drumgerry
House Bee
- Joined
- May 11, 2009
- Messages
- 150
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Scotland
- Hive Type
- National
- Number of Hives
- 10
I've been asked to remove a relatively newly arrived swarm of bees from an old timber building which is part of a complex of buildings undergoing renovation just now.
I took a trip over to look at them today. They arrived about 10 days ago and have taken up residence in a wall cavity. They are accessing the cavity via two gaps in the timber cladding on the gable end wall about 12ft up. To make it clear the walls of the building are formed from this timber cladding so it's sort of a big shack (attached on to an old woolmill). Spoke to the site manager who is happy for me to crowbar off the cladding to gain access to the colony.
I've never done a swarm retrieval like this before so I'd appreciate any advice.
They have a mobile scaffolding platform which I have been offered the use of. My thinking was to go along tomorrow and
remove as much cladding as necessary,
cut any combs out (hopefully with queen attached),
fit them into frames using elastic bands,
leave my hive placed on the scaffolding with the entrance open at the same height as the entrance to the cavity to catch the foragers,
leave for a few days and then remove to the apiary last thing at night.
Have I missed anything crucial in that lot? Am I likely to find a huge amount of comb built in the last 10 days or not very much?
Like I said any advice on doing this is much appreciated.
Cheers
Gerry
I took a trip over to look at them today. They arrived about 10 days ago and have taken up residence in a wall cavity. They are accessing the cavity via two gaps in the timber cladding on the gable end wall about 12ft up. To make it clear the walls of the building are formed from this timber cladding so it's sort of a big shack (attached on to an old woolmill). Spoke to the site manager who is happy for me to crowbar off the cladding to gain access to the colony.
I've never done a swarm retrieval like this before so I'd appreciate any advice.
They have a mobile scaffolding platform which I have been offered the use of. My thinking was to go along tomorrow and
remove as much cladding as necessary,
cut any combs out (hopefully with queen attached),
fit them into frames using elastic bands,
leave my hive placed on the scaffolding with the entrance open at the same height as the entrance to the cavity to catch the foragers,
leave for a few days and then remove to the apiary last thing at night.
Have I missed anything crucial in that lot? Am I likely to find a huge amount of comb built in the last 10 days or not very much?
Like I said any advice on doing this is much appreciated.
Cheers
Gerry