Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => DOWN UNDER BEEKEEPING => Topic started by: Pete on September 18, 2010, 04:36:23 am

Title: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: Pete on September 18, 2010, 04:36:23 am
I love to read the bee catching stories. So i thought some Aussie specific would be cool.   :-D

Registered for swarm removals about a week ago and had 4 calls this week all for colonies. 2 i collected, 1 i think Ozbuzz will do and the other I have encouraged the guy to leave em where they are (too high, hard etc).

Last weeks (our first) was easy...the wife and i grabbed the possum box out of the tree, took it home and transfered them into the new hive.

this weeks i would have thought would be easier...its a 50L tub upside down, it has 20mm hole in the bees use ast the entrance. We tipped it up, looked in and its chokkas. the bees are quite small and very very calm. Moved the tub onto a sheet of ply and screwed it on, in the trailer and away we go...20min tops.

Got home and moved them into the yard and i can honey coming out everywhere. so i lifted it up and the whole hive has shaken loose onto the ply....arrggghhh...i lift the tub to try and get it over the hive (which i I have whacked in a frame of honey/brood from last weeks feral) and boom the tub shattered (gone brittle from the uv) and all the remaining bees hit the dirt...there is 60 000 bees at my feet...the first thing i see is the queen (so exciting!) i pick her up and put her in the hive and just like the docos all of the bees start walking in to the hive after her...leaving me with the 3 hour job of cleaning up the comb and extracting the honey (dark honey and not really all that nice :( ). The bees are quite small and the queen was a really rich brown colour.

Some lessons learned. I need to work out how to tackle tubs (better to systematically work them than wait for them to crumble), to realise that the one that look hard will be easy and the easy looking ones will be hard and to charge more for established hive removals! I am a very very lucky bloke because my wife is into all of the same stuff as me; bees, dirt bikes, fishing, keeping chooks n ducks!

Oh and while i was out there all day i robbed a few frame from my fav hive and now i have no spare frames - arghhh - what a day! Wait and see what next weekend brings...not sure what i will charge to collect hives/swarms on grand final weekend, but its gonne be heaps!

Got this pic of what i think is a queen cell, its half way up the comb though (happy to be corrected)(http://i54.tinypic.com/3466b2q.jpg)
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: AllenF on September 18, 2010, 10:08:08 am
Cool pic.   So on the swarm that got away, just how high were they?
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: bud1 on September 18, 2010, 10:35:14 am
just cell cups, nearly all my hives have them
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: philinacoma on September 18, 2010, 11:20:42 am
Some lessons learned. I need to work out how to tackle tubs (better to systematically work them than wait for them to crumble), to realise that the one that look hard will be easy and the easy looking ones will be hard and to charge more for established hive removals!

I feel for you, I'm still working on that simple bungalow wall job from last weekend.  :'(
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: Pete on September 19, 2010, 04:05:07 am
Got called to my first swarm this arvo. I really enjoyed the swarm, less than 1m from the ground :)

I tried the shake into the box but next time i will try cutting the branch lowering in and then brushing them off...

I had 1 hive last week, today i have 4. Running out of gear fast.
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: philinacoma on September 19, 2010, 08:46:44 pm
At this time of year you can never have enough gear!
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: OzBuzz on September 19, 2010, 09:46:28 pm
I've gone from two hives to seven in the space of a few weeks! it's gonna be a busy season
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: philinacoma on September 19, 2010, 09:53:55 pm
If you have too many hives, you could always combine some of the smaller swarms to make a larger more productive ones.  :-\
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: SlickMick on September 19, 2010, 11:27:32 pm
If you have too many hives, you could always combine some of the smaller swarms to make a larger more productive ones.  :-\

That's what I would be doing

Slicko
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: OzBuzz on September 20, 2010, 12:30:59 am
If you have too many hives, you could always combine some of the smaller swarms to make a larger more productive ones.  :-\

I'm thinking about doing that with the cut out we did phil - it just hasn't boomed yet. What is the proper process fr combining though?
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: SlickMick on September 20, 2010, 08:54:09 pm
Proper or not, I had to deal with 3 nucs that had swarms in them and 1 non-productive hive before I went overseas for 2 months in July. I ran out of time to do the combinations properly by removing the queens. Simply did paper combos with the nucs set on top of the non productive hive and let the queens fight it out. Came home 2 months later and the hive is booming. My theory that the strongest queen would be the survivor seems to have worked in this case.

Slicko
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: philinacoma on September 27, 2010, 12:02:57 am
I'm surprised where the queen turns up sometimes. The big cut-out I did in the bung wall a couple weeks ago I found the queen over 10m away on the other side of the bung on the ground in the grass. Today I was attending to a swarm. I moved as many bees as I could into a nuc put the lid on and left it for tonight to pick up. I was walking away about to brush the bees off and only found the one on me. I had to stop mid brush as it was the queen. Black as night she was. Sitting as calm as you like on my right sleeve. So I walked back to the nuc opened the lid and coaxed her into the box. She just walked in and disappeared in between a frame and the wall. Beautiful to watch.

