Protecting the Bees

Vine & Branch is pleased to announce our receipt of the the National Arborist Association International Award of Excellence for Tree Maintenance for this project.

In a storm over the summer, an American beech (Fagus grandifolia) fell at a client’s house.  Inside the trunk was a large natural beehive which needed to be removed in order to safely remove the tree.  Typically beehives are destroyed using pesticides.  However, once the bees die, bees from nearby hives raid it.  As a result, they carry pesticide residue home, which can kill their own hive.  Honeybees are, however, an integral part of the pollination process.  Without honeybees, plant reproduction is in jeopardy.  Not only do the honeybees help to pollinate landscape plants, but many commercial fruit crops rely on honeybees for pollination.  From the plants in our landscapes to trees in commercial fruit crops, plants are dependant on honeybee pollination for reproduction.

To keep from destroying many hives, we brought in one of our staff ecologists whose hobby is beekeeping.  He cut the tree into sections and extracted the honeycomb and placed it in a box.  The bees were attracted to the honey and left the tree trunk.  After waiting four days to make sure we had enticed the stragglers, we moved the hive to another location.  The tree was removed safely by the Vine & Branch tree crew and the hive is thriving in its new home.

The National Arborist Association is a trade association made up of over 3000 international members.  The Excellence in Arboriculture program considers projects involving general tree maintenance, tree relocation, tree preservation on construction sites, and technical rigging.  The program recognizes and celebrates commercial arborist firms that have demonstrated excellence in their work.  This is the second Award of Excellence Vine & Branch has received so far.  

(click on image to enlarge)