Too Bee or Not to Bee

Wild Bee Hive from Below
Originally uploaded by Beaver w/ a Toothbrush

Like many of our friends and family, I was a nervous about capturing a hive of wild bees. I had visions of swarms of angry bees chasing Husband and I around an unfamiliar neighborhood. I feared the possibility that someone was allergic to bees and didn't know it. But we had the equipment and Husband was determined. We were going to catch these bees.

The hive hung in an overgrown citrus tree on a back easement. It was draped over multiple branches. We didn't have the tools to prune the tree, get up to the bees, or contain them on our first trip so we had to go home and plan our return.

We loaded the truck and arrived to collect the bees Monday evening. I was satisfied with our gear and preparations, particularly the bee suits. We suited up and lit the smoker. Some of the comb had fallen since our last visit -- either from wind or record-high heat -- and bees were covering it where it lay. After Husband trimmed a hole in the tree so he could access the hive, he smoked the bees and started moving the broken comb pieces.

The ladder we brought was useless because the tree was too bushy. So Husband balanced on the lowest branches while I stood ready to hand him tools. He lopped away some of the smaller branches around the hive. Then, while holding the branch protruding from the hive with one hand, he wedged the loppers against his chest and used his other hand to cut the hive away from the tree. The bees were agitated by the movements and by Husband being so close to their home but they didn't attack.

He then climbed down from the tree and I helped him carry the hive to the boxes we set out ahead of time. We lowered the hive into the boxes, trimmed extra branches, and waited. We hoped that by dusk the bees flying around would find the hive and go inside so we could take them all. We picked up the rest of our gear and talked to the homeowner (a lady who rescues cats and dogs). Finally, we just sat near the hive and counted bees as they flew inside.



We kept saying we were going to go but there were still so many bees outside the hive. We watched and waited as some bees flew in while others flew out. Close to nightfall the last bee finally found it's way inside and we put the screen cover over the top and blocked the front entrance. Then we put the box in the back of the truck and headed home.

We set the hive box among some mesquites and the bees are beehaving. No bee or human injuries were reported.