And you know, I wish my queens would just pop up like that.  :-\
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: OzBuzz on September 27, 2010, 11:58:00 pm
That is awesome! you can't ask for much better than that! all of the swarms i've collected the only way that i have been able to confirm so far that they're queen right is by carrying out an inspection

I'm surprised where the queen turns up sometimes. The big cut-out I did in the bung wall a couple weeks ago I found the queen over 10m away on the other side of the bung on the ground in the grass. Today I was attending to a swarm. I moved as many bees as I could into a nuc put the lid on and left it for tonight to pick up. I was walking away about to brush the bees off and only found the one on me. I had to stop mid brush as it was the queen. Black as night she was. Sitting as calm as you like on my right sleeve. So I walked back to the nuc opened the lid and coaxed her into the box. She just walked in and disappeared in between a frame and the wall. Beautiful to watch.

And you know, I wish my queens would just pop up like that.  :-\
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: Pete on September 28, 2010, 08:17:11 am
I removed a swarm from a nice old blokes house in Frankston last Sunday. It was in some kinda conifer type tree. We grabbed it, got the whole swarm, let the box sit there for an hour before we left. Left 50 or so bees behind, there really wasnt many.

Today (Tuesday he rings) and says the whole same things re happened to him...lot of bees in the yard and they settled into a basketball sized swarm on the same tree 2 braches higher. He says in 10 years he has never had bees before. He is old and doesnt seem to have much cash so i will help him out again and practise swarm combining.

Do you think this type of tree is popular with bees, or do they like going to the same place others have been, or just a big coincidence, some problem with the matrix?

Appreciate any thoughts.
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: asprince on September 28, 2010, 08:58:48 am

Do you think this type of tree is popular with bees, or do they like going to the same place others have been, or just a big coincidence, some problem with the matrix?

Appreciate any thoughts.


Good Question. I too have hived multi swarms from the same tree.

Steve
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: philinacoma on September 28, 2010, 11:10:48 am
Do you think this type of tree is popular with bees, or do they like going to the same place others have been, or just a big coincidence, some problem with the matrix?

Appreciate any thoughts.


Slicko seems to do well with his macadamia and mandarin trees, don't you Slicko? By all reports they're magical.

Working on a swarm at the moment that has settled under the corner of a house. I tried reaching in with hand and bee brush and transferring them to a nuc, but obviously missed the queen as they all just went straight back again. The nuc is still sitting there virtually empty so I've tried a little lemon grass oil to see if I can make them want to be in the box.
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: OzBuzz on September 28, 2010, 11:13:18 am
A hive will often throw off multiple swarms with first the old queen and then young virgin or freshly mated queens-don't automatically combine them thinking they won't have a queen! They will be attracted back to that location due to pheromones left by the previous swarm
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: Pete on September 28, 2010, 07:48:43 pm
I am only going to combine them cos i dont want to have 6 small swarmed colonies taking up hives. I dont have enough time (or money) to keep up with the boxes and gear that you need.
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: OzBuzz on September 28, 2010, 10:43:18 pm
I am only going to combine them cos i dont want to have 6 small swarmed colonies taking up hives. I dont have enough time (or money) to keep up with the boxes and gear that you need.

I know the feeling! i'm stuck between a rock and a hard place at the moment in regard the swarms i have collected... have you been charging for swarm collections? I've found it useful to invest some of that money back in. Also, those plywood nucs are perfect for small swarms - and cheap!
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: Pete on September 28, 2010, 11:24:52 pm
Yes i am charging and re investing the money in boxes. But i also breed a few ducks and have kids and stuff so having time to build everything is a bit of a struggle right now. :shock:

I can buy them built i guess, but then thats cost more...so the smallest and newest i will combine. How much you want for 3 or 4 ply nucs?
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: OzBuzz on September 29, 2010, 12:24:37 am
Yes i am charging and re investing the money in boxes. But i also breed a few ducks and have kids and stuff so having time to build everything is a bit of a struggle right now. :shock:

I can buy them built i guess, but then thats cost more...so the smallest and newest i will combine. How much you want for 3 or 4 ply nucs?

Mate, certainly sounds busy... i know what you mean though! it's not cheap and time - well there is never enough of that!

Yeah, i wouldn't buy them built! way too expensive! $35 i think i have seen them for and that's flatpack! I can make some up for you - don't know about price - can't imagine they'd be super expensive - let me do some number crunching
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: philinacoma on September 29, 2010, 06:11:20 am
Yes i am charging and re investing the money in boxes. But i also breed a few ducks and have kids and stuff so having time to build everything is a bit of a struggle right now. :shock:

I'm the same on both counts. I keep buying and building boxes and finding that I need more. Any money I get from a swarm or cutout goes straight back into more gear...

I've said it before, and I'll say it again OzBuzz "be carefull what you wish for!" and sorry to push as many as I have your way, but I'm doing as many as I can.
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: OzBuzz on September 29, 2010, 10:07:14 am
Yes i am charging and re investing the money in boxes. But i also breed a few ducks and have kids and stuff so having time to build everything is a bit of a struggle right now. :shock:

I'm the same on both counts. I keep buying and building boxes and finding that I need more. Any money I get from a swarm or cutout goes straight back into more gear...

