# Found a exposed hive, what do I do?



## NorthstarMama (Sep 26, 2014)

I found this hive hanging off my parents home. They have been away most of the summer so the bees have been happily working away. I'd rather not kill them and had planned on eventually keeping a hive on my own property, can I save these?


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## Santa Caras (Aug 14, 2013)

I'll let the mor expierenced swarm cathers answer....but def yes, it can be saved.....you just got a bee hive!
You'll need a hive box to keep them in and as for transferring it to the box...I'll let others chime in.


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## hideawayranch (Mar 5, 2013)

wow, that is crazy. So you are in New York? If you are, and you don't take them they will die. What a great picture of a cluster of bees. Get a ladder, a bee vacuum, and frames and hive box. Suck the bee, gently!!! Cut the comb off gently and rubber bank them in place into empty frames. Install them in a hive body with all brood on the interior of the configuration. You may end up having to supplement feed them through the winter for them to pull through


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## NorthstarMama (Sep 26, 2014)

Yes, I'm in NY. I was shocked to see this as the nights have been pretty chilly lately. I know I need to act fast since they haven't protected themselves at all! Any suggestions for a DIY really quick home for these guys?


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## hideawayranch (Mar 5, 2013)

Ya know, bees are pretty darn resourceful. I would say any box will do, it's better than what they have now. You will need frames though, because the comb has to stand up in the same fashion that you remove it. I've done all types of weird stuff, when necessary, and the bees are very forgiving. I've blended top bars and langstroth together if it was all I had. The thing to think about will be that in the spring they will begin going bonkers and growing before you know it and you don't want a mess on yours hands that you can't change. If you don't have actual frames build some, without worry as to dimensions to much. 4 sides is all you need and a way to hang them near on another.


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## ruthiesbees (Aug 27, 2013)

That has got to be one of the easiest hive rescues...Do you really need a bee vac? If you have 2 people up on a ladder, I would think you could cut the combs off gently and place them in a box. Once you get down the ladder, then they can be banded into frames and rehived. But I'd think the bees will follow the comb and brood without the need to get a vac involved.


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## NorthstarMama (Sep 26, 2014)

Once I have a box and frames made (will do tonight, fortunately I have a lot of wood), when is the best time of day to actually go after and divide the hive? How long should I leave the box in the orginal location to allow the bees to move in before I relocate them?


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## jaked007 (Apr 16, 2014)

Have you ever handled bees before, do you have a veil, and gloves for your protection. If the answer is no I fear this could be an unpleasant first encounter. The methods described above are good information, but are some very advanced for someone who has never handled bees before.


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## stan.vick (Dec 19, 2010)

I'd contact a local bee club or ask someone on this forum to help you by supplying the equipment and helping you transfer them, as has been stated this would be easy for an experienced beek, but may turn out to be a useless endeavor for an inexperienced person. You could either offer to pay, or make a deal where you are to get a split off the hive in the spring, this would give you time to order the needed equipment and the bees would have a better chance of making it through the winter under the care of an experienced beek.


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## Joseph Clemens (Feb 12, 2005)

*Re: Found an exposed hive, what do I do?*

I agree with jaked007 and stan.vick, though turning this wild hive into a colony in a modern hive, is a simple matter for someone experienced in handling bees and combs. It would likely be over-the-top for a novice. If possible I'd contact a local beekeeping club, see if they can get you in touch with a beekeeper in your area, who would be able to assist.


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## burns375 (Jul 15, 2013)

*Re: Found an exposed hive, what do I do?*



Joseph Clemens said:


> If possible I'd contact a local beekeeping club, see if they can get you in touch with a beekeeper in your area, who would be able to assist.


Yes, ask a club to assist you. And let them know you'de like to help and keep the hive. Those combs will be sooo fragile, and they will definately not make is thru winter. Must be a late season swarm, the combs look too new. I wouldn't rule out the possibility there is more hive is inside the eave.


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## Riverderwent (May 23, 2013)

"when is the best time of day to actually go after and divide the hive?"
Midday is good. This is because the queen will be there, but there will be fewer worker bees in the hive. This is an easy removal or "cutout" for someone who has been keeping bees, but hard and somewhat dangerous, if you have no experience. This situation is more common in the springtime. So some of us are suffering from swarm withdrawal and wish this was close to us. To give you an idea of what is involved to remove this hive: I would likely get a bottom board, two 8-frame medium depth hive boxes, an inner cover, a telescoping outer cover, and sixteen empty medium depth (6 5/8") frames. I would put 4 to 6 rubber bands around eight of the frames to hold the wax honeycomb in place. Watch out for power lines. Bringing along a bee veil, gloves, a smoker, a queen cage, a ladder, a bread knife, a bee brush, a dustpan, a ratchet strap, a good friend, and no exposed skin, I would gently cut out each piece of comb and cut it to fit a frame and rubber band it into the frame. You are mainly concerned about getting the honeycomb that contains brood (eggs, larvae, and capped pupae) near the center of the cluster of bees. The liquid nectar, capped honey, and dried (usually red, yellow, or brown colored) pollen in the comb around the top and margins is less critical at the moment. Keep the comb oriented up and down as it was originally. The queen will have a large wasp-like rear end. If you spot her, put her in the queen cage and put that in one of the boxes that will hold the frames. The rest of the bees will go where she goes. In any event, many of the bees will (usually) follow the comb. Using the dustpan and a large feather or soft brush, gently place the rest of the bees in the box with the honeycomb. At this point, there will be bees flying everywhere. You will question your judgment and this advice, and you will want to give up. Don't. 
Put what you can in the box with the frames. Close it up, leaving a one or two square inch opening. Leave it within 10 or 15 feet of the original hive but out of direct sun. come back after dark the same day, close the entrance (smoke any bees on the outside a little to coax inside the box or allow them to stay outside and ride with the box), and remove and relocate the hive to its new location. Now, watch several YouTube videos of bee removals. And find the nearest friendly beekeeper that you can. Cheers,


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