Bee Hive Relocation

Spring is here and the bees are swarming on St. John.  So much so that a swarm decided to make our outdoor shower their new home!  Last week I noticed buzzing around our newly installed wall sconces.  Since the fixtures were original to the house, repurposed for the outdoor shower, I assumed the buzzing was due to wiring and figured I'd get the electricians to take a look at the sconces again.  The next day George looked up and there they were!  

A new swarm making their home in the eves and rafters above one of the fixtures, protected by the stone work in the shower, but prominent on the deck.  At first there were just a few handful of bees, but this is what it looked like by the end of the week! 

I called my friend and fellow beekeeper, Glenn, to help me relocate them over the weekend. Since bee class, Glenn has taken beekeeping beyond our entry level education with more that 10 hives of his own and dozens of bee relocations under his belt.  I, on the other hand, hadn't worked with bees in over a year and was excited but nervous.


The bees were wedged in a crevice and required removal of the metal roof tiles and fascia to reach the hive.  Luckily Glenn is a carpenter by trade.  I worked the smoker while Glenn worked on taking apart the roof.

Although the hive was just about a week old, the bees had made quite a bit of comb and nectar.

We scooped out the bees and placed them in the super along with the combs.  We placed the box near the hive and left it there until dark so that we could relocate as many bees as possible.  

We didn't get the queen so Glenn came back the next morning for round two with a new box and pheromones to attract the remaining bees and coax the queen out of hiding. 

No luck catching the queen by nightfall, she had flown away, but the hive was successfully removed and relocated.  We sprayed ammonia where the hive was to eliminate the scent and deter bees from coming back.  The next day I had the stone mason alter the shower design to close off the crevices in the stone work, just in case.

Glenn took the bees home and added them to his existing hives.  I have way to much going on at the moment to keep bees, but I plan on having my own hive by next spring.

CC