Hive Extraction

Hive Removal Team, properly suited.

Hive extraction is sometimes called honey bee removal. Hive extraction as bad as it sounds is not like going to the Dentist and having a tooth pulled but to the bees it's worse! 

To the owner of the structure where the bees have relocated too and live, it can be an annoyance. The forever sound of buzzing bees twenty-four seven, stained sheet rock from the dripping honey and the possibility of being stung are many reasons for removal.

To the beekeeper it means lots and lots of honey and FREE BEES......right? Well, that is not always how it is but it can be. Saving the bees from sudden annihilation is my goal. We know that without the honey bees, pollination is decreased and with out pollination, no food to eat. We depend on the honey bee immensely for pollination whether we realize it or not.

Electric tools needed.

To the honey bee it means leaving a home suddenly, loosing your honey bounty, loosing your friends you've known all your life and possible death. But, the good news for the bees is that they are relocated to a new home where some of them and their future relatives can live on in an environment so they can reach their full God-given potential. What more could a honey bee ask for, right?

For successful hive extraction, there are several factors to consider. The time of year, the age and success rate of the hive and an existing queen and on and on it goes. It could mean where the hive has located itself and how difficult it can be to extract the hive. If it's 60 feet high as oppose to 10 feet high or walk up to height. Honey bees can relocate themselves via "the swarm" in any number of locations. They will settle though on the inside of a structure of some type to keep them warm and dry during summer and winter with room for expansion, usually near a water source and with ample places for nectar.

Recently, we suited up and ventured to remove one that was at the home of Kenny and Jeannie Johnson's recreational property at Logan Martin. At first inspection the hive looked to be approximately 2-years old and the bees were calm as far as bees go. There were no eggs or larvae present but ten queen cells had recently emerged as detected by opened cells. We used a reduced air-flow shop vacuum and removed 20,000 bees while looking for the all important queen. 

First inspection.

After some bee removal.

We used 5-5 gallons pals to place comb in the pals. Some contained honey comb, empty brood comb and comb with pollen. The hive was essentially deplete of brood except for a few scattered. We worked methodically while placing the honey comb in one pal, brood comb and and pollen in another. We were careful not to mix them up. Newer honey comb in one and older comb in another. Older comb is very tough and harder to crush when processing for honey extraction.

5-5 gallon pals used.

Approx., 20,000 honey bees retrieved.

Older comb is darker and the newer comb is lighter in color. The darker comb had honey closer to the top while the lighter had all honey. The queen cells were mostly on the bottom and the very sides of the hive. The hive started on one side of the structure and they methodically moved toward the other side. Their goal is to fill the space over time. It is estimated that they would have filled this space in 3 to 4 years.

Site setup includes an 8-frame medium hive with 2-frames of old drawn out comb, one rebuilt from the actual hive which included a pieces of honey, pollen and empty brood comb because it's scent is one they recognize and some new foundation for them to draw out new comb.

Rebuild using their comb.

Relocation site

Queen captured.

The best find of the day was the queen. Without the queen the hive dies. Honey bees on average live about 40 days. The queen lives up to 5 years but with increased usage of pesticides, fungicides and  other factors less than a year is expected now. We smoked the hive at the beginning in hopes of driving the queen further up into the hive and then once we felt like we had enough of the bees, we began looking seriously for the queen. I had ascended the ladder and for some reason looked on my sleeve and there she was so I immediately descended the ladder to get the queen cage and she flew up and over the house. I thought she was gone forever. Then, I moved the ladder to a new location and ascended again to take another look and happened to look on the very top of the ladder where the honey was and there she was, sitting eating honey ! This time I carefully picked her up and in she walked through the cage opening. My day was complete.

We packed up all our gear after 3 hours of removal and left for home. 

The next morning, I set up the new home and attached the queen in her cage so the bees can get accustom to their queen(for many reasons I won't go in to the why here), and then let her out the second day morning. They accepted her fine and the rest is history. 

This should be a great hive next year.

Honey extraction method used is the crush and strain which takes 5 days to complete.

It takes 5 days for the honey to be removed

Stay tuned, I'll post the results of the honey extraction later. More...

Mtn Forest Honey discovers....

This year a pair of Red Cardinals have decided to make a nest in the rose bush. Sometimes it's not just about the bees but the birds too.

She selected a nice view.

Well built like only a cardinal can.

A secure yet quite location.

Time out...Queen Rearing Class 101 !

How to make your apiary grow can be a tedious and time consuming task. You can do spring splits, find frames of 1-3 days old eggs and start another hive or you can remove queen cells or by grafting. There are several ways to grow your apiary; they call this learning the art of Queen Rearing. You have to be able to recognize the season, the type of cell, larvae or egg in which to graft and then relocate to a suitable home for raising a queen. The best way to learn is by attending a specialized class on this subject. The class I recently attended is taught by Master Beekeepers: Robert Shoemaker and George Baldwin in Shelby County, Alabama but you must have been a beekeeper for at least 1 year.

Class suiting up for going into the hive.

Locating the correct size larvae.

Cell punch method.

Master Beekeeper Instructors: Robert Shoemaker and George Baldwin

Grafting: German grafting tool.

You must have good eyes or a magnifying glass.

Swarm relocate to Mtn Forest Honey Farm

The Alabaster Swarm was just hanging around and was relocated to a wonderful cozy home.

Bucket of bees.

New forever home.

Site relocation.

Homemade Swarm Traps

Yes, I broke down and purchased these paper machete flower pots. I watched all the videos and read many articles explaining how this works but the curious cat in me got the best of me so I had to try and see if it would work.

Swarm Trap 8ft in a tree, secured

I ordered the smaller sized ones and coated the outside with Thompson's water seal. I left them to cure for a long time, probably months before I actually ventured to make one. I placed 4 or 5 in various locations and caught a swarm with one of them. The success in catching one I believe is mostly due to timing, then location and lastly what is used to bait it. This trap was hung up in the prime of swarm season, the location is one that is known for an area where beekeeping has formerly existed and the lure inside included old comb, honey and lemon grass oil.

Under the lid, see the Queen?

Old comb and New comb

Once the trap was hung approximately 8 feet above the ground. It only took about 24 hours before a swarm of bees relocate to this temporary home. I believe they were already looking for a home and I happened to provide them one, just at the right time.

Rehomed swarm to a hive 

Highway 25 Calera to Montevallo Swarm capture

This swarm was approximately located 40 feet up in the air. Would you like to guess where I was?

 

Bucket of bees

New green home

New location site

Thanks for not killing the bees and calling a beekeeper first!!!!