Humble pie / Cut out !!!!!

After being told about a colony of Honey Bees living in the ground !!!!
I assured them, that they wouldn't be Honey Bees.

However as they were very insistant I went along for a look..

See pics below....

http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s565/Jed-D/untitled2_zpsaaa67239.png

On yes I said, Red Faced....

http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s565/Jed-D/untitled_zpsd0e9339c.png


I'm happy to report that they are Honey Bees. They almost seemed pleased to walk in to their Home..
Living in a cold drain for the winter can't have been much fun....

Nice one Jed.

It's testament to how incredibly adaptable and resilient bees are - particularly when left to their own devices. Makes you wonder what on earth attracted them to a manhole in the first place ... what was actually down there ?

Well done for your efforts to 'rescue' them ....

Was there much comb/brood?

Don't forget to send Derek the man hole cover for thermal properties testing.

Must of been warm in summer with the sun blazing down on it, not much ventilation either.

As ever , I wished we had of taken more pics...
But once I had popped the cover up , it was all systems go to get the brood in a box...
The comb was joined to the underside of the cover as well as both side walls. The deepest piece being around 18 inches, 10 inches across.

There were about 10 pieces of comb, of which 6 had a good size patch of brood on. I've kept the Drone brood to one side for a mite count.

The only other thing in the hole was a big tap / stop cock.
At a guess they had about 10lb of stores although the outside combs was just dry & brittle.
From the info I received ,it seems that they moved in last summer.

We never did see the Queen ' but the Bees started to cluster back in the hole ,until my wife scooped them up, while I lifted the crownboard.
Within minutes of that they were walking in nicely.

This was followed by a trip to the chip shop while they sorted themselves out , we arrived back about 18.00 to block the entrance and take them home...

If only they were all like this.

I never like doing cut outs , because its always a shame to smash up a work of art. Having said this , if we didn't get them out, they would be destroyed..

Our next cut out is booked for two weeks time ( or when its warmer ).
This one is in a Tree due to be felled..

P.S. The 2nd pic shows the company name , this is not for advertising 'but more of a funny for the company notice board..
As a company we cut grass and fell trees , it's only me that does the Bee bit...

P.P.S Brother pete, warm in the summer , Bl**dly freezing in the winter frosts...

Thanks for posting images I'm looking for would to a cut out on Saturday

Hi the D brothers. Another amazing cut out and strange place to set up home. So they were not in the sewers then?
I have seen honey bees going in under stone windowsill in an old terraced cottage with solid walls. The must be in upstairs floor then?

As I understand it this was just an inspection man hole housing a tap / valve. About 18 inches deep, not a drain hatch.
Jed done the work I just advised from 20 miles away, my advice was just get on with it ASAP before they get too big.