I've said it before, and I'll say it again OzBuzz "be carefull what you wish for!" and sorry to push as many as I have your way, but I'm doing as many as I can.


Mate I appreciate your sending some my way! Peop seem happy to have two people interested in helping them.
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: philinacoma on October 02, 2010, 11:47:11 am
I got to try out the bee vac again on an annoying swarm that had set up shop in a tiny little alcove under a house. After the first go with the vac (50% fatalities) I added a bit of wrapping foam opposite the entrance. From what I could see, there were no fatalities this time!
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: Pete on October 03, 2010, 06:10:22 am
Phil did you get some bees in Brighton from a nature strip today? Had 3 or 4 calls in the last few days around Cheltham and Brighton and told them to call you :)

My own bees swarmed and flew across the yard before our eyes (and video camera) and landed on a tree in a secure yard around the corner...let me hive with a frame of honey in it to try and lure them, but today the swarm was gone and so was half my honey :(
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: philinacoma on October 03, 2010, 10:40:45 am
Oh yes I got the calls today.  :roll: I'm going to take my name off the swarm collection list for a couple of weeks while I consolidate my boxes. I've got more bees at the moment than I can puff a smoker at!

I have 5 hives at home at the moment (Shhhhh! don't tell my neighbour) and a couple of nucs up with Dan's. I'm collecting one of the ones in Brighton in the morning. The one on the footpath I let go through to the keeper. I haven't had oportunity to get back to the Cheltenham one yet. It's interesting as to where to the calls come from. I reckon I could plot the swarms on a map and have a rough idea where the source hive is as there seems to be some hot spots.
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: SlickMick on October 04, 2010, 09:38:36 pm
Do you think this type of tree is popular with bees, or do they like going to the same place others have been, or just a big coincidence, some problem with the matrix?

Appreciate any thoughts.
Slicko seems to do well with his macadamia and mandarin trees, don't you Slicko? By all reports they're magical.

Working on a swarm at the moment that has settled under the corner of a house. I tried reaching in with hand and bee brush and transferring them to a nuc, but obviously missed the queen as they all just went straight back again. The nuc is still sitting there virtually empty so I've tried a little lemon grass oil to see if I can make them want to be in the box.
They were popular last year but this year zip. The 4 swarms that I've had, 2 landed in one of the natives too  high to get, one in a Buckinghamia 1 in my Longan tree. On combining swarms I have had to do that this year. After the success that I had with combining queenright swarms before I went overseas, I just did the same last week with 2 queenright swarms and the hive is now going bonkers. The only problem is that you dont know which queen has survived. Perhaps my assumption that the stronger queen will be the survivor is close to the mark
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: hardwood on October 04, 2010, 10:13:50 pm
Mick (sorry to go off topic here) You grow longans? Do the bees work them? I have (the related) lychee and rambutan growing and just started longan last year. I'm hoping the bees will like them as much as I do!

Can you grow carombola (star fruit) there as well?

Scott
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: SlickMick on October 05, 2010, 04:03:24 am
G'day Hardwood, yes I have a longan tree and a couple of lychee trees also. Dont see much bee activity on the longan tree. The tree is not a good bearer and the fruit is quite small.. the flesh just covering the seed while the lychees have a good crop each year. Unfortunately the fruit bats get to them and will strip a tree of all its fruit overnight. They dont touch the longan

On topic, I just had a  look at the swarms I combined last week. The half height super of foundationless frames I gave them are now mostly built out. Some are capped at about 80% and some have a small number of drone cells.
Slicko
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: Pete on October 07, 2010, 08:18:07 am
Today i noticed a swarm of bees neatly on my fence. I grabbed the suit, grabbed a hive and a brush and started trying to get them into the hive. Its just starting to get dark.

I really felt lik ei had a lot bees going at face, usually you have 1 or 2, but i have 10 or 12. I stopped to check out what was happening and realised i had bees inside the suit right in front my face, all buzzing angrily.

As i threw my gear in the air and ran across the yard yelling and taking of my gloves i gripped the suit where the most of them were and help onto them and whipped off the suit. I managed to clear it of bees and figured i hadnt done up the zipper properly got my self together and got back to getting this swarm organised before dark.

Within 2 min i had another 10 bees inside the suit. Repeated same procedure of running and undressing at the same time (i know it would easier not to panic, but its my instinct :) ) this time i get my wife to check out my suit and she sees a 100mm (4inch) tear in the mesh next to my face...

TIP. Full suit inspection before each bee task. Certainly after every time i find bees inside the suit. Not a single sting after having a good 20+ bees in the suit even considering my carrying on...
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: philinacoma on October 07, 2010, 09:28:38 am
I torn my suit on the last cut-out I did. Packaging tape works wonders! :-\
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: Pete on October 08, 2010, 12:01:25 am
Yeahs it a tape repair job now until i can get me mum to sew it :)

So. Whats the tip for getting swarms off fences or places where the queen is hard to get to? I have seen JP spray Bee Quick but we dont have that in oz...is there a homebrew concoction we could try?

