'Tree' Bees

[TexasLisa]

Has anyone had any luck moving bees from a tree into a hive?

 

[TexasLisa]

Thanks Bee!

We don't want someone to come take the bees. It is a very busy tree. Unfortunately the tree is dying and we don't want to see them move on. We have been told that they can't be moved from the tree to a hive. You know me, if I am told it can't be done I will find a way to do it.

 

[Beekissed]

I am a Bee....

 

[Beekissed]

You should have seen the honeycombs under the eaves!

I am pretty sure they aren't Africanized. I am able to mow fairly close to the tree. I will check with the County Extension Agent.

I was hoping someone had the experience of moving bees.

Hon, you would need to have all the bee equipment to do so and also a hive to put them in if you wanted to move them. I'm betting you have beeks in your area that would do it for free as many will go and do captures to improve on and increase their apiary.

This guy here is someone I follow on YT and all his vids are on doing various bee captures like the one you describe: https://www.youtube.com/user/628DirtRooster

Do an online search in your area for state bee clubs and they will have the various branches, one of which should be in your area. They will likely be able to put you in touch with someone who will want your bees.

I agree with you...they are not Africanized...you'd have already been stung horribly many times if they had been in your house and in your yard.

 

[TexasLisa]

CrealCritter, that is easy for you to say! The tree is on our property BUT on the fence line. The opening is facing the neighbor's property.

I will see what I can do. If my next post is mumbojumbo, you know what happened.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Lisa, I'd not accept that statement "can't be done" at face value. And, if I was you, I'd be thinking exactly the same thing: My land, MY BEES! I bet, if you're willing to spend the money, you can buy or build a hive, find an experienced bee keeper and pay him to transfer the bees to a hive for you. Of course, I assume that timing is everything, so you'll need to work around that! I also assume that you will need to destroy the tree when the bees are transferred. Could be that when "they say" it can't be done, it's b/c the bees would immediately return to the tree b/c that is home. If THAT's the case, the bees could be hived, then moved out of range of your tree while you destroy the tree, then you could bring your intact and settled hive back.

I have no bee keeping experience, but am interested in the topic, and it may find it's way to the top of my bucket list.

I think it would be awesome to be involved in the capture and hiving of rogue colonies!

 

[Beekissed]

I find ALL of that extremely interesting, which is why I subscribe to the DirtRooster channel on YT. He and a couple of his friends compete in friendly ways on removals and some times they help one another with removals. I love his humor and all his adventures.

Some of the hives and loads of honey he finds on these removals and he's charging for these, no doubt, so he gets paid for free bees and honey!!!

 

[TexasLisa]

Below are two pictures of the Bee Tree and kinda/sorta the Bee Hollow. I did try to get a closeup of the bees. I tried to climb the fence, but it is taller than me (I am 5'1"). So I went under the fence between two big mounds of fire ants. 80 degrees here and the bees are swarming all over the place! I will try to get a close up once it cools down. Ken and I have been dying to see the front of it.

The red circle is where the bees are crawling/flying in and out.

 

[TexasLisa]

You should have seen the honeycombs under the eaves!

I am pretty sure they aren't Africanized. I am able to mow fairly close to the tree. I will check with the County Extension Agent.

I was hoping someone had the experience of moving bees.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Nope, just keeping them, not moving them.