# So I found a wild hive...



## Peasant (May 18, 2013)

I work/live on a tree nursery. I was cutting down some overgrown trees last week and came across a wild bee hive. I left it alone.

Crossed my mind to try to coax them into a box and start beekeeping, something I've been wanting to do for a while. Been reading up on it, but most of what I've found is about catching a swarm, not an established hive.

Is is possible/desirable to try to domesticate them? Or should I just wait until next year and buy some nucs?


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Were it me I would get the equipment and set up a catch hive for them to go to next year when they swarm.

 Al


----------



## DLMKA (Jun 28, 2014)

Getting bees out of trees can be done but generally difficult if not impossible to get a queen. You also need frames of brood for the process which you won't have without any other hives. Set out bait hives in the area and hopefully a swarm will move in for you.


----------



## Peasant (May 18, 2013)

Thanks for the responses. Putting out a bait hive to catch the swarm is a much better idea than trying to capture the existing hive.

I saw my first swarm this spring, they buzzed a few feet over my head, it was massive. Quite impressive.


----------



## COWS (Dec 23, 2012)

If there is one entrance or others that are easily blocked, make a funnel of screen wire big enough to go over the entrance. Make the small end of the funnel bee sized, 3/8 diameter if I remember right. Set up a bait hive with one frame of brood and some nurse bees. Direct the small end of the funnel into the bait hive. The bees can escape but find it difficult to get back in the funnel and will take up residence in th ebait hive to care for the brood. Hopefully they will start queen cells, so you should have some fresh eggs in some of the cells. If not, you will have to add a queen or another frame with queen cells. You are aiming at getting a field force of bees from the wild hive and buying a new queen of desirable breed is a good option. Remove the bait hive after a few days by the usual nightime methods and remove the funnel, giving the rest of the bees a chance to rebuild, repeat next year.

COWS


----------



## Peasant (May 18, 2013)

COWS said:


> If there is one entrance or others that are easily blocked, make a funnel of screen wire big enough to go over the entrance. Make the small end of the funnel bee sized, 3/8 diameter if I remember right. Set up a bait hive with one frame of brood and some nurse bees. Direct the small end of the funnel into the bait hive. The bees can escape but find it difficult to get back in the funnel and will take up residence in th ebait hive to care for the brood. Hopefully they will start queen cells, so you should have some fresh eggs in some of the cells. If not, you will have to add a queen or another frame with queen cells. You are aiming at getting a field force of bees from the wild hive and buying a new queen of desirable breed is a good option. Remove the bait hive after a few days by the usual nightime methods and remove the funnel, giving the rest of the bees a chance to rebuild, repeat next year.
> 
> COWS


Is this something to do now or next spring? Or in the fall? 

I'm a bit clueless about bees. I'm a plant guy.


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Cows is talking about some thing like this.



It is also not a thing you want to do unless you have bees already so you can place a frame of brood in the hive/nuc that is to hold the bees that come out. 

This nuc had a queen with workers plus brood.



The tree owner didn't seal the hole up last fall or early this spring. called me on Wednesday last week and said a swarm moved in again. 
I am going to try some thing different this year. I am going to mount bee escapes on some ply wood that allows bees to come out but not go back in. It should work better than the screen thing I think.










 Al


----------



## COWS (Dec 23, 2012)

Probably will work fine to do it now, but you should check closely to see that the bees have enough stores for winter. They may require feeding, but check for local advice.

COWS


----------



## rambotex (May 5, 2014)

that is so cool, I'd love to have bees but don't know a thing about it. we're in East Texas, hot and muggy in summer.


----------