L:ast nights swarm was on the fence railing and other than poking stuff in the gap behind the railing i couldnt work out how to get all of the bees off. Any tips?
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: philinacoma on October 08, 2010, 12:24:12 am
I brush them off into a nuc lid or dustpan and empty them into the box. Once the queen is in the box the others will follow. Sometimes it's taken a couple of goes over 1/2 hour to make sure I have the queen.
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: Pete on October 08, 2010, 01:05:13 am
Yeah i do that too...but the queen i think is in the gap between the paling and the railing. I sprayed a little water in there but she stayed... :(
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: philinacoma on October 08, 2010, 01:36:25 am
Yeah i do that too...but the queen i think is in the gap between the paling and the railing. I sprayed a little water in there but she stayed... :(

Bee Vac time!
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: SlickMick on October 08, 2010, 06:31:05 am
Havent you blokes heard of a bee brush?

Mick
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: philinacoma on October 08, 2010, 09:41:33 am
Havent you blokes heard of a bee brush?

Mick

I brush them off into a nuc lid or dustpan....

Yes.  :-D
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: westmar on October 09, 2010, 09:42:22 pm
have the swarms settled down for awhile or have us dropped of list for awhile
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: Pete on October 10, 2010, 07:20:17 am
Yeah i have just been using the brush.

I did a great wall cut out today...took 3 hours and was truly a beautiful hive. Wife and i pulled it carefully apart and easily filled 8 frames with brood and honey comb. This was certainly very fun and pretty simple in the end.

Best of all the people, who were really nice, were convinced to adopt the bees and bought the hive box from me and will house it in their yard and learn beekeeping. Saved the bees and introduced some people to bees, really feels like you are doing good things sometimes :)

(http://i54.tinypic.com/vdkch0.jpg)
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: OzBuzz on October 10, 2010, 09:06:37 am
Very nice Pete,  where was that one? Sears do seem to have quietened down a little-from mid this week on though I reckon we will be busy again
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: Pete on October 10, 2010, 06:39:23 pm
I keep all mine to the Peninsula area. I get quite a few calls from Cheltnam and Brighton but since i change my listing from no fee to fee charged i seem to get less calls from up there :)

Some people are genuinely annoyed that i wont go on a 3 or 4 hours round trip on the weekend with a few minutes notice, for free. It would different if i thought they were hard up, but its the people from the nice burbs who have this attitude. As my wife says "hope they like bees" :)
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: Pete on October 11, 2010, 08:35:28 am
Got a frantic call from some one who tried to smoke thier bees out of thier chimney...it certainly worked, smoked em right out of the chimney and into the lounge room.

Not much i could do, the bees were crawling back up the chimney, pretty sure she was still up there. He still had 5000 odd bees in lounge and i scooped them over towards his fireplace and recommended he call some one who gets bees out of chimneys (not me). I think we he will get them gassed and then try re lighting it...he wanted to try lighting it while i was there but i think his girlfriend would've cut his balls off if he tried that again :)

Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: philinacoma on October 11, 2010, 08:18:17 pm
How long had the hive been there? Just moved in, or established?
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: Pete on October 11, 2010, 08:24:59 pm
More a swarm than a hive...1 or 2 weeks?
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: philinacoma on October 11, 2010, 10:37:54 pm
More a swarm than a hive...1 or 2 weeks?

It dosn't take them long to build a few sheets of comb. I caught a swarm last monday and due to a shortage of frames I wasn't able to give them any until the weekend. They had created 4 good size sheets of comb which I transfered into some empty frames and held them there with some rubber bands. So 1-2 weeks could get you quite a bit of wax. Don't forget the bees will be working to a tight schedule. They have to get the new hive established really quickly before the older girls start dying.

Below is my latest cut-out. It was in the side wall at the back of a weatherboard house. Initial I thought the bees were in the back wall because that was where the entrance was, but that's not where it turned out to be. The comb was from the the top board all the way down to the bottom board, about 2.7m. They were camped between 2 x 450mm studs. I filled 14 frames with brood. The left hand column was solid honey. Tasted sweet as too. The owner is now very tempted in taking up the hobby too after tasting real honey, not the stuff you get in the shops.

Difficult to remove the bees from the wall, they didn't feel much like following the brood. So they ended up in the bee vac and transfered at home.

(http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/2604/photo0032axo.th.jpg) (http://img199.imageshack.us/i/photo0032axo.jpg/)

(http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/5387/photo0033a.th.jpg) (http://img218.imageshack.us/i/photo0033a.jpg/)

(http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/8787/photo0034ap.th.jpg) (http://img194.imageshack.us/i/photo0034ap.jpg/)


Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: Meadlover on October 20, 2010, 07:52:58 am
I have 2 trapouts going at the moment. Need to check on them and my other hives this weekend, although with wet weather planned again, not sure how much I will be able to get done in my hives.

I was getting alot of calls a few weeks back, but for the last 2-3 weeks, no calls at all. Once it warms up and dries out a bit I'm sure I will get more calls again from all around Brisbane - not sure how many more I want though, as I have run out of woodware!

Alot of my calls have had the query of "I have a swarm.......You need the bees right?" My response to that is to tell them "No actually, I don't need bees, I have a fulltime job, and I have enough bees, but I could find a home for them if required".

