Honey Bee Removal; Rustburg, VA

This is the first pine log (dead) I have seen that is center hollow smooth and filled with honey bees. Removal , was done by Harry Lowry and Tommy Nelson on August 27, 2014.

Downed walnut tree; Clays Mill School Area in Halifax County, VA.

The colony of bees is just above the broken limb that is laying parallel to the trunk.

Old lightning strike from the crown to the base.

Big CAT skidder

Cuts on each side of the log allowed the skidder to break out the section with the bees.

Headed to the trailer with the pay load.

Loaded and ready to go in less than 1 hour.

Large swarm ball, Charlotte Court House, VA June 29,2013

A monster of a ball of honey bees



We think that this colony came from a storm downed tree

Too large for the funnel. I used the vacuum system

I had to use 3 - deep supers to house this colony. Once settled I will split and add to developing nucs.

Storm downed tree, Scuffletown Community, Charlotte County, VA June 28,2013

This section broke away from the top of the Oak tree that was 25 feet from the ground

Fist cut was 6" too short. Long cuts have been made into log. There is one splitting wedge in place.

Storm downed tree, Harrisburg Community, Charlotte County, VA on June 6, 2013

Hollow was 20 feet from base of this Hickory tree. 27" at fist cut, 7' long with 20" at 2nd cut.

Bees were vacuumed into 10 frame deep super. Comb was cut out and placed in frames with rubber bands. Divider screen was pulled out to allow bees to enter the top box containing their own comb and brood.

Bee gum log

This log is an oak that was twisted out of a twin tree about 20 feet above ground. I was called to come rescue the bees if possible. We cut 8 feet out of the fallen lap that was on the owner's wood stove shed.

My first cut on the small end put me right through a small roll of clear honey. Once I got the log to the bee yard, there was not much left to cut off.

This log is 54 inches tall, and will be opened around the first of March to move the colony into the brood box. The original tree hollow entrance was closed forcing the bees through the brood box on top.

Bee gum log

We are working with a 12 foot maple log that was from a downed tree in the early spring of 2009.

This is the view of the bottom of the log before the plate was added. The comb appears to look like a stack of pancakes. I will not know if the comb will hang with good spacing until late Feb. or early March when the log will be opened and the bees moved into the brood box.

You can see how the log is centered on the trailer. This helps with making the cut on the ends of the log.The bottom plate has been added to the bottom of the log.

The top of the log is cut parallel to the bottom, and just above the comb. A temporary bottom board for the brood box with a 4" x 4" hole is attached to the log, and a brood box with frames and foundation is added.

Once the log has been returned to a vertical position, the combs are now somewhat perpendicular to the ground, the bees can begin to clean house of the trash. The hole in the log entrance is also closed forcing them to go through the brood box. A jar feeder is added to provide syrup until they get themselves together. The log section now stands 54 inches high.