BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER > HONEYBEE REMOVAL
Colony fully exposed on tree branch
JurassicApiary:
There was a recent requesting help to remove a feral colony that is 25-30 feet up on a Mango tree branch. At this point in time recovery is beyond me. However, what's surprising to me about this colony is that they have built their entire hive fully exposed to the elements. I have not seen this before and am curious how common/rare this is. It seems to defy expectation as it exposes them to predators and weather--and it rains a lot here on Oahu, so I'm puzzled they did this. I'm imagining that this started out as a swarm originally, the for some reason they decided/were put in a position to stay. Perhaps weather forced a planned swarm to stay inside and not be able to scout new locations and then the threat of an emerging queen forced them to depart without a choice? Thoughts, opinions and comments on this are welcome. This photo is not mine--it is from the original post of the homeowner; I am providing it under the fair-use copyright allowance for education and commentary.
iddee:
Google "open hive" It is not that uncommon in warm climates. I have seen them as far north as North Carolina.
Acebird:
The mango tree poses a problem because the branches are fragile and the sap can cause a serious reaction to some people. It is tempting though because it is a ready made hive.
JurassicApiary:
Neat stuff--had not heard of bees making open hives, let alone in wet climates such as ours. Always learning! Thanks, iddee.
Acebird, it's tempting indeed!
Aloha, Matthew
Joe D:
Over the winter I found a hive or the comb in a fig tree in my back yard, the bees were not there. We do get some cold days in south MS. I don't know how I missed them in the fall, the fig tree is about half way between my shop and some of my hives, appr. 30 yards from shop to hives. I have left the comb in the tree, it is only about five feet high.
Joe D
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