Beehive inside a drum

[SouthAussieBeekeeper]

A swarm made a strong established hive inside of a large round plastic rubbish bin drum, that had used cans and bottles in it. Not knowing what to do about it, I placed a super on top with a lid.

Now over a year has past. What would be the best way of going about moving the bees out of this drum, into a super? Or could I just put a queen excluder on the super and let the bin be the brood chamber?

The bees are in an isolated secluded area so I'm not concern about regulation.

[BeeMaster2]

Being it is made of plastic, why don?t you just cut the top off and put them into frames. There are lots of videos here on this site of how to rubber band the comb into frames.
Search Honey Bee Removal for JPThebeeman.
Jim

[SouthAussieBeekeeper]

The top is already exposed, since it was an open bin people were putting their empty bottles and cans into.

I have taken out comb and attached with rubber bands before. I suppose my concern is how large the comb structure is. I'd have to break it up into parts in order to do that, it'll create a chaotic havok of a mess and a lot of bees will drown and die.

[ed/La.]

This is a cut out.  All honey goes in cooler or 5 gallon bucket. ISave good brood in frames and transfer to new hive.. If you can find queen, not easy you could lock her in with queen excluder.Other wise do the best you can. Harvet honey soon. Today or tomorrow.. Probably low quality because mixed with nectar/water so feed back to bees at long distance a little at a time. Save the capped quality honey for yourself.

[sc-bee]

The top is already exposed, since it was an open bin people were putting their empty bottles and cans into.

I have taken out comb and attached with rubber bands before. I suppose my concern is how large the comb structure is. I'd have to break it up into parts in order to do that, it'll create a chaotic havok of a mess and a lot of bees will drown and die.

That is why many use a bee vac....

[Brub58]

Harvet honey soon. Today or tomorrow.. Probably low quality because mixed with nectar/water so feed back to bees at long distance a little at a time.

Why soon?  They?ve been there a year and it?s the middle of winter!  Why not wait a couple of months until it warms up a bit?

Feeding honey outside the hive is illegal where the OP lives.

[BeeMaster2]

When the cut out is done, in most places, you need to use the Honey within a day or so. If you do not have Small Hive Beetles, you can wait. Since it is still winter, you definitely want to wait until spring and the flow to start to do this cutout.
Since it is illegal to open feed, I would put the honey comb that you want to give back to the bees in frames using rubber bands and freeze it. Then a week or so after you have completed the cut out, then add it to the hive. This allows the bees to get the brood nest in order and then deal with fixing up the honey frames. Bee sure to allow it to warm up before putting it back in the hive.
Jim

[ed/La.]

What Jim said.  Hive beetle. I lost gallons of honey to HB maggots by waiting to long to process.  Also agree wait for spring to cut out. Cutting out honey comb makes a mess and covers bees. If warm out a spray bottle of water help bees covered in honey. A bucket of water or hose for you to rinse off. Odd law that open feeding honey is illegal. I feed it in small amounts perhaps a quart several hundred feet from hives with good results. No robbing issues that way.

[beepro]

I see it differently.  You can cut the honey and brood comb out and put them in frames using rubber bands.  Winter time is the best time to do it.  If you wait for Spring then there will be more bees and resources to manage at expansion time.  In winter time the brood nest and bees are contracting.  Be sure to bring extra boxes and frames to put them all in. 

If you are unsure of how big is the brood nest then open up the can lid and do a survey.  This way you will know how many boxes and frames to bring along for the cut out.  If you are concern about feeding them give them the patty subs and sugar bricks on the top bars.  Sugar bricks will prevent starvation until they can bring in the resources in the Spring time. 

[ed/La.]

II will guess there's little straight comb. It could be a sloppy honey mess.   Framing honey comb intact is not easy. Especially if it's not straight. The  dripping honey will cause problems. Ants roaches, robbing dead bees etc. Hard to make a queen in the winter if you need one.  Is there any spare frames of brood available to add if needed?  Everything is easier when more resources are available.
. In many areas there little or no brood in winter. Also in spring once drones are around you could possibly make a few or several nucs . Moving brood and upsetting hive in most winter climates is not good.

[SouthAussieBeekeeper]

The comb is indeed straight. Its longer than a deep super though and theres a lot of comb.

I don't have access to any other resources. This hive is out by itself in the middle of nowhere. I'm not even sure how well they're doing.

I don't have a bee vac. I'm not exactly sure what they are or how to make them but I could look into. I doubt I'll be able to get it done before Spring though as theres a lot more important things that I need to get done.

[BeeMaster2]

I would wait until spring. During cutouts, quite often, the queens get killed or are lost. One thing I recommend is to move this hive to your house and then do the cut house in the spring.

Jim

[SouthAussieBeekeeper]

Are you suggesting that because, if the Queen dies if I do it in the winter, the hive might not have the eggs or larave to replace her, but in spring the bees should.have eggs?

I can't physically fit the drum into my car, its quite large. Plan is to camp up there and do it.

Is there anything I could do to encourage the bees to go above and leave the comb in the bin as vacant as possible?

[BeeMaster2]

South,
Even if you have eggs and larvae, I doubt that you have any drones to mate with a queen that develops. Then you have a drone laying queen and the hive will not survive.

I have put a super on top of a log hive, that I moved into my back yard. It was also winter and they did not move up. In your case they probably will not move up because it is winter and there is not enough food coming in for any growth.
Jim

[ed/La.]

I would find someone with truck or trailer and bring it home. Then you could do it  at your leisure when the time is right.

[beepro]

The comb is like their house.  If no house then how can they live?  Even if you can trap the bees you still have to
cut out the comb for them to live in.

I say take some boxes up there and prepare everything that you need.  Then cut out the comb and bees to put inside
the boxes.   Take extra boxes if you are not sure about how many you need maybe 5-6 will do.