+1 for Craigslist! On a whim in between classes yesterday I decided to check Craigslist for honey bees and boy did I get lucky. 10 Mins before I searched a nice gentleman from Sarver, PA made a post looking for a beekeeper to come to his house and remove a fallen tree with a hive of honey bees built in. After my email he got 3 other calls from other beekeepers - he told me I could get the first crack at them.
I thought he might have been exaturating when he told me the segment was 10 feet long and 20"
in diameter but he was right on the money. This sucker was huge! He did however have a nice chainsaw which we put to good use cutting it into a 5foot segment that we were able to lift and place in the back of my SUV. I put a screen over the main entrance and let the bees settle for a few mins then I was off!
These bees looked very unique; they were very brightly colored yellow - the swarms I had been collecting were very dark. These guys looked like chubby little yellow jackets. Beautiful! Right now I'm leaving them near the other hives in the log; the plan is to keep them there over the Winter and maybe hive them in the Spring. Its on its side currently, but a friend at beemaster.com said it would be a good idea to tilt it upright so that they don't abscend. I also plan on giving them a few shots of warm sugar syrup to help get them going these next few weeks.
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