on your bike!

[MuswellMetro]

quite a diffuclt one to remove without crushing bees ( from Harringey North London)

 

[Hachi]

I have an idea how I would approach it but how did you get on MM?

 

[MuswellMetro]

I have an idea how I would approach it but how did you get on MM?

The wheels were tied to the frame/mud guards with cable ties so the wheels/ chain could not move. Then the bike was bounced up and down and the bees fell onto the pavement A skep basket was then placed over the mass of bees on the pavement,,,,with hindsight it would have been better to have quickly put a sheet under the bike before bouncing it, second one in the same area

 

[Gilberdyke John]

The wheels were tied to the frame/mud guards with cable ties so the wheels/ chain could not move. Then the bike was bounced up and down and the bees fell onto the pavement A skep basket was then placed over the mass of bees on the pavement,,,,with hindsight it would have been better to have quickly put a sheet under the bike before bouncing it, second one in the same area

I wonder what was so attractive about the bike as a place to cluster? Did you do anything to clear residual pheremones on the bike after removal or is the hapless owner looking forward to becoming a sort of pied piper for bees

 

[B+.]

I have an idea how I would approach it but how did you get on MM?

I'd have lifted the bike, slid a sheet under it, then jarred the bike down hard onto the sheet. The bees would fall as a clump onto the sheet. Then, remove the bike and fold up the corners of the sheet encassing the swarm. Take it away to an apiary and let them run up a ramp into a spare box....I would say that the skep was unnecessary, but, it gives them somewhere dark as a temporary home.

 

[Swarm]

Didn't consider just riding off to your apiary?

 

[MuswellMetro]

I'd have lifted the bike, slid a sheet under it, then jarred the bike down hard onto the sheet. The bees would fall as a clump onto the sheet. Then, remove the bike and fold up the corners of the sheet encassing the swarm. Take it away to an apiary and let them run up a ramp into a spare box....I would say that the skep was unnecessary, but, it gives them somewhere dark as a temporary home.

This was in a very busy shopping area. so without a skep there would have been a large number of stragglers and a skep ( well a homebase raffia basket ) adds to the mystery for the bystanders as the bees seem to walk in like magic ( i always wear my No1 white beesuit rather than my usual khaki work beesuit...white is what they expect)

 

[Hachi]

My method would have been very similar to MM's save for the cable ties I didn't think of that but its a cracking idea and one which, is now firmly in the armoury.

 

[wessexmario]

If you didn't have cable ties, you could have just as easily held a wheel steady in each hand around the frame/fork to do the bounce.
I wouldn't normally think of carrying cable ties with a swarm kit. There's no end of places a swarm might settle, it'd be impossible to cater for every situation in advance, but good thinking.

 

[MuswellMetro]

If you didn't have cable ties, you could have just as easily held a wheel steady in each hand around the frame/fork to do the bounce.
I wouldn't normally think of carrying cable ties with a swarm kit. There's no end of places a swarm might settle, it'd be impossible to cater for every situation in advance, but good thinking.

i carry long cable ties to fix wild comb to a wired super frame (just in case they have settled a long time and made comb'''i don't do cut outs now though unless i am asked very very nicely)