The real question was whether our queen had left her hive and was looking for a new home, or if this was a new queen with a separate hive.
Tim had come home early to go to Scout Camp with Ben...he postponed those plans for a few hours, bought a new hive box from the bee store, and we went to work trying to get our new/maybe old hive out from the apple tree.
Tim set the box in the tree, right below the hive, and shook the tree. Because the bees are docile in this evironment, and because they are all just clinging to each other when they are swarming, it is pretty easy to get them out of the tree (or so we thought). After shaking the tree, the bees did come down (the majority of them). Tim left for his campout and we figured we would get the box out ouf the tree in a few days after the bees had settled down.
It took us about a week to finally get the hive down (complications), with us realizing the Tim is allergic to bees...sad days for us beekeepers.
After finally realizing that we had a new hive, we decided that we could not keep two hives in our backyard. They (or maybe it was our kids) needed space. So, we took them down to the ranch.
We woke up very early one Saturday morning (before the bees were awake), and ade their hives escape proof for transporting. It was a tricky process, but the bees are now happy and healthy with acre of land to gather pollen.
The kids are thrilled to be free of bees in the backyard.
2 comments:
That's so crazy that another hive made a home in your tree! Sorry to hear about the bee allergy. That's not cool.
i'm seriously impressed with your beekeeping skills! you could use that for two truths and a lie-that you guys are experienced beekeepers and know how to move hives.
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