# Sept cutouts



## Gatorgitter (Jul 28, 2015)

I live in eastern Sc and was wondering what the chances of saving a cut out this late.


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

Slim to none, unless you can rob stores from other hives.
The bees will light you up this time of year. I stop removals in Aug.


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## Mike Gillmore (Feb 25, 2006)

You have a slightly better chance at success than we would up north. But I agree you would need at the very least all drawn comb, preferably with stores. Winter is right around the corner but in SC your bees will have a little more time to build up some brood. If you can wait until spring that would be best, but if the cut out has to be done immediately try hiving them in a double nuc set up and hope for the best.


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

Chances? Depends on if you have another colony to unite them with. (have several)
Did a cutout today and will be doing another on Saturday. It's not the best time of year but if someone gives me the choice between making a rather significant chunk-o-change or not. (think brand-new extractor) I am doing it. The choice is me or an exterminator. The bees have a poor chance of survival but they have a way better chance with me. There are times when "wait until spring" is not acceptable and today was one of them times.

Oh, I have 5 nucs mating queens. These bees will be just fine. They have friends.

Got stung many times. Gloves looked like pin cushions. Dead bees everywhere. It was like the siege of Atlanta.
However I did recover 8# of bees, a tub of honey, and a tub of brood.


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## cjfoster72 (May 30, 2013)

I did a cutout yesterday here in central Illinois and got zero stings. They were barely even landing on me...very docile. Genetics must have as much to do with it as time of year.


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

cjfoster72 said:


> I did a cutout yesterday here in central Illinois and got zero stings. They were barely even landing on me...very docile. Genetics must have as much to do with it as time of year.


Was inside a wooden column. We had to cut it open, take the bees, then put back what we cut out. They got angry when the weather changed from nice to cloudy and windy. Was like a switch got flipped to mean. Wasn't that bad. If it was queenless...OMG I don't wanna go there.


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

I had to pass on a removal today and it would have been cake someone cut a dead limb they were afraid would fall on their car when it hit the concrete driveway it busted wide open exposing the colony


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## Gatorgitter (Jul 28, 2015)

Thanks, that what I thought, got them to hold off till March. That makes four this week , next spring is looking good.


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## cjfoster72 (May 30, 2013)

It clouded up and even started raining while we were doing the cutout and they never tempered up...guess we got lucky...


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

Got the most gravy cutout call today. While demolishing a house they found bees in a wall. We said, "could you grab that wall with your bucket and move it over there"? No problem. Took a grand total of 3 hours to find the queen and get almost all the bees and we could have taken home a bonus raccoon if we wanted a baby one. 

They were going to get put into a dumpster, hauled to the dump, and buried if not for us.
The owner asked me if I needed a bee yard too. 
Score!


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