# Question about a wild hive



## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

We had a very large sweet gum tree fall a week or so ago and discovered today that there are honey bees in it. 

Will they leave because the tree is down? There were bees coming in and out of two knot holes in the tree and we could see comb inside it.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Not likely they will leave even if the queen died in the fall. There will be brood in there they will stay and raise. The queen could have died if the comb broke loose and crushed her. 
They won't make it thru a winter how ever cause the comb orentation is wrong.

Do a search for a bee keeper in your states bee club to come get them. 

 Al


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

Thanks Al. I figured the comb orientation would cause them to leave. Will definitely find someone to come get them. In fact, I think I saw a notice at the Co-op. 

Really tempted to see if I could find someone to help us set them up to keep. Hubby is interested in bee keeping.

Would it be possible to saw off the section of tree they're in and set it upright on a stand?


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## copperkid3 (Mar 18, 2005)

Ravenlost said:


> Thanks Al. I figured the comb orientation would cause them to leave. Will definitely find someone to come get them. In fact, I think I saw a notice at the Co-op.
> 
> Really tempted to see if I could find someone to help us set them up to keep. Hubby is interested in bee keeping.
> 
> Would it be possible to saw off the section of tree they're in and set it upright on a stand?


* * * * * * * 
because someone happened upon a hollowed out gum tree that the bees were

using; cut off each end and toted it on home, placed a board over each opening

and set themselves up an apiary or bee yard. However, you might want to consider

transferring them as you have time/money, into a movable langstroth style hive, to

facillitate getting into and observing the hive's activities.

http://www.google.com/search?q=lang...buOK224AOyr4DwCw&ved=0CDcQsAQ&biw=683&bih=400


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

Thank you for the link! We would really like to keep this hive here so will be getting in contact with someone local who can educate and help us.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Sort of how I got my start, with a tree that had fell into another tree and on a nice oct. day I got it down and cut it into fire wood till I hit the comb.
Fella I finally found told me to stand the tree up, cover the end to keep winter weather out and gather the hive stuff over the winter, When spring comes build a platform and set the hive on top. Bees work up so they will move in there and draw out the comb. Keep checking on them after about a month and as soon as you see the queen or eggs in the cells then you can smoke the bottom of ther log or drum it to get all the bees moved in to a regular hive.

Well I did that come spring but the bees never did move up in the hive. As I look back on those days I have decided it was robbers around that log in the spriung and once they robbed all the honey from the dead out log they left. 

Since I had the equipment I was steered to a guy selling nucs and that is my story.

Since then I have taken bees out of 5 fallen trees and put them in hives. But I remove sections of the log so I can get to them if need bee and suck them up with my* bee vac* into a hive*.*

Bee vac.


Fathers day 2010 Flint Michigan storm damage tree limb.


July 2008 another fallen tree, Cutting a section out to get to the bees. Measure how deep the wood is to the comb and mark the chain saw bar with a sharpie so you don't over cut.




You can buy rubber bands to hold the comb in frames till the bees fasten it in place. I use 2 bands cut from old tractor inter tubes. they last longer bees can't chew them as fast.


 Al


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

Cool! Thank you so much for the photos! I am definitely showing this to hubby...he may be able to do this himself, although I'm sure help from a local beekeeper will help tremendously.


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