Bees-n-Trees

[ozzy42]

Bees -n_the trees

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Went to remove an uprooted water oak today .
Tree is 30in.DBH x 60 ft. ht.apr.
Started delimbing with the polesaw .Worked from the top down to what would have been the lowest limb on the main trunk about 15 ft from the stump to find a hidden hallow with bees in it .I was as close as 2-3 ft before noticng them ,but did not get stung,nor did the helpers.

Went back tonight after dark,and sprayed 2 cans of foaming hornet and wasp killer down the hole .Didn't seem to stir them up much.

My question is :what should I expect tomorrow morning?
Im going there with long sleeves gloves and a helmet and 2 more cans of spray.

One more thing,I stuck a rake handle down the cavity all the way up to the rake head.I hope this hive is not huge.
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[dingeryote]

Dibs on your saws.


Seriously though. Go easy and make sure ya got 'em all dead before pissin 'em off. They are smart enough to wait untill you are in a bad spot, then swarm ya until you fall off.

You got Africanized bee's down there. Wait a day and reapply the insecticide if ya have to. There's better ways to get dead or tore up that are less painfull.

I'd tell ya to wait untill winter like we do up here, but that ain't gonna work.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[ozzy42]

Yeah,I had some africanized bees set up shop in my back yard this summer.They got under the subfloor of an old shed.Idid the same thing then but all it did was piss them off.
Had to get a pro for those bad boyz

These don't seem to be as agressive.

I am thinking about cutting a 12 ft section and draging it away from the rest of the tree.........If I don't end up cutting thru the middle of the hive.

I'd tell ya to wait untill winter like we do up here, but that ain't gonna work.

What is winter? LOL

 

[cjnspecial]

You should be good to go. Bees and hornets are pretty docile at night and they all stay in the hive. Just keep a few extra cans in case.

 

[ozzy42]

They were definitely docile tonight when I went back to spray them.
I just hope they are as well bee-haved in the morning.

 

[briggstwiggs]

they were probly honey bees there not verey agressive run into them all the time. here in florida Next time this happens keep a saw in your hand at all times and keep it running for some reason they dont like the vibration or somthing. they will be flying all in your face but usually dont land on ya as much dont get me wrong they will sting you but I have had better luck keepin a saw in hand and completed a lot of jobs this way same day dont be scared

dont swat at them that makes them mad

 

[Fireaxman]

...Next time this happens keep a saw in your hand at all times and keep it running for some reason they dont like the vibration or somthing. they will be flying all in your face but usually dont land on ya as much dont get me wrong they will sting you but I have had better luck keepin a saw in hand and completed a lot of jobs this way same day dont be scared

dont swat at them that makes them mad

I'm not sure this is a good idea, Briggs. I used to keep bees, until the flower mites wiped out my hives. Maybe if your chain saw smokes enough. Smoke makes them docile. They think the hive is burning and they gorge themselves with honey. Gorging themselves with honey makes them docile, kind of like too much turkey dinner i guess.

But I definetly confirm they dont like loud noises. My bees were very gentle unless I fired a gun or started a chain saw within 50 yards or so of the hives. Then they would nail me. I definetly HAVE been stung running my chain saw too close to the hives. The work shed where I cleaned and tuned my saws was too close to the hives until I moved them. And, I once (ONCE) set up a bench to site in my rifle too close to them.

Too bad someone did not get to rob the hive. Tupelo gum / Tallo Tree honey, like we have over here and you may have in Florida, is excellent. Its not that hard to do, especially in cool weather. Lots of smoke, a good heavy pair of overalls, gloves, some face protection like you might have on a chain saw or fire fighting helmet, and a hooded sweat shirt will do.

 

[pdqdl]

Bees are driven mostly by pheromones. When they get in a smoky environment, it interferes with their ability to "smell" the signals sent by the other bees in the hive, so they don't get too roudy.

Iso-amyl acetate (banana oil) is the scent that stimulates aggression/attack in bees. It is released when they sting you.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isoamyl_acetate



P.S.:

HAH! I am feeling pretty damned smart right now. I made that stuff in organic chemistry lab back in 1977, and I remembered all the details. No research at all, just seeking a reference. I found it on the first entry on Google!

 

[mattfr12]

ive called a bee keeper a few times because of them tearing my A** up when trying trying to work. my best way to get rid of them yet is if thiers a hole in the tree go up and fill the hole full of great stuff the foam insulation in a can its killed them every time so far. but ive also worked for a few people now that wont let you kill the bees.

 

[ozzy42]

bees-n- trees update

Went back the next morning and most of them were dead from the 2 cans of foaming wasp and hornet killer i got from k-mart.

We cut the log section with the hive away from the rest of the fallen trunk[very carefully ,1 spraying the remaining bees,and 1cutting] and drug it 100 ft away from the tree.Sprayed them a little bit more and let them die while we did the rest of the tree,and then cut the bee section up very last.
Pretty good sized hive through the 2ft long x14-16in hallow.
Still a few flying around even at the end of the day,but no stings.

they were probly honey bees there not verey agressive run into them all the time. here in florida Next time this happens keep a saw in your hand at all times and keep it running for some reason they dont like the vibration or somthing. they will be flying all in your face but usually dont land on ya as much dont get me wrong they will sting you but I have had better luck keepin a saw in hand and completed a lot of jobs this way same day dont be scared

dont swat at them that makes them mad

:agree2:
Yeah,I know what you mean about the smoking saw deal.I have added a little extra 2 cycle a few times when in a tree with bees while they were pollinating,especially while trimming palms with opened seed pods.They don't seem too aggresive then ,and have only been stung once or twice.