My last trapout started with a call from a Realestate agent along those lines ".......Oh, it will cost money, I though you needed bees". In this case I told her it would be $200+.  Received my $200 in the mail yesterday  8-)

ML
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: Meadlover on October 20, 2010, 07:54:05 am
Nice picks of that cutout too Phil
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: Pete on October 20, 2010, 08:53:38 am
Yeah i am having a lot of the same convos with callers. People expecting me to come at night time and get irritated when i ask them to pay if they want me to 30km round trip and inspect after hours.

I am charging for every swarm removal now. I get so many calls and most people are so demanding i dont feel mean charging. Although, I am easily talked into discounting if the people are nice :)

I dont have enough time to handle bees in roofs or too high up. But happy to go in walls and trees and i am starting to build a collection of possum boxes at my house :)
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: philinacoma on October 20, 2010, 09:45:05 am
Nice picks of that cutout too Phil

Thanks mate. I have another cut-out to do on Saturday. It's a rental place and it's been booked in for weeks otherwise I would say to them the weather is too poor for it. I have a feeling it's going to be a biggen' too. I will be sure to take the camera.

Once I have done this one that's it I'm hanging up my collecting for a few weeks. I need the rest and time to consolidate the 10 or so hives I have now. I only had 2 a month ago!

Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: Pete on October 25, 2010, 09:28:20 pm
No calls for a quite a few days now...quiet for everyone else too?
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: malachii on October 26, 2010, 02:13:21 am
I got a call last night and 1 this morning (in west Gippsland).

malachii
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: philinacoma on October 26, 2010, 02:23:57 am
Took myself off the list.

I did start a cutout on Saturday and completed last night that had been on the books to do for a few months. 8 hours in total even with a friend helping me for 4 hours on Saturday. It was in a the wall of a bungalow, top board to bottom board solid with comb and bees.

(http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/7745/sam0245a.th.jpg) (http://img28.imageshack.us/i/sam0245a.jpg/)

(http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/5373/sam0247a.th.jpg) (http://img834.imageshack.us/i/sam0247a.jpg/)

(http://img813.imageshack.us/img813/2536/sam0248a.th.jpg) (http://img813.imageshack.us/i/sam0248a.jpg/)

(http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/9636/sam0249a.th.jpg) (http://img253.imageshack.us/i/sam0249a.jpg/)

(http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/7074/sam0250a.th.jpg) (http://img51.imageshack.us/i/sam0250a.jpg/)

(http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/2171/sam0252a.th.jpg) (http://img822.imageshack.us/i/sam0252a.jpg/)

Came back last night to these...
(http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/7516/sam0255a.th.jpg) (http://img375.imageshack.us/i/sam0255a.jpg/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

Collected them ok in the bee vac, but then decided to check the panel on the right and found as many bees again in there. (sorry forgot to take another pic)

I aint charging anywhere near enough.  :deadhorse:
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: malachii on October 26, 2010, 03:08:28 am
I know this is a permanent question - but how much do you charge?  I've been charging $50 for a basic swarm call out and then make it up from there depending on how difficult the collection is and how difficult the people are.  Anyone else got a better/different charging structure?

malachii
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: philinacoma on October 26, 2010, 04:15:15 am
Removed...
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: Pete on October 26, 2010, 04:41:50 am
I've been charging $50 for a basic swarm call out and then make it up from there depending on how difficult the collection is and how difficult the people are.  Anyone else got a better/different charging structure?

malachii

I start at $150 for a swarm and up from there to cut outs etc. I am easily bribed and talked down by pensioners and hotties, but thats my starting point. I figure by the time i buy and assemble a hive and frames $80+?. Drive out there...they are always $20 in fuel from here, its always after hours...$150 is fair. EDIT having said this, i know why i dont get many calls, now there is some others in this area and they charge $20...but...their customers are phoning me to come an clean after them because they only remove the queen and leave half the colony behind :(

If i have some one who wants the swarm, which i have lately, i reduce the price by the swarm sale price. Not interested in making money, but not interested in working for nothing...my bee mentor yells at me a lot for doing it too cheaply, i am wrecking the bee game etc etc etc

Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: sas_marine@hotmail.com on October 31, 2010, 09:56:26 am
ive got a good one, my grandmum rings me up and says there are 2 swarms on 1 branch only a meter between them??? i got there but they both disapeard before i got threre, i was wondering if its possible for a swarm to entice another hive to swarm??? because i know swarms do attract other bees,, hmm and ideas?? i wish i got to see it though
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: Pete on October 31, 2010, 10:27:29 pm
What can happen is a big swarm will gather on several branches and then the weight will make one of the branches sag too much and it breaks the clump apart...
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: sas_marine@hotmail.com on November 01, 2010, 08:47:54 pm
darn, thats a shame, i missed a monster hive i think :(
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: philinacoma on November 02, 2010, 08:00:29 am
Promised to help a guy transfer a feral swarm from under his house into boxes.

Check the photo:

'Hot House' (http://www.idreamfootball.net/beehive/beehive1.JPG)

It's starting to get a little hot for him and he needs it moved.
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: Pete on November 02, 2010, 08:21:55 am
No bees in tht pic, where they all gone?
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: philinacoma on November 02, 2010, 08:38:39 am
No bees in tht pic, where they all gone?

