Honey Bee Hive Removal

The home of the bees... inside a trash can among some vegetation!

Hive inside a trash can April 5, 2019 This extraction was under the guidance of Gary Brabant My initial examination of the colony (2 days before) showed the bees to be quite aggressive (i.e., "hot"). However, on extraction day, I thought that they were rather calm! Strangely, with the hive nestled in a well shaded area, there was only one small hive beetle found.

 
Preparations, with the property owner observing... staging the equipment & trimming vegetation.

 
The cover had been propolized shut by the bees... The trash can had to be cut below the lid.

   
Preparing the comb: cutting out & separating the honey comb and brood comb (left & center photos).
The capped & uncapped brood comb was cut to fit, and rubber-banded, into a frame.
The capped honey comb was placed in a clean collection pail.
The bottom portion of the trash can was set aside (right photo) for later processing.


   
Many fliers congregated on the fence where the trash can had been.
Bees shaken off the comb were already "setting up shop" in their new hive!

Video of bees "marching" into the new hive!


 
The bees clearly knew that the box was their new home! The queen was not found, but likely was inside the new hive.

 
Many "fence bees" had been carried to the new hive while remaining stragglers were vacuumed up!

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