Author Topic: Blueblood's 3rd Bee Tree Cut Out 2014 on E. South St. (Read 15156 times)

blueblood · « **on:** April 23, 2014, 12:01:33 am »

I was chatting with Lazyshooter this morning when I receive a phone call about a tree service that found bees in a tree they felled yesterday. Someone told them there was a cop that was a bee keeper. A couple phone calls from them to the station and local IBA led them to me. I am so glad I spent time earlier preparing my cut out and swarm gear. I was ready! Even had rubber bands already stretched on the open frames for the capped brood comb. I did forget some plastic bags for the honey comb though.

The young man was dawned my extra suit and happily assisted me with cutting the log. He went a little deep in a few places but it worked out okay. I looked very carefully for the queen with clip in hand. Worked slowly through the comb banding it when it was decent. Then I found her. She was between two combs. Probably crushed from the fall or suffocated. Dummy me, I accidentally discarded the queen on the comb. I should have still used her in the clip. I hope I don't find many dead queens but will remember to do that next time. I put some lemongrass oil on a stick and stuck in the front entrance of the deep. The bees were migrating to the box nicely. I gave the tree guy the honey comb to enjoy. His buddy was also there who helps with trees. He got stung but that was the only person who did. I put the lid on the deep and left. I returned this evening to retrieve the box. They are now in their new home in my yard. I will amend the queen issue tomorrow with my own resources. I would have like to show more video of cutting the comb and banding it but I was working my tail off. It was too sticky to mess with the camera anyway. I am glad to gained another good resource for bees too! Enjoy the vids and pics.

G3farms · « **Reply #1 on:** April 23, 2014, 08:11:53 am »

Better keep an eye on them, if they decide to really start building comb they will need more room!

Great job on getting them put up!

blueblood · « **Reply #2 on:** April 23, 2014, 08:24:42 am »

Thanks G, you ever found the queen squished like that? And, I was thinking I may need to add another deep also. I went back and listened to the sound I wanted to capture. It was at 2:41/42. I have heard that before. Wonder what it means? Maybe nothing.

Garden Hive · « **Reply #3 on:** April 23, 2014, 11:17:35 am »

I heard it also, a Queen Piping. Same thing I posted about yesterday. I didn't get any video or audio. Good work for ya. Free bees aren't always free!

jb63 · « **Reply #4 on:** April 23, 2014, 11:24:30 am »

Cool video Dave.

riverbee · « **Reply #5 on:** April 23, 2014, 11:38:13 am »

i heard the sound dave, like garden hive said, it's a queen, and you may have more than one.

Jen · « **Reply #6 on:** April 23, 2014, 12:08:40 pm »

I heard a 'peeep' sound, is that piping? Sooo Cool!

BoilerJim · « **Reply #7 on:** April 23, 2014, 12:25:55 pm »

Congrats on the Bees! Good job getting them boxed up.

Perry · « **Reply #8 on:** April 23, 2014, 01:24:15 pm »

Very nice job Dave.
Well done!

Yes I agree, a queen piping.

blueblood · « **Reply #9 on:** April 23, 2014, 01:29:22 pm »

Okey Dokey, well, I was gonna say piping but thought it couldn't bee since the queen was found in gravely fashion $:-\$ . I figure there could be some virgin queens in there. We are about 10 days away from when I started getting swarms last season. I wish I could have captured more sounds. It was happening vigorously before I paused to get the film rolling. And, thanks for the compliments friends!

blueblood · « **Reply #10 on:** April 23, 2014, 01:36:33 pm »

Well, cool, I just reviewed the following video from Youtube that is very clean and simple to understand.

G3farms · « **Reply #11 on:** April 23, 2014, 02:18:09 pm »

I hate to be the negative one here but sounded like a single chirp from a robin to me.

Not found a queen squished in the combs of a cut out, but have found some squished between the end bars of frames.

blueblood · « **Reply #12 on:** April 23, 2014, 02:24:39 pm »

Quote from: G3farms on April 23, 2014, 02:18:09 pm

I hate to be the negative one here but sounded like a single chirp from a robin to me.

Not found a queen squished in the combs of a cut out, but have found some squished between the end bars of frames.

I can with 100% confidence, say it was not a robin. It was coming from the inside of that lid. There was a ton of the same noise coming from it but I couldn't capture it all. It's one of those, you had to be there moments I guess.

Oh, and I took the video for you George

Jen · « **Reply #13 on:** April 23, 2014, 02:32:49 pm »

I believe you blue! it was a very local peeep not from the distance. I love hearing it, gives me goose bumps

G3farms · « **Reply #14 on:** April 23, 2014, 03:23:54 pm »

You must be bored today Blue!! that was funny!

OK so time will tell in a couple of weeks.

crazy8days · « **Reply #15 on:** April 23, 2014, 08:24:05 pm »

That was awesome! Never knew a queen made sounds. Dang! I need to learn more!! What camera setup do you use. IO might have asked you already but can't remember.

Jen · « **Reply #16 on:** April 23, 2014, 08:26:52 pm »

Oooh Crazy, it's soo cool when you hear the queen chirping, just something about it....

blueblood · « **Reply #17 on:** April 23, 2014, 08:35:56 pm »

G, I was actually quite busy at home. Priming my board and batten shutters. 19 windows, 6 boards and 4 battens per window. Lot-o-painting if ya do that math.

Crazy, I use a Fuji Finepix camera.

Jen, I recorded about a minute of piping today in the prodigious oak tree nuc. I will post later.

blueblood · « **Reply #18 on:** April 23, 2014, 08:37:47 pm »

I added a second deep with 6 frames that have been extracted with patches of capped honey and 4 foundation. They took to it very well.

blueblood · « **Reply #19 on:** April 24, 2014, 05:43:10 pm »

Took a peek to see if I could hear the queen that I heard piping the other day and to see if they were building any queen cells. Sure enough, they have been busy. I saw at least four clustered together on one frame. When I banded the comb from their tree it was hectic and fast evolving with very little opportunity to look closely for eggs/larvae. I didn't think I had found any but just goes to show ya it doesn't hurt to band it in there and hope they find something you didn't.