That was my question but he said that is the back of the hive. There are a lot more arround the front but he was too concerned for his own safety to approach them from that side as they are a bit on the hot side. The photo was also taken on a warm day while alot were on the forage.
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: SlickMick on November 02, 2010, 06:47:30 pm
Massive hive and what appears to be a lot of fresh comb. Even though it may be the back of the hive I would have expected to see a fair amount of activity there.

Mick
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: philinacoma on November 03, 2010, 03:42:47 am
Massive hive and what appears to be a lot of fresh comb. Even though it may be the back of the hive I would have expected to see a fair amount of activity there.

Mick

I'm planning on checking it out on the weekend. If I do get there, I will take some more happy snaps.
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: OzBuzz on November 07, 2010, 07:42:39 am
That looks huge Phil! how long has it been there?
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: Pete on November 09, 2010, 05:29:34 am
got a funny call tonight at 7pm that went something this.

We had a pleasant enough convo about the bees in his wall/roof. I told him early in the piece that i wasnt his man as i am not a builder etc...but was happy to talk him through it as he was keen not have the bees killed.

Him: So what can you do for me?
me: the only thing i can offer is i could pull it apart and rescue the bees...you are better off calling around to find someone who can do the whole job.
Him: So, what, are you gonna put it back together for nothing?
me: starts laughing, as i said i aint a builder so i cant put it back together at all, but why would you think i would work for nothing?
him: oh well, too bad, its bees and you are supposed to....
me: hang on a sec, you are calling me and interrupting my evening scotch for advice and complaining cos i wont work for free?
him: hangs up

10min later, not realising he had called me again

him: hey my name is X and i have this bee issue, yada yada yada (me listening carefully and smiling to myself)
me: umm yeah you just called me and hung up, but i am still willing to help you
him oh sorry, i didnt mean to ring you back etc
me: its ok, but next time try not to be rude to people who are trying to help you for free in their own time....
him: hangs up

I have his number and could ring him back and tell him he is a dick, but i couldn't be bothered. As my wife says :hope he likes bees"  :-D
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: philinacoma on November 09, 2010, 08:19:38 am
Pete, I like the way your wife thinks.

I had a client who was a little 'hessitant' to pay once I had taken out the bees. I offered to bring them back.  :evil:
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: Meadlover on November 09, 2010, 04:59:04 pm
Yeah I hate this "but your supposed to....." or "but you NEED the bees" kinda attitude.

Luckily my current trapout payed me $200 before I had even started!

If I ever have anyone who's 'a little hesitant' or straight up doesn't pay, I already have the plan - a spray bottle of sugar water and lemongrass oil and spray it into every little nook and cranny around the house I can find  :evil: :evil: :evil:
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: malachii on November 09, 2010, 09:10:29 pm
Had a similar call the other afternoon as well - the guy offered to let me come around and catch the bee swarm in his tree and he would let me "buy" the bees off him cheap!  It took me a few seconds to realise he wasn't joking.  After I told him that I had enough bees and that I wasn't prepared to buy his at this stage (trying not to be rude), he got a bit shirty with me.  He started asking if I expected him to give me the bees for nothing and he let me know that bees were becoming rare (his words!!) and he knew they were valuable.  I was so shellshocked that I politely told he I didn't need anymore and that he should call someone else.

I wonder why I have blood pressure issues!!

malachii
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: RayF on January 13, 2011, 08:24:11 pm
I picked up a nice swarm a few days back. I was doing a line boring job on a grader in a clients workshop when they told me they had bees just settle into a D10 bulldozer in the yard and they wanted them gone,now. So I went home and got my gear plus a box and some sticky frames. I put the box up against the ripper where the bee's were clustered and as they had started to go into the ripper box through a gap I put smoke in there and drove the bees out. Brushed them into the box and checked them a couple of times through the day but they kept coming out and going back to where they had started laying down comb. I got all that covered up and left them overnight and the following day. I went back a few nights back and they are all in my box bar 2 bees.Just slid the lid over and bought them home and put them onto another weak box I have with a sheet of paper in between. They seem to have settled in OK  so with all the trees in blossom here at present they hopefully will take off good. :)
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: Meadlover on June 22, 2011, 11:20:24 pm
Removed a trapout hive to the beeyard last week. It's currently 2 nucs on top of each other, so pretty much a full hive.
Seems like thay have a decent amount of honey in there going into winter so hopefully they take off come Spring.
Half way through the trapout I moved the frames from a 4 frame to a 5 frame nuc box, and I'm glad I hung around for a bit because I happened to see a small group of bees on the pavement where I had done the box swapover - and on closer inspection the small group of bees was the queen surrounded by about 10 bees tending to her royal needs. Could have ended badly  :oops:

ML
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: Monster1970 on December 01, 2011, 05:32:33 pm
My son, another Beek from our club and I removed his hive from a tree in a lady's backyard last Saturday. She said it was there for about 6 months, but given the size, we think it had been there a bit longer.