This was my first time dealing with an actual hive though.
Other than the africanized ones under my shed.

And BTW welcome to the site.I'm in bradenton,not too far from you .

ive called a bee keeper a few times because of them tearing my A** up when trying trying to work. my best way to get rid of them yet is if thiers a hole in the tree go up and fill the hole full of great stuff the foam insulation in a can its killed them every time so far. but ive also worked for a few people now that wont let you kill the bees.

I will keep that in mind the next time,as some manage to escape the spray I used, wich eventually evaporates,and you have to keep re-applying.
Maybe give them both .Spray them ,then make their hive ,their coffin.










Thanks to all who replied

 

[tomtrees58]

man you think Thar bad hunny bees are nasty tom trees

 

[briggstwiggs]

I'm not sure this is a good idea, Briggs. I used to keep bees, until the flower mites wiped out my hives. Maybe if your chain saw smokes enough. Smoke makes them docile. They think the hive is burning and they gorge themselves with honey. Gorging themselves with honey makes them docile, kind of like too much turkey dinner i guess.

But I definetly confirm they dont like loud noises. My bees were very gentle unless I fired a gun or started a chain saw within 50 yards or so of the hives. Then they would nail me. I definetly HAVE been stung running my chain saw too close to the hives. The work shed where I cleaned and tuned my saws was too close to the hives until I moved them. And, I once (ONCE) set up a bench to site in my rifle too close to them.

Too bad someone did not get to rob the hive. Tupelo gum / Tallo Tree honey, like we have over here and you may have in Florida, is excellent. Its not that hard to do, especially in cool weather. Lots of smoke, a good heavy pair of overalls, gloves, some face protection like you might have on a chain saw or fire fighting helmet, and a hooded sweat shirt will do.

ya your probabley right I guess i was the only one trying to stay calm everyone else were running and swating at them probley pisses them off. it also seems that once you do get stung once then your getting stung all day yes we do have sweet gum trees that is were I find a lot of bee hives as a matter of fact about 1 mounth ago I had a large hive that I did get some honey out of it thought I would take the log home with me but I must of left the queen bee at a stop light or somthin the honey comb was about 6 foot long but it dried up.

 

[pdqdl]

ya your probabley right I guess i was the only one trying to stay calm everyone else were running and swating at them probley pisses them off. it also seems that once you do get stung once then your getting stung all day ...

Yes. You get stung, and then you are carrying the "sting right HERE" pheromone on you. It's like a bulls-eye to them.

 

[briggstwiggs]

Yes. You get stung, and then you are carrying the "sting right HERE" pheromone on you. It's like a bulls-eye to them.

Thanks good to know next time I get stung then Ill look like everyone else running and swating.

 

[danieltree]

I cut a tree down with bees in the base and kept them. I went out the night before i climbed it and wrapped it with screen door material then used lots of duct tape. the next day we topped it blocked it down and loaded the whole hive on the trailer. Its in my back yard and the bees are doing fine. not one sting.​

 

[Fireaxman]

Good way to handle them. I still have a centrifuge, a hot knife, and some gear if you want to make a harvest this spring. The wild comb will be pretty messy to cut the caps off and get into the centrifuge baskets, but it will be worth it.

 

[pdqdl]

I cut a tree down with bees in the base and kept them. I went out the night before i climbed it and wrapped it with screen door material then used lots of duct tape. the next day we topped it blocked it down and loaded the whole hive on the trailer. Its in my back yard and the bees are doing fine. not one sting.​

That is the best way to handle a bee tree that I ever heard of!

That method saves the bees, eliminates stings, all in one effort. It probably wouldn't work for many trees. I can see how you might get them really pissed off, then let them out by accident when a fissure in the trunk was exposed during the removal. Yee haw! Run for your life!

 

[briggstwiggs]

I cut a tree down with bees in the base and kept them. I went out the night before i climbed it and wrapped it with screen door material then used lots of duct tape. the next day we topped it blocked it down and loaded the whole hive on the trailer. Its in my back yard and the bees are doing fine. not one sting.​

Hey great idea when I took my log home i just put it on a trailer and had it tilted up to where the honey was running out into a bucket I got about 1 gal of honey I think i might of drown the queen or something It would of been great to keep them living but I know better next time also i wasnt to gentle with it I just wanted to get it in and out of the truck as quickley as possible. good idea though.

 

[danieltree]

This is the bee tree. Misjudged the size of the hollow so i had to cover the blocks as i took them off then reassemble when I got home.​

 

[voxac30dude]

you guys are lucky you dont have giant black carpenter bee's nests is your tree's like we do in hawaii. those things are the size of some throw bags. throw bags with wings!!!!! hahahaopcorn: