Beekeepers is this is true ???

[TexasTimbers]

My fireman buddy calls about an hour ago and says I gotta go over to their town (the thriving metropolis of Ector, Texas) and cut down a 36 - 40" Pecan tree too big for any chainsaw they got. But I can't come til after dark to do it. So I says "Hmmm. This sound real peculialar whassup with this - you know I quit stealin trees after you busted me out of the joint last time."

He says "I can't remember, are you scareda bees?" Oh DanG. Nope not as long as they ain't stinging me. Well good cause this dead Pecan is plumb full of honey bees and we got to get this tree down. He says the bee keeper will be there to keep them off of me but they won't be a problem at night nayway so I have no worries.

This don't sound kosher. Wonder if my buddy is pullin another some kinda practical joke on me. Why can't the Bee fella  just smoke 'em out and capture them

[Tom]

You can't smoke'm out and capture them  Here's the science to smoke.  If the smoke is wood oriented, they think the hive is in danger and gorge themselves on honey so that they can save it.  When Gorged they are not only a bit calmer, but they can't get their abdomen turned under very good to sting you.  That's why you don't get stung much when you smoke bees.

During the day, most of the hive *the older ones, are out foraging and are in and out of the hive with nector.  There are guard bees protecting the hive too.  At night, all of the bees are home.  Unless the hive is sealed up, you can get into double trouble after dark because all of them are there.  Most bees are captured or moved after dark because they are all in the hive and you leave fewer bees lost in the field.  Lost bees are dead bees.  It isn't common for a bee to be accepted into a hive other than her own.

If the hive is way up in the tree, you might not be bothered anyway... until the tree hits the ground.

What I would want to happen is for the bee keeper to seal the hive with a trap. (a cone that allows the bees to go only one way.)  Then catch the bees as the go to work in the morning and seal them into a hive.   Or, if it is possible, seal the hive at night after they all come home.

Whatever.  If you saw on a bee tree,  make sure you have a bee helmet and veil, gloves, long sleeved shirt and tape the wrists and ankles.  Check the beekeeper out for spares.

[farmerdoug]

Besides what Tom has said, Bee Trees are hollow somewheres otherwise there would be no place for the bees.  Most bee trees cut around here are not worth sawing.  And yes bees will find you and sting at night too.  They may not see you well at night but with 30-50 thousand angry bees looking for a target you will be found.  And one sting will get you hundred more because they will be able to smell you from the first sting. 

Kevjay,  One more word of warning.  You are in killer bee territory so even just starting your chainsaw could get you in trouble.  If the tree really has to go, cut it in the day time went you can see what you are doing.  If you use a light at night to see so can the bees see it too.  And get the beekeeper to let you use a bee suit that fits right too.  Bees maybe small but the numbers can kill you quick.

Farmerdoug

[Haytrader]

This just happened to be on ABC News out of Wichita, Ks. at 10 tonight.

 http://www.kake.com/home/headlines/7753392.html

On the video it showed a beekeeper scooping up the bees and putting them in a hive.
He wore no hood or protective clothing.
Don't ask me how he kept from getting stung.

[Tom]

When bees are swarming, their mind is on starting a new hive and not losing the queen.  It's seldom one gets stung when handling a swarm.  If you do, it's not many stings.   

Thats how people put bees all over themselves for world record pictures, etc. They find the queen or use one of their own and place it on their head.  the swarm moves to the queen to take care of her.  Move the queen and the swarm moves too.

When a bee keeper captures a swarm, all he has to do is shake the branch or cut the branch and move the bees to a hive box.  Once the queen is in there, the bees don't want to go anywhere else.   He seals the box and goes home. 

[TexasTimbers]

Well everything went well. Quite well actually. It was what was promised and more. I took pictures to show you what I mean, but when I left the shop a little before dark I left the camera cord. I remembered my camera though and tomorrow I will post pictures of what all was inside of that very hollow (the whole length) tree that was indeed full of bees. No one got a single sting.

But I came home with more than what I bargained for.

You'll just have to see tomorrow.