(http://img580.imageshack.us/img580/1461/img3262lh.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/580/img3262lh.jpg/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)m
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: ShaneJ on December 01, 2011, 07:32:27 pm
Holy crap. Nice one mate.
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: bernsad on December 01, 2011, 08:38:24 pm
Looks like a bit of fun. Good job.
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: Pete on December 11, 2011, 07:52:45 am
This cupboard was in the shed, but i still like the look of the hive and the clothes.

(http://i51.tinypic.com/smt44z.jpg)
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: bernsad on December 11, 2011, 05:35:32 pm
Imagine that, honey scented clothes, mmmm! :)
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: Meadlover on December 11, 2011, 05:45:56 pm
My son, another Beek from our club and I removed his hive from a tree in a lady's backyard last Saturday. She said it was there for about 6 months, but given the size, we think it had been there a bit longer.

(http://img580.imageshack.us/img580/1461/img3262lh.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/580/img3262lh.jpg/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)m

That's an impressive hive! Where abouts is Brizzy was this one?
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: Lord Viykor on December 14, 2011, 06:18:25 am
This cupboard was in the shed, but i still like the look of the hive and the clothes.


As a newbies to bee keeping that is just amazing, wouldn't have thought they'd get in a wardrobe.
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: Pete on December 14, 2011, 06:36:06 am
They were so much fun too...so calm and easy to deal with...was awesome job...gave the lady some of her money back because we enjoyed it so much.
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: Pete on February 05, 2012, 11:43:04 pm
Tell me when to stop.

Another pic of a really interesting job we did on the weekend. Looks pretty easy but this one was actually very tricky...so many branches and stuff all through the comb and the bees were a bit warms too...copped 3 or 4 stings, a couple right through my suit. Apparently they had been in this tree for at least 12 months....i would guess even longer.

this was in Mornington, about an hour south of Melbourne...pretty darned cold here in winter... surprised they survived.

(http://i55.tinypic.com/213nmab.jpg)


Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: Meadlover on August 06, 2012, 09:38:17 pm
Early start to swarms this year - had 2 swarms already, 1 from my own hive in my own driveway  :lol:
the other a few kms south of me right near my new beeyard.

SHB also getting very active!

Photos to follow....

ML
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: johnauck on November 28, 2012, 07:13:55 am

One of my hives swarmed while I was working on the hive next to it last week. Didn't have time to get a picture they poured out so fast.

They clustered nearby so I managed to get them :-)


(http://s10.postimage.org/6agwr9ur9/cluster1_nov2012.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/6agwr9ur9/)



About half the bees ended up in the box and half on my arm and on the grass. But the queen must have gone in the box as they all ran inside.



(http://s10.postimage.org/oqakg5nn9/swarmbox1_nov2012.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/oqakg5nn9/)


cheers

john
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: buzzbee on December 02, 2012, 09:09:33 am
Bee envy :) I am missing  the  weather for swarms already.
Title: Re: Aussie Kaldırılması Hikayeler
Post by: aridostlari.com on December 18, 2012, 08:47:23 am
THANK YOU VERY PLEASANT
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: 100 TD on December 29, 2012, 09:00:46 pm
..............
About half the bees ended up in the box and half on my arm and on the grass. But the queen must have gone in the box as they all ran inside.
cheers
john
Did you get the queen, just they'll run inside without the queen.
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: prestonpaul on March 28, 2013, 06:03:22 am
Picked up a hive in a bird box this evening. They were happy to let us take the whole box so we've taken it home for now and will take it out to our farm next week so we can do a cut out at our leisure.

(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/03/28/3epasadu.jpg)

More photos to come.
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: johnauck on April 11, 2013, 01:43:33 am
Very good. Looking forward to seeing pictures on how go get on transferring the combs.

Someone asked me to remove a possum box with a colony of bees in it. But they have not called back to arrange a time.

May be its getting a bit late in the season (Victoria) for colony removal?


cheers

john
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: prestonpaul on April 11, 2013, 05:50:13 am
Yeh, possibly a bit late, still got plenty of dandelions in flower here though. Going to have a crack at this one on Saturday if the weather is ok.
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: dermot on April 11, 2013, 12:03:24 pm
If you do remove the possum box now, I'd suggest moving the box to your sight and overwintering. Transfer it to a proper box once the swarms start. I think if you transfer them now the set back would be too great.
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: prestonpaul on May 08, 2013, 02:04:06 am
Well we did the cut out 2 weeks ago now, nosh or problems. There was a birds nest in the bottom of the box and the comb was tied into that which was a bit of a hassle but otherwise it went well.
The bad news is that some of our neighbours cattle got in to our house yard and knocked over the table the bees were on, spilling the frames on to the ground. By the time we got there the all the bees were gone, no sight of them anywhere. I can only hope that they absconded and found a nice warm hollow to live in. There is still lots of dandelion and some eucalypts flowering so maybe they will make it.

(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/08/erame3e2.jpg)

(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/08/aru8u4em.jpg)

(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/08/y4a8equ3.jpg)

(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/08/7y8ahyhe.jpg)

(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/08/upynuty8.jpg)
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: 100 TD on May 08, 2013, 08:39:01 am
I did a hollow tree nest transfer on Sunday, couldn't see a queen, tree had fallen to ground and smashed nest up a bit, transferred all comb to frames. Have another small one to do tomorrow, hope to get queen and mix with the other one.
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: johnauck on October 30, 2013, 11:58:05 pm
First swarm for this season. One of my 2 hives in Heathmont decided to swarm yesterday.

