# Found wild colony-cut out or leave til spring?



## aweiss44 (May 8, 2017)

On a tip from a coworker, I found a wild colony of bees living in a fence today(picket fence on both sides of a 4x4). Question is as I'm in NY should I risk cutting them out, getting them in a 10 frame and feeding the heck out of 'em til winter, or let them be and get them in the spring?


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## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

Let them be until Spring.

cchoganjr


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## Kramertep1635 (Apr 6, 2017)

I had done the same only it was in a tree. Left them come back and spring and mice destroyed everything.


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## Tim KS (May 9, 2014)

I agree with Cleo ^^^.


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## enjambres (Jun 30, 2013)

Can you assess from the outside how big a comb mass is in there? 

The best choice would probably be to leave them alone unless you have enough of a surplus of filled honey and pollen frames to supply them for the winter, at least as a small, nuc. 

You could also assist their survival _in situ_ by placing sheets of XPS insulation foam on both sides of the fence. You could create a mouse-protected entrance for them. You could give them a dose of OAV if you have the equipment and it can be fit into the space. You could see if you could jury-rig some way of adding supplemental feed in the late winter.

If the looks of XPS sheets would be undesirable over the winter, it could be painted to match the fence. Many homeowners would be sympathetic to "helping the bees".

Is the fence made of wooden, or plastic?

Nancy


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## roddo27846 (Apr 10, 2017)

I have a similar situation except I am way further South in NC. I found a colony in the walls of an old storage building. I am leaving them until the Spring because I know there is a risk of killing or injuring the queen if I cut them out now. There is probably not enough time or drones for them to make a new queen now. In the Spring that will not be a problem.


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## Beeboy01 (May 20, 2008)

I can't see the hive surviving through the winter unless you do something. I would leave the hive in place and winterize it with insulation and a wind break if possible. A simple mouse guard like a piece of 1/4 inch hardware cloth over the entrance can't hurt. Moving the hive into a box this late in the season could cause all sorts of problems, the first being queen loss as well as not having enough time for the bees to settle in before the winter hits. Any idea as to how long the hive has been in the fence?


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## aweiss44 (May 8, 2017)

I do not know how long the hive has been there., but I would suspect quite a while. There entrance is too small to OAV treat them. I will be leaving them until spring.


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