# How to remove a outside hive ?



## Frgrasso (Dec 18, 2014)

A guy wants a hive removed off the siding of 
A vacant house , it looks like there's comb 
In the middle of the pile of bees on the 
Siding , what's the best way to hive this 
Cluster ?


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## Riverderwent (May 23, 2013)

"what's the best way to hive this Cluster ?

I would set up a hive with two eight frame boxes with four frames in each box and space in the middle to put the bees. I would put a queen excluder between the bottom board and the bottom box and put two drops of lemon grass oil in the hive. Then I would suit up, get on a ladder, brush the bees in a bucket then dump them in the hive, making several trips up the ladder. I would brush any remaining bees off the siding then spray the siding with some BeeQuick. I would put the rest of frames in the hive and take it away after dark. You really only need to get one particular bee in box and the rest will come. I would have the bee vac ready just in case. If the bees are inside the wall, it's a different ball game.


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## Frgrasso (Dec 18, 2014)

I was gonna do this but with a 10 frame deep 
Iam hoping the queen is in the middle of this 
Cluster of bees , Iam not about to pull the 
House apart to get at her & there is some 
Exposed comb under the bees


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## Frgrasso (Dec 18, 2014)

Also should I light the smoker for this event ?


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## Riverderwent (May 23, 2013)

"Also should I light the smoker for this event ?"

I would not out of concern that to do so would chase the bees into the recesses of the wall.


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## lemmje (Feb 23, 2015)

Frgrasso said:


> Also should I light the smoker for this event ?


Always.


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## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

lemmje said:


> Always.


believe it or not there are some instances where a smoker can be counter productive. As a general rule I say always keep a lit smoker handy but in this case I think the use could be counter productive.


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## lemmje (Feb 23, 2015)

Tenbears said:


> believe it or not there are some instances where a smoker can be counter productive. As a general rule I say always keep a lit smoker handy but in this case I think the use could be counter productive.


Cool. Will you elaborate?


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

Bee vac. 

I will opt to use a smoker only as a last resort in a removal situation. If the bees get to the point that they are in the full on attack mode, THEN I will use the smoker. Bees tend to fill up on honey then expel it on the ride home. Makes for real sticky, mostly dead bees in a short time.


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## lemmje (Feb 23, 2015)

Mr.Beeman said:


> I will opt to use a smoker only as a last resort in a removal situation.


I agree there, but the question was, "Should i light a smoker" I always light it, that way if i need it it is ready to go and i am not trying to get it going. So i stick by my answer: Light it.


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## Frgrasso (Dec 18, 2014)

So this is my plan today , it suppose to be 80 and sunny 
Here , Iam bringing a 10 frame deep with 5 frames installed 
And a space in the middle to dump the bees in , I'll suit up 
And use my bee brush to brush them in a bucket until I get 
Most of them in the hive body , then I'll scrap whatever comb 
Is on the siding ( hopefully has brood , eggs in it ) and place 
In the hive between frames , if I find the queen in this mess 
Iam good to go


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## Fergus (Jan 27, 2015)

By the look of the newer pieces of siding, it seems likely there has been a repair made in this area. The bees made have found a way to enter the wall here. I would be willing to bet they are in the wall.


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## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

Double post


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## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

lemmje said:


> Cool. Will you elaborate?


The bees are outside the building although they may be bearded around an actual entrance to a hive, smoking them will simply drive them into the hive, If they are in fact simply an exposed hive smoking them will sent many bees and most assuredly the queen into the small cracks and crevasses of the lap shingles. Resulting in a queenless capture meaning the bees will return to the spot where the queen is hidden rather than to the box at dark. 

When looking for a virgin queen smoking is often counter productive as the foragers within the hive and nurse bees on the top of the bars run down between the bars and create confusion within the hive. Making finding a trim virgin near imposable.


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## larryh (Jul 28, 2014)

Frgrasso said:


> So this is my plan today , it suppose to be 80 and sunny
> Here , Iam bringing a 10 frame deep with 5 frames installed
> And a space in the middle to dump the bees in , I'll suit up
> And use my bee brush to brush them in a bucket until I get
> ...


I would surely take all ten frames, you don't want them falling out while your driving. Rubber band the comb into frames.


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## Frgrasso (Dec 18, 2014)

Thanks for everyone's help ! I did pretty good on 
Removing the hive today , I found the queen 
Within minutes, she was a marked queen and 
Was just at the top of the comfort they built 
I took her , the entire piece of comb and all 
The bees I could brush off the house. So this 
Was a swarm that just started setting up home 
Weird thing is the guy told me the same hive 
Was there last year , it's a abandoned house


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## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

Not really weird. I remove bees from an abandoned building in the exact same place every year. It is for sure empty when I am done. new bees move in to old hives, that is why swarm traps are so effective.


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