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COLLEGE OF THE MELISSAE Massive bee colony moved to new neighborhood A locust tree containing 40,000 to 50,000 bees was moved from Talent to Ashland Comment By Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 4, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 4, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News ASHLAND — From 40,000 to 50,000 bees have kept their old home but are in a new location. College of the Melissae — a beekeeping program in Ashland — Tuesday moved a 10-foot-long, nearly one-ton locust trunk that houses the bee colony from Talent to Jackson Wellsprings and planted it upright. A 3 1/2-hour operation from pickup to installation was undertaken slowly. Backhoe operator Tony Corsini, a beekeeper, changed strategies as required, re-rigging the trunk at Wellsprings when a first attempt to raise it ran into troubles. “That’s the most delicate thing I have ever done with a backhoe. I’ve never done anything that sensitive,” said Corsini, who has worked in construction and landscaping. “I just wanted to make sure we could get it upright before dark.” Tuesday's operation was the largest colony move ever undertaken by Laura Ferguson, college director. The college moved a 2 1/2-foot-long colony out of a tree in Talent in September and installed a 300-pound trunk with a colony a couple of weeks ago at its Wellsprings campus. “They are a survivor colony because they haven’t received any treatment for bee fungus. We want the fresh genetics that are able to survive,” said Ferguson. Colonies that are treated have been shown to be less fertile and shorter-lived, she said. The colony is a survivor in another sense. The bees had been in the tree at Marie and Dick Martin’s home in the 6300 block of Colver Road for five years, but several safety concerns prompted their removal. “I have little ones, great grandchildren. I was afraid they would swarm and sting them,” said Marie Martin. The tree was also rotting — the bees were in a hollow cavity in the base — and was a danger to the house. The tree was probably about 35-feet tall and was there when Martin moved in 46 years ago. Martin said she called several people to see whether they were interested in taking the swarm, but all declined because it was inside the tree trunk. She didn’t want to kill the bees, but she did try drowning them with water — a tactic that didn’t work. When Advance Tree Service cut the tree a week ago they contacted Ferguson. Although part of the colony was cut off by the action, at least seven feet of the hive remained in the trunk, and the bees stuck to their home. A sheet covered the severed bottom and a higher entrance hole. Colder temperatures Tuesday slowed the bees, as did their attention to babies in the colony, Ferguson said. “We were able to right it and get it in the hole and get it exactly straight up and down,” Corsini said of the move. They raised the trunk slightly to remove the sheet covering the base and then lowered it again. “It went so smooth and so sweet, and the bees were flying around and checking out their new home,” said Corsini. “They didn’t swarm anybody. There were people right down in among the bees putting rocks in to support the trunk, and nobody got stung,” he said. Tony Boom is a freelance writer living in Ashland. Reach him at [email protected] By Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 4, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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