Worlds most expensive beehive

[No_Bivy]

Got a call to remove a dead section of tree to keep the bees......turned into a emergency crane removal three days later........still got the bees though

Tree was a large Scarlett Oak.....dead on one side(4-5 years)....way over a roof on the other, right between two houses.

fresh crack at the base, and completely hollow just below ground

stopped by the day before to put a strap around crack, and scope out bees entrance.....WRAPTOR!

Plan was to cover entrances early before light to contain bees during removal...we hope

got lots of pics....maybe to many, but this removal had it all. Crack time bomb base, bees, tight spot, dead side, big crane, and a little poison ivy for good measure......least it did not rain

 

[woodworkingboy]

Wow, widow maker there. Looks like they kind of waited....

 

[MasterBlaster]

We just kill them, here. I don't like it but there's nothing I can do about it.

Nice pics, good job!

 

[No_Bivy]

After getting a pre-dawn, start I wraptored up with wire mesh to cover the two bee entrances

70 ton AT...radius was 80 ft....

this is a few picks into the start of the crown removal......

 

[woodworkingboy]

You guys are really fortunate that you don't have the giant wasps where you work. It's a whole different ball game when those bad boys are around. One flies by and it's hard to rest without knowing where the nest is.

Great job!

 

[No_Bivy]

Wow, widow maker there. Looks like they kind of waited....

Lady did wait...no money. She died unexpectedly, and her heirs took care of it

 

[No_Bivy]

a few more....lemme know if you get bored.....havent got to the bees yet

The dead side was the crux. had to pick the whole section. I put straps on everything in case it blew out

 

[SkwerI]

Sweet job, John. And you make it look easy.

 

[No_Bivy]

more.....

limbs off the back were a little tricky

 

[No_Bivy]

the bee part.......fire up the smoker incase I accidently cut into the colony....

the bee log pick was 3500lbs. Came down and whittled it down to a 1000lbs piece. I was a crap shoot if I would cut into it. I just missed the bottom of the comb. You can see bees between the comb if you look close..the saw made them all move up...which was good. I missed cittin into top too.

No one got stung, all the bees were contained

We set it on to a piece of plywood for a bottom, then crane it onto a trailer

 

[MasterBlaster]

You had a good photographer! I can never get one...

 

[No_Bivy]

more of the bee part...

 

[pantheraba]

Cutting edge stuff, John...good pictures. That was a serious crack for sure. Post all the picts you have...

 

[No_Bivy]

You had a good photographer! I can never get one...

My two guys tried to get every pick....but a few where missed cuz of chipping. Also it was an ideal spot.....city road closure.

My last two crane gigs where impossible to get good picks.....figured yall would like this one

the final ones...........6k on the butt log

 

[No_Bivy]

crack closed up after about 15k was removed from the crown.

the strap was "cheap insurance"...at least I was hoping

 

[gf beranek]

cool, would like to have been there.

 

[pantheraba]

crack closed up after about 15k was removed from the crown.

the strap was "cheap insurance"...at least I was hoping

I wondered what the crack would finally do...thanks for telling. Your past bee experience really came in handy...good shot of using bee net PPE while in the tree.

 

[woodworkingboy]

You get those slings all tight on your picks, that is fine work.

 

[Blinky]

Nice.

 

[lumberjack]

Very nice.

 

[rumination]

Most excellent work John. And a beehive in a log to boot! Are you going to extract them from the log next spring?

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Awesome pics and work John.. You da man.

 

[stig]

Did you put the net over the holes the night before the takedown?

Neat way to get a swarm, really.

We don't get bored by lots of pictures, we're tree guys!

 

[NeTree]

First-rate job, John!

 

[stehansen]

Excellent job John. How many tree guys could have pulled that off. A large and tricky removal and save the bee hive.