Something to make you smile

[WelshPaul]

Now we got my bees sorted, they are finally using the stores, we now have lots of wasps, I hope they are not to much of a problem.


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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=51.666951,-3.017429

 

[drstitson]

my ladder free (or ladder-lite) solution would be to lash together some poles/wooden battens to make 3 struts of necessary length. attach these with wire to a cardboard box and prop it against the wall using the sticks as a tripod - 2 jammed in against wall, 1 out on the grass.

then with a knife on a stick cut the comb from the wall. once all in box carefully lower by slowly pulling the sticks away from the wall - 3 man job OR 1 man if vary carefull with placing of two of the poles so you just pull the outer strut from wall and let the box swing down.

simples.

 

[MartinL]

then with a knife on a stick cut the comb from the wall. once all in box carefully lower by slowly pulling the sticks away from the wall - 3 man job OR 1 man if vary carefull with placing of two of the poles so you just pull the outer strut from wall and let the box swing down.

simples.

Yeah, I'm sure.
Get someone to film it, you could become famous! ! ! ! ! !

W.Heath Robinson would be proud.

 

[rockdoc]

Thanks Terryme for returning us tot he original story. I've now passed this on to a more senior beek as I now have a family bereavement to deal with. I will be on hand to help hopefully, and I think the plan is to remove the lot in one go and elastic band them into frames on the ground directly under the old site, then leave for a few day hoping that the fliers will reorient to the hive on the ground. Then remove to the apiary. They appear quite tolerant at the moment and, yes, its a good point re defence of stores against wasps etc. I'll post what I can in the coming days when we start to shift them.

 

[drstitson]

we're talking <30ft here - even 2 poles attached to a box will allow safe capture.

 

[drstitson]

bronze age swarm capture

to make it even easier to do single handed - make a proper a-frame to support the box.

 

[rockdoc]

Do you think the bulk of them will stay put when they end up at ground level in your bronze age box? I'm guessing that most if not all will re-orientate to their new home before we move them to the apiary.

 

[rae]

If you got the queen in the box at the bottom, they'd all go in. I think even if you got all the brood in the box at the bottom they'd go in.

Quite possible that you'll end up killing the queen in the drop, but they seem very tough. If you have a spare queen to hand, she might come in useful.

 

[Phil280]

Hi there.

Nice colony and thanks for the pics!

Hope it all works out fine!

Greets
Phil

 

[drstitson]

no big drop for the colony, comb or queen with my approach.

i had 2 colonies survive last year after being knocked flying by deer/boar and spending the night open on sides in mid nov.

 

[Chris Luck]

It's not the ideal method though, is it? Especially at this time of the season.
A proper careful cut out, (cut down or whatever you want to call this), has to be favourite, but then I know, I'm a caring sort of keeper.

Chris

 

[Phil280]

Hi there.

I would also cut them off with a Stanley knife (or similar), take the combs with brood and pollen, fix them to frames, put them in a 10 frame box with extracted combs to fit and feed them with syrup.

You could of course try - depending on the amount of bees you will finally end up with and the weather in your part of the country - brush all the bees into a box with 6 or 10 extracted frames and feed them up.
That way you get rid of most of the Varroa at the same time.

Just as thoughts - will be interesting to read what the assisting beek will do.

Greets
Phil

 

[keith pierce]

i love taking on jobs like this.bit of a Challenge but can be done. unfortunally i am on the wrong side of the water

 

[rockdoc]

Thanks everyone for pitching in on this rescue. We may have sourced a free cherry picker, which will allow us to do a careful cutout. I'm glad to hear the consensus is that provided we get the brood and/or the queen, most of the flyers will come down over a few days. This means we can get the cherry picker in at any time of day, cut and lower and dispense with it quickly. The guy just wants some good pics and the story in the local paper as a bit of advertising, I'm very happy to oblige for this kind of favour.