Welcome, Guest

Author Topic: Removal from Rock Column  (Read 2352 times)

Offline Boom Buzz

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 167
  • Gender: Male
Removal from Rock Column
« on: March 30, 2015, 05:41:59 pm »
Hi folks,

I will be attempting a removal tomorrow from a 12" by 12" rock column.  See Picture below - if it comes up - or link.  The owner says they already checked the soffit and have determined the bees are in the column. 

My question is, How to deconstruct the column?  I plan to use a masonry blade with a rotary saw, and chipping away the grout in spots, like corners.  Probably start about half way up the column to get access to the full upper half.  Is there a better way?   How would you tackle it?

https://picasaweb.google.com/102963182193976271127/BeeColumn

Any advice appreciated!

Thanks,
John

Offline deknow

  • Field Bee
  • ***
  • Posts: 876
  • Gender: Male
    • Golden Rule Honey, LLC
Re: Removal from Rock Column
« Reply #1 on: March 30, 2015, 06:44:32 pm »
I'd put a weak hive with open brood and either queenless or a caged queen really close to the entrance.

Then I'd drill a small hole behin (relative to the entramce) the nest.  I'd spritz a tiny amount of Bee go and drive the bees out the entrance and if they are in contact with your hives entrance as they cluster outside their own, you will probably get them (they may hit the trees first and then try to get back in.

I would not want to take that apart.  You could also drive them out by slowly filling the collumn with something (sand might be too heavy)

Offline iddee

  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 10853
  • Gender: Male
Re: Removal from Rock Column
« Reply #2 on: March 30, 2015, 07:53:59 pm »
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

*Shel Silverstein*

Offline BeeMaster2

  • Administrator
  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 13494
  • Gender: Male
Re: Removal from Rock Column
« Reply #3 on: March 30, 2015, 10:45:19 pm »
My first removal was from a 30" by 30" x 8' brick column. If you really want to take it apart, cut the mortar and remove the stones if you can and start from the top down. In the column I removed, I started at the top expecting to have bees at least half way down the column if not all the way since it was over 3 years old. We quickly found out different. Brick layers get paid by the brick so they took all of the extra bricks and filled the column in. Yea, it is cheating but it really paid off for the owners because the used them to rebuild the column.
The stones are taken apart from the top, layer by layer, they will release easier.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Boom Buzz

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 167
  • Gender: Male
Re: Removal from Rock Column
« Reply #4 on: March 31, 2015, 12:59:40 pm »
Thanks for the comments.  I took a pass on this one. 
Not ready for a big demolition project.  And swarm season is just around the corner here in Colorado.

J
« Last Edit: March 31, 2015, 02:41:22 pm by Boom Buzz »

 

anything