# Under a fallen tree



## txbeek (May 21, 2013)

You can repair the fence when the temp drops to 50 or below and the bees will be clustered in the hive. I just mowed right in front of 7 hives today with my riding mower and all the girls did was a few came to the entrance to investigate, but none flew. The colder the less likely they are to come out. 

Is the majority of the hive in the broken part or the remaining stump? If in the collapsed part, the fall may have crushed comb and even killed the queen or drowned her in honey. I haven't had any luck saving a hive from a fallen tree. If the majority are still in the standing trunk you may just want to cover the top for rain protection and wait till spring to do a removal. 

If the entire tree fell, I would just carefully drag it away from the fence and do the needed repairs to the fence. Then wait till spring to transfer the hive to a removable comb setup, assuming the bees survive the winter. 

But a bee jacket and gloves are needed if you're getting into beekeeping. Ask Santa for the setup for Christmas, and pray the bees survive the winter.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>...since chainsaw and bees don't mix...

Well, if you have good protective gear many of us have chainsawed a fallen bee tree...


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## Ovejabeja (Nov 13, 2014)

Thank you. When it's the right time I will suit up and cut.


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## Ovejabeja (Nov 13, 2014)

I am almost sure the hive is intact. The tree broke clean at the base and since the hive was in the cavity above the base nothing crushed it. It is also protected from rain. So if I cut a few feet moving away from the roots towards the top I can probably pick it up and put plywood on top as you suggested. The tree is not a small one though so I might have to pick it up with a tractor. Thank you for your advise.


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

Ovejabeja said:


> since chainsaw and bees don't mix. .


Actually, I have found just the opposite. The smoke coming off a chain saw negates the need for a smoker, and, you can saw away with little or no upsetting the bees. Chain saw makes it easy.

cchoganjr


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## jredburn (Feb 25, 2012)

Cleo C. Hogan Jr said:


> Actually, I have found just the opposite. The smoke coming off a chain saw negates the need for a smoker, and, you can saw away with little or no upsetting the bees. Chain saw makes it easy.
> cchoganjr



Cleo,
Remember he is in Texas , not KY. There is a high probability that his bees have some African in them. 
I am in SW Fl and when I put a chain saw to to a tree it is instant bedlam.
Regards
Joe


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

True. if they are AHBs. 

Here in Kentucky it is no problem to cut open logs/stumps, with a chain saw to remove bees.

jredburn.. Just noticed you are not far from my home in Moore Haven, (Lake Okeechobee). Two years ago I had a swarm move into the space between the ground and the floor in one of my shops. I used a chain saw to cut a hole about 14 inches long, by 6 inches wide,in the floor and then placed a box with drawn comb over the hole and let the bees move up. When they started using the hive as the brood chamber, Bevy's Bees came and took them home, (Lehigh Acres). She placed another box over the hole and another swarm moved in. She got those. Now my neighbor says there are bees under the shed again. Chain saw did not bother this bunch of bees. 

cchoganjr


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