[JAMES G]

I took part in an event such as that once we had bees in a tree on a construction site and the bees and the tree had to go. so we went at night and put window screen over the entrance and came back next morning and started by smoking the bees to calm them down then we cut all the branches off untill we had nothing but trunk standing then we took small slabs off the top of the trunk untill we cut into the hive as the saw passed threw the top of the hive the bees went down deeper into the hive and we put screen over the top then we cut the trunk down low where there was still solid wood and then had a frontend loader put it on a trailer for us. looking back it was not worth all the trouble  

[TexasTimbers]

I pretty much knew going in I wasn't going to be getting any usable mill wood. The city needed it out of the way. Turns out, their boys had been whittling on it at it already with their undersized, dull chained saws. The did get the rock road that it blocked when it fell clear enough for vehicles to pass. I guess that road taht goes through the marshy part just west of the city gets maybe 3 cars an hour. Maybe.
One thing my buddy had said was "You need to bring thqat moster saw of yours this thing is probably 36" - 40" across" .
When I arrived I thought to myself "Maybe 32"
So when one of them saw the 395XP laying in the back with the 50" bar he said "Man that thing has a Yamaha motorcycle engine on it I want to hear it run!" Geez these Texas quasi-city boys need to get out more. I grabbed Hilda (372xp) with a 32" bar on it, overkill but it was already on and went to work. I'll tell the rest tomorrow.

[TexasTimbers]

Well here's what we found besides bees, and I was going to tell the whole story but seeing how some people don't appreciate my stories I'll just post the pictures. 

[Dan_Shade]

might wanna check into what your state's DNR says about that sort of thing if you're so inclined to be concerned with such activities!

[TexasTimbers]

It's lax here, but the beekeeper said take 'em or they die cause according to him once momma split she ain't coming back. The bar cut one of the babies in half and at least nicked her we think, and the habitat is now gone too. Don't know if he was right but I wouldn't doubt it. She looked like the Tasmanian Devil coming up out of that hole she was still peddling her feet when she airborne.

[PawNature]

I had one when I was younger. A real girl getter. It would ride with its hind feet on the steering column, and front feet on the dash. Mom hated that coon, it would catch her out in the wash house doing laundry and sneek up on her and start patting on her bare feet. Then there would be this terrifing screem. I can still hear it.   

[thurlow]

kevjay..............who-all don't appreciate your stories?   We need to know; counseling may be needed.  My folks had 2 of those.........one each at two different times......after I was grown and married.  They were collected at younger ages than yours.  They had the run of the place.  Reminded me of what Paw said;  Mama would hang the wash out to dry;  the coon loved to play with/pat the wet wash..........especially sheets.  MAMA DIDN'T LIKE THAT.  The couch in the den was high enough off the floor that they could get under it;  you oughta see a preacher's wife when a raccoon.........which she didn't know was there.......reached out and grabbed the back of her ankle.  The first  one got into some anti-freeze in the shop; can't remember, she was about 3 years old.  The second one started leaving home when she was about 2; first time just overnight; started staying longer and longer; eventually she didn't come home. 

[farmerdoug]

Kevjay,

I am willing to let you come up to the farm and collect as many as you want.   They are cute but eat the heck out of my sweet corn.  I shoot them at any given chance around here.

Farmerdoug

[TexasTimbers]

Thurlow, I have heard that from nearly everyone who has had a coon, that they eventually make it back into thew wild. That's out goal too.

Farmerdoug. If I am raising sweetcorn after our coon has made it back into thw wild and she comes around later and eats it I will shoot her too. Just won't tell the kids or wife.

[Fla._Deadheader]

  Kev, ain't nothing wrong with yer stories that a good reading won't fix. 

[TexasTimbers]

Yes you are right I shouldn't be so sensitive. I'm in the mood to share lots of stories.

[farmerdoug]

Kevjay,  I hope that is not a picture of the bee tree you cut down.

More stories please.  That is what life amounts too.  I enjoy stories from others being true or otherwise.  Heck,  that is have the fun being on here.

Farmerdoug

[TexasTimbers]

It never occured to me that someone might think anything I've related about my past experiences would be untrue. It kind of let the wind out of my sails I guess. I guess I have led a much more interesting life than what I realized, and others who have not, cannot comprehend it.

The truth is, I would not think about sharing some of the really intersting things that I have had happen/been involved with/experineced because many times I look back and can hardly believe some it myself.

[farmerdoug]

Kevjay,

I never meant to imply that you have untrue stories, just that I enjoy those too.

I know several people that I take with a grain of salt.  The wilder the story the better sometimes.  Beleive it or not.
 
Farmerdoug