New colony moves in!

Posted by Jon on Jun 23, 2010 in Beekeeping, Swarms & Nests | 0 comments

I’m still buzzing from the fun I had last night. We were rung by a guy who had returned to his house after 5 weeks away to find that bees had moved into the culvet where his water counter is situated.  A job for Bertie the beevac!

As they were below ground, no ladders or balancing were involved for a change and I could get straight down to business. The honeybees had been there a few weeks and had drawn 6+ combs with brood emerging, a good healthy colony. I managed to get some great photos of the colony intact before beginning the bees relocation. Carefully I removed each comb, sucking up the bees along the way until all the comb was in my box. I waited for the final bees to settle before hoovering them up and hey presto – we were ready to go in well under 2 hours! M. Didier was amused by my Heath-Robinson beevac but impressed at the ease and speed of the removal. I can imagine the talk of the mad Englishman with his aspirateur des abeilles around the hamlet this morning!

(click photos to see larger slideshow)

At home, we strapped the comb (which still had some nurse bees on it looking after the brood) into their new frames, emptied the contents of the beevac into the top of the hive and then put the kettle on for a much needed cup of tea.

There is nothing more satisfying than picking up a colony that is causing a problem elsewhere and setting them up in their new home here.