Feral Hive removal

While sponsoring the Florida State Beekeepers Association Summer Fling 2010, held at the Pine Jog Environmental Center, the Palm Beach County Beekeepers were asked to remove a feral hive from the elementary school next door.  The hive was nestled amongst some trees about seven feet off the ground. 

 
After trimming away branches surrounding the feral hive the branch that supports the hive was cut and the entire hive lowered into two-deep hive boxes. 

Dowels were driven through the two sides of the box and impaled the hive to give the comb support during transport.

The feral hive in their new home was then moved next door to the Environmental Center.  Feburary 3rd, 2011 we finally got around to opening the hive back up and transferred the comb to medium frames.

Rather than support the feral comb in the frames with rubber bands I take a standard unassembled medium frame and run each of the four sides through a band saw to split each of the four pieces in half.  I drill three small holes down the outer edge of each side piece then assemble each half and join the two halves by stapling a small piece of leather to the bottom for a hinge.  I then string 20# test fishing line through the three holes on each side of the frame to support the comb.  The comb is trimmed to fit the medium frames and laid onto one half of the frame which is then closed like a clam shell.  A staple near each end of the top bar holds the two halves of the frame together. In a short period of time the bees will attach the loose comb to the frame and repair any cells crushed during the transfer.

During the transfer of the comb to the Langstroth frames the bees found my veil and bee suit attractive.