Funnily enough I split this hive 3 weeks ago (removed 3 brood frames and opened up the brood), and did not see any queen cells at the time. So I was not expecting them to swarm so soon.

(http://s11.postimg.org/p9v57s7m7/swarm1_20131030.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/p9v57s7m7/)


In they go


(http://s24.postimg.org/mikyx8jg1/swarm2_20131030.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/mikyx8jg1/)




(http://s21.postimg.org/h0n9p15gz/swarm3_20131030.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/h0n9p15gz/)
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: ozebee on November 28, 2013, 10:35:59 pm
If you like catching swarms, get on board www.swarmpatrol.com (http://www.swarmpatrol.com) - you will be notified by a text message when a swarm is reported in your area.
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: amun-ra on November 29, 2013, 07:55:53 am
ozebee first port off call is usually the receiption desk at the local council offices I will let my local councill know off swarm patrol next week so they know who to call
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: ozebee on December 02, 2013, 07:29:42 pm
Many thanks for spreading the word - hopefully www.swarmpatrol.com (http://www.swarmpatrol.com) will benefit everyone!!
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: dermot on December 26, 2013, 01:37:13 am
Here's a couple of photo essays my (15 yr old) daughter has posted on the facebook page of the Beekeepers Association of the ACT, showing the re-homing of bees from a speaker box and a bird box

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.276238142524474.1073741846.236186389862983&type=1 (https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.276238142524474.1073741846.236186389862983&type=1)

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.273576612790627.1073741842.236186389862983&type=3 (https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.273576612790627.1073741842.236186389862983&type=3)

   We'd also be keen on your votes for the honey drops poster

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.276219445859677.1073741844.236186389862983&type=3 (https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.276219445859677.1073741844.236186389862983&type=3)
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: jayj200 on March 05, 2014, 10:52:57 pm
Pete
what happened to your smoker?
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: FireKitty on December 09, 2014, 12:26:04 am
Dumb question, is it too late for me to put my name down in local group to capture a swarm? When does this generally end here in AUS?
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: Jow4040 on December 09, 2014, 02:24:41 am
It ends about now.
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: jayj200 on December 14, 2014, 07:15:30 pm
put it in for next year. who knows one may catch a stragler
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: Stumpkicker on November 18, 2017, 08:14:14 am
It's a second hand story, but Dad said one of his hives swarmed and landed on the end of a bamboo stalk, about 8m up.
He managed to get it back in a box by putting a ladder up as high as he could, attached a rope and then put the rope through a pulley on another stalk near by.
He then cut the stalk half way through from the back and lowered it with the rope to 6' and shook them into a box.
Fairly easy recovery after what initially would of looked near impossible.
Regards Kel
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: eltalia on November 19, 2017, 10:12:30 pm
It's a second hand story, but Dad said one of his hives swarmed and landed on the end of a bamboo stalk, about 8m up.
He managed to get it back in a box by putting a ladder up as high as he could, attached a rope and then put the rope through a pulley on another stalk near by.
He then cut the stalk half way through from the back and lowered it with the rope to 6' and shook them into a box.
Fairly easy recovery after what initially would of looked near impossible.
Regards Kel

 He's done it before... nice to see a pro work :-)

Bill
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: omnimirage on January 26, 2018, 06:32:31 am
I gave my number to the local counsel to call me whenever they get notified of a swarm to remove. It's been years and they never once contacted me. Also tried community bulletin boards but nothing. I however get a number of calls via Gumtree.
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: eltalia on January 26, 2018, 11:53:30 am
I gave my number to the local counsel(sic) to call me whenever they get notified of a swarm to remove. It's been years and they never once contacted me. Also tried community bulletin boards but nothing. I however get a number of calls via Gumtree.
The two pest controllers covering our district, the rural fire service, the
shire council, notices in both garden centres I do tutes for, and of course
the local pub. I am overun with demand between August and October, most
of which I pass to interested former 'students' these days.

Bill
Title: Re: Aussie Removal Stories
Post by: Ralphee on October 19, 2020, 02:09:58 am
Okay, its a 'hard pass' story, but i bet a lot of people have had something similar!

I got a message through a popular website that someone had a 'swarm' to relocate. Couple short messages back and forward and i got to the truth of it - its a hive that has been in the roof for almost 2 years, tin roof (so no easy access) and the *expert that came to price it up* said they would have to cut a hole through the ceiling and take them out through the house!
And this lady was asking for someone to come take them for free!
Now i am happy to help and happy to collect a swarm, but the $600-$700 she was quoted sounds about right. Re-plaster a ceiling and at least a days work. Imagine how big the hive could be in the ceiling space, and you would have to get all of it out or it would attract new bee's shortly after.

We are still in full lock-down or i would at least go have a look for her, but shy of ripping up sheets of tin, i don't see any easy way of removing a 'swarm that has been there for almost 2 years'!