Re: [ACBA Swarmlist] Extraction in Berkeley from Water Meter box on Spaulding (from the ebmud customer affected) First posted yesterday by neighbor
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Robert L Mathews
Aug 14, 2025, 1:11:34 PM8/14/25
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On Aug 13, 2025, at 9:58 AM, Claire Lussier <lussier...@gmail.com> wrote:
Right? There probably hanging off the lid.
Even better, in a rare moment of foresight on my part, I had brought my own home water meter cover to simply switch them out. So I left the comb attached to the existing concrete water meter cover, put it in a nuc box with an extra frame, and took it home like that:
(The concrete water meter cover is at about a 20° angle in the bottom of the nuc box in the last picture, because it's actually a little wider than the box. The existing comb was pressing against itself a little bit but not so much that bees couldn't get out of the gap.)
The whole thing would've taken only about five minutes if it weren't for chatting with the very nice homeowners about bees. Fun!
[moved discussion to Bee Talk to avoid polluting the swarm list]
--
Robert L Mathews
Paula Breen
Aug 14, 2025, 1:17:02 PM8/14/25
to Alameda County Beekeepers Assn.
Smarty pants!
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Robin Chatham
Aug 14, 2025, 1:30:41 PM8/14/25
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That's awesome! I haven't done one with a concrete lid just plastic with recesses to clean up. And no wires involved like irrigation box. Yes smart thinking to swap out the lids. And perfect timing to go at the days end. You rocked it!
Robin Chatham
Gerald Przybylski
Aug 14, 2025, 3:05:39 PM8/14/25
to the-alameda-county-b...@googlegroups.com, Robert L Mathews
I've done those water mete/valve boxes too.
If I have some duct-tape with me I fashion a barrier that I tape to the underside of the lifting-hole.
The obstruction allows the lifting hook to engage but prevents bee smells from escaping, and prevents scouts from entering the volume.
I can't specifically recall a swarm-line call about a swarm moving into the same box a second time, but possible.
Joan Houston
Aug 14, 2025, 4:21:48 PM8/14/25
to The Alameda County Beekeepers Association
Foresight? What a concept!
Mimi
Aug 14, 2025, 11:06:55 PM8/14/25
to the-alameda-county-b...@googlegroups.com, Robert L Mathews, the-alameda-county-b...@googlegroups.com
Every other year a swarm enters the same water meter in Livermore park. I’ve extracted 3 swarms from that particular box over the years.
I've done those water mete/valve boxes too.
If I have some duct-tape with me I fashion a barrier that I tape to the underside of the lifting-hole.
The obstruction allows the lifting hook to engage but prevents bee smells from escaping, and prevents scouts from entering the volume.
I can't specifically recall a swarm-line call about a swarm moving into the same box a second time, but possible.
On 8/14/25 10:11 AM, Robert L Mathews wrote:
On Aug 13, 2025, at 9:58 AM, Claire Lussier <lussier...@gmail.com> wrote:
Right? There probably hanging off the lid.
Yep. This turned out to be prety easy. I did it at dusk so they were mostly all already in the water meter hole, on the comb, then very carefully lifted the lid up using the J-hook on a hive tool... and there they all were, nicely attached.
Even better, in a rare moment of foresight on my part, I had brought my own home water meter cover to simply switch them out. So I left the comb attached to the existing concrete water meter cover, put it in a nuc box with an extra frame, and took it home like that:
<Water-Meter.jpeg>
<Water-Meter-2.jpeg>
<IMG_1221.jpeg>
(The concrete water meter cover is at about a 20° angle in the bottom of the nuc box in the last picture, because it's actually a little wider than the box. The existing comb was pressing against itself a little bit but not so much that bees couldn't get out of the gap.)
The whole thing would've taken only about five minutes if it weren't for chatting with the very nice homeowners about bees. Fun!
[moved discussion to Bee Talk to avoid polluting the swarm list]
--Robert L Mathews
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Maryly Snow
Aug 14, 2025, 11:42:29 PM8/14/25
to The Alameda County Beekeepers Association
BUT HOW or WHY did they all fly into a tiny hole to amass inside??
Maryly
On Aug 14, 2025, at 10:11 AM, Robert L Mathews <r...@tigertech.com> wrote:
On Aug 13, 2025, at 9:58 AM, Claire Lussier <lussier...@gmail.com> wrote:
Right? There probably hanging off the lid.Yep. This turned out to be prety easy. I did it at dusk so they were mostly all already in the water meter hole, on the comb, then very carefully lifted the lid up using the J-hook on a hive tool... and there they all were, nicely attached.Even better, in a rare moment of foresight on my part, I had brought my own home water meter cover to simply switch them out. So I left the comb attached to the existing concrete water meter cover, put it in a nuc box with an extra frame, and took it home like that:
<Water-Meter.jpeg><Water-Meter-2.jpeg>
<IMG_1221.jpeg>(The concrete water meter cover is at about a 20° angle in the bottom of the nuc box in the last picture, because it's actually a little wider than the box. The existing comb was pressing against itself a little bit but not so much that bees couldn't get out of the gap.)The whole thing would've taken only about five minutes if it weren't for chatting with the very nice homeowners about bees. Fun![moved discussion to Bee Talk to avoid polluting the swarm list]--Robert L Mathews
Jerry Przybylski
Aug 19, 2025, 11:06:42 AM8/19/25
to the-alameda-county-b...@googlegroups.com, The Alameda County Beekeepers Association
The smell of wax and anything bee-hive apparently attracts scouts.
It’s how they find out dead-outs in the yard. It’s how and why swarm traps work.
-- Siri apologizes 4 autocomplete errors...
On Aug 14, 2025, at 8:42 PM, Maryly Snow <mar...@snowstudios.com> wrote:
BUT HOW or WHY did they all fly into a tiny hole to amass inside??
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