Newly deployed Cathedral Top Bar Hive

The bees are in charge at hive No 1 and reminded me with a full on attack to my forehead at 5.30pm today. Their mood seemed much altered from the earlier days of settling in to their location in Courtenay's garden. The wind is fresh from the south east. Honey stores and brood are building well and they have much more at stake to defend.  Latest Images
At the outlying site farther afield hive No 2 is also deployed, in addition to a bait hive, which is located just below a colony deep within the brickwork of a farm building.
Almost immediately the scouts began investigating the two hives, so I was hopeful they would choose to move in. After waiting several days and with no progress towards a move by the bees, I plan to use a trap out method for their removal from the barn.  Plan B will involve the use of a one-way funnel to allow escape but prevent re-entry through the hole in the wall. The bait hive is to be deployed close to the funnel base and the bees hopefully will choose to move inside, including the queen with any luck. 

This late in the year they will need feeding and ongoing support through the winter months in order to boost any chance of survival.

Bees within the brickwork of the studio / barn.

Allowing trapped bees to escape. The dark patches here seen along the joint line between brickwork and blockwork are the bees at their entry point. 

Vacuuming the bees was not successful - Several perished - Entry/exit point inside sealed up.

A rescue operation was first accomplished of bees trapped inside the building., They could find no escape from behind the non opening window. The method was removal of a pane of glass reachable by shinning up an extending ladder.

Half size bait hive attracts attention but since removed for minor alterations pending the trap out.

A trap out will be required to re-locate this colony. The window pane top right of the picture had to be removed in order to rescue some.

Attracting attention from scout bees. Unlike No 1. hive this No 2. hive has two entrances - one each side low down, so that is can be utilised for combining or splitting colonies. Phil Chandler Explains - Get his book !

Swarm capture with a yacht mast

While tending the hive in the garden yesterday, Winn came back with news of bees seen swarming in the Churchyard down the road, so we all wandered down to check out the sight. Yes, there was a swarm, almost twenty feet up into a crab apple tree. A bait trap laced with attractant was hung out from a lower branch and left over night.
This morning no movement was detected - the swarm still intact but out of reach. So at 8am the solution presents itself and my dinghy mast retrieved from Coomb Cellars and brought home. A large plastic box was tied securely at the top of the mast and Courtenay and me donned our bee suits and gloves. The balancing act of trying to manoeuvre this unwieldy assembly then saw us doing some sort of Morris Dance amongst the gravestones as the box was inched closer to the swarm.  Once we were satisfied the box was within inches of the swarm and directly underneath, one sharp thrust of the mast upwards and against the branch dislodged the complete swarm, which fell into the box.
The chaotic lowering of the mast to the horizontal almost ended in disaster as the weight of swarm and box combined meant that the mast could only just be lowered to the ground without a loss of control. The ground quite uneven and peppered with molehills. Courtenay took a tumble and rolled across the path. Cries of unholy mirth rang out across the churchyard. Those souls departed whose bones lay beneath our feet would be rocking in the aisle beyond heaven's gate, should they be awake and watching.
As soon as the box touched ground we were able to let go of the mast, and gingerly attach a lid to confine the bees, leaving it slightly ajar. A retreat was made, and after coffee we returned to find calm once more,  the swarm safely contained - the stragglers from high in the tree had flown down into the midst of the swarm which was then taken back to a hive ready and waiting. Prepared  with several bars of foundation and three partly drawn out combs which will give them a head start. By mid day we declared mission accomplished. 

By midday Courtenay's hive was housing  the newly collected swarm

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