of stores was all they had with many cells full of water from recent rain.

My other colonies are chugging through the fondant already...

R2

 

[newportbuzz]

fingers crossed for you. pity it wasnt able to be brought whole. at least now they have a fighting chance.

 

[Heather]

fingers crossed for you. pity it wasnt able to be brought whole. at least now they have a fighting chance.

It was removed fairly intact -The top was fused to a branch but all the comb was usual bee space formation and most bees came gently with each 'slice' of the comb, when extricated from the thick branch.
But what a damn fool place to try and colonise- no shelter.
Good teamwork though and now they have a chance....

 

[Oandy]

Well done and good luck with them. here is a couple of pics that i shot when the farmer was going to cut the hedge right back to fence the field. Andy

 

[Easy Beesy]

great pics. well done. hope they make it.

 

[Andre cardona]

good work