Swarm at top of conifers ?

[kiwimana]

I did one of these last years; I managed to climb up the tree from the inside.

I only had to remove a few small branches.

Once I has climbed up inside I place a blanket underneath the main cluster and shook the bees into it.

I then gathered up the sheet of bees and carried it down the tree, it was harder climbing backwards with a bag/sheet of bees.

Shook these into a hive and left until dark and all the other bees went into the hive fine.

 

[Skyhook]

, it was harder climbing backwards with a bag/sheet of bees.

You don't say!

 

[BILL.HEARD]

Leave it.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I managed to climb up the tree from the inside.

Did you have to hollow it out yourself or was it a natural cavity? - now that would get Derekm all uneccessary - think of all that space!

 

[kiwimana]

I just cleared some of small branches and used the larger branches as steps to climb up the inside.

It was only about two metres high, so it wasn't a tough climb.

You can see some photos of the tree here (it was swarm number three that day)
Search for "A tale of three swarms " on our website * Not able to post weblinks

See ya...Gary

 

[Finman]

.
That is my problem in my yard. Cut the wing of queens and it is best way to avoid these cases.

My neighbour uses to shoot swarm holding twig down with rifle.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

.
That is my problem in my yard. Cut the wing of queens and it is best way to avoid these cases.

My neighbour uses to shoot swarm holding twig down with rifle.

With my marksmanship it would take a machine gun.

 

[pargyle]

With my marksmanship it would take a machine gun.

With my eyesight it would need a 10" shell !!! And then I'd probably miss the tree ...

 

[Finman]

With my marksmanship it would take a machine gun.

Is it however easier to clip queens' wing than get a licence to catch swarms with machine gun??

Of course if it is "feral" swarm! - do it!

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Is it however easier to clip queens' wing than get a licence to catch swarms with machine gun??

Of course if it is "feral" swarm! - do it!

I can just imagine the men in white coats turning up if I sent in an application for a machine gun licence citing catching bee swarms as a reason for needing the gun. Of course I could use a broadhead crossbow bolt to cut the twig ;-)

 

[user 6228]

Depends on how high, how well established and how close together your conifers are ... I used to trim my 20' leylandi hedging from a ladder with a five foot board strapped to the top of it, horizontally, so that it spanned two adjacent conifers. Worked OK ... I've graduated to an ally tower these days to save my knees and my wife's nerves !!

I had a single tree that had been trimmed to a cone 6m high 4m across at floor level, with the telephone cable and rose tree entwined it. After going up a ladder with a 40" bladed hedge trimmer for 10 years, I decided to use a different set of equipment...

A chainsaw, minidigger and stump grinder.