bee relocation in cool/colder temps

[charles mann]

a while back, i stopped by a place where the state/county road and bridge crews dump logs/trees, along with other dunnage. i came across some logs that look to be live oak with 1 of the logs having an active bee hive in it. over the past yr or so, iv stopped by to see if any more salvageable wood has turned up, and some have. i plan on rescuing the logs, some look to be as in a topic in the sawmill section, sunken at some point, but they could have been washed up against sand bar, bank or bridge piling and been battered by other debris and water for yrs. iv inquired to the local rental place about a cabbed hoe with a thumb to retrieve the logs, including the 1 with the bees living in them. i plan to do load the bee hive logs on a cool windy night (stopped by to check on the logs a couple weeks ago coming back from houston 1 cool windy night) since I'm hopping the temp, time and windy will have them in  somewhat of a hibernating state. since cooler weather is coming along, but tx weather bing what it is, it is very likely to warm up too, but relocate the logs to the house and set up a couple supers with some bee food and a warming light on the hive. 
 
for those that might know or know someone to talk to, WILL this type of transfer work? i know a lot depends on if i can get the queen to locate to the box hive instead of residing in the log. what success could i be looking at and or method of coaxing the queen out of the log and into the box hive? 

since the hoe is to heavy (18,000#) to transport it and the bee logs home at the same time, i plan to use my bumper pull to load the logs onto and after a couple hrs in the cool night after being loaded, use a mesh laundry bag on each end and tack it to the log using roofing tacks to keep the majority of the bees in the log then take hm and off load with my tractor, then going back for the remainder of the salvage logs, loading them onto either my gn to make the salvaging/transport faster and in 1 move, then going back to get the hoe, hopping someone hasn't stolen it in the hrs or so it takes to transport and off load then go back for the hoe. 

[WV Sawmiller]

   I have known of people putting a hive body with frames of wax and a cover over a cut off stump full of bees and the queen moved up and started laying. New brood in the hive body is proof she has been there (Duuh!). Then they simply lifted it and put it on a bottom board and moved it to a new location. I have always been told to move the hive one hive width per day or move it several miles away or the scout and worker bees would return to the previous location and die. I don't know the percentage success rate they have and suspect part of it is how close the queen is working to the entrance.

  If you know exactly where the entrance hole is in the tree you might want to smoke them back inside then seal the entrance with a stopper or tape or such then reopen it after you move the log to its new location. Good luck.

EDIT: Actually using screen wire is probably better so they don't get too hot - I caught a swarm in an ice chest one time when I was at Auburn, bought a hive and dumped them in it only to find they had all died in the heat.

[charles mann]

Finding the hole is easy. Its about a 10" opening in at least 1 end of the log. 
When i stopped on my way back from houston, it was in the low 60s with winds around 10 knots and bees were "sleeping" around the entrance. The other log had bees on it too, some in the checking and a bunch outside of the log. The distance from locations is about 15-20 miles linear distance, so then finding their way back would be very slim. 

My plan is for this to be done on a very cool night at the very least and leave the logs, once loaded, alone for a couple hrs to let them calm down and try to go back sleep. Then put the mesh bag over the entry hole/s of the logs. 

Tonight would be prime, temps suppose to dip down into mid 30s with 10-15 knot winds. But i had surgery mon and im just learning how to move around the house on crutches and this past sat, i shoved a 3" stob in the plastic tank on the radiator of my tractor. Kubota wants $960 for a new rad, but found a new aftermarket for $200. Gonna order the aftermarket, hope its correct, pull up a bucket and talk the wife through the installation process. I go back to the va for follow up i think on the 12th. No complications and im able to use just 1 crutch and the rental place has the hoe that weekend, im gonna rent it and start with the relocation. 

Im hopping a heat lamp and a tarp will provide enough heat and protection from the elements till i can get a super set up this spring and get them transferred. 

Im hopping if they move, the honey will be used up during the winter, comb "dried" up and be able to mill the log with the comb. 

[A-z farmer]

Honey bees do not fly very much when it is below 50 degrees but they seem to bee able to fly out if they are disturbed at any temperature.They do not need any extra heat because they only heat their cluster when cold .Cold does not kill honey bees but moisture does so they need good ventilation.If you get the logs I would wear some protection handling them .honey bees are great at finding holes we did not even know we had .
Good luck 
Zeke

[Southside]

Those bees are highly unlikely to move this time of year, if they do the hive will die - they won't be able to get any food.  Starting this time of year hives will sometimes starve to death trying to keep brood warm and won't go to the honey comb even though it's literally only inches away, and still in the hive.  The honey they have stored in the comb right now is food until the spring flow starts.  In theory you could re-hive them, but you would need to be sure you got the queen into the new box and all the comb, the drones would follow her at that point, but it's a big risk.  If you were talking frames in a hive I would say you have a fair chance of getting it to work - from a log into a top bar - maybe, into a langstroth style hive, I doubt it.

Why not bring the log home bees and all and let them winter over in the log? Put out a swarm trap in the spring and go from there.  I prefer swarm catches over box bees as they are much more hardy. Kind of akin to a range cow vs one in a free stall barn.