Pollinator apparatus affixed to Cambridge tree set to save bee hive population

A strange looking apparatus installed on a tree in Cambridge at the corner Main Street and Briercrest Avenue is attracting a buzz of curiosity.

Consisting of a wooden box and long cone affixed to the front of a large tree, the device is installed in an effort to protect precious pollinators.

“It’s amazing how one tree can populate an area – or one colony can overpopulate an area. And that’s why we try to remove honey bees from towns because they can be so destructive to homeowners especially,” said Mike Barber with Tri-city bees.

Tri-City Bee Rescue got a call from the city earlier this month after people living in the area noticed a worrying increase in honey bee activity.

"There’s a hollow in this tree that is at least the size of a basketball, but more likely it’s the size of a small file cabinet,” said Barber.

"This was a fairly large hive because of the time of year they would be close to full capacity. So probably around 70,000 bees in this tree."

The set-up is called a trap out, and it’s used as an alternative to extermination.

“The screen is a one way door essentially. The bees can come out but they’re used to coming back to the entrance six feet away from where it is now. So they try to go back into the original entrance, they’re trapped out of it - which is why its called a trap out and they find the box above it, which smells like a hive,” said Barber.

Once it’s in place, volunteers can start humanely trapping the bees in a nearby box and begin the relocation process.

"The cone is a one way door. They fly out and then they have an internal GPS, so they are going to come back over here and say , ‘we can’t get in and then our little box up here has some frames in it which they can build comb onto,”’ Barber said.

Barber added that no bees are hurt once inside the box and can be humanly transported to another area.

Over time, the original hive population dwindles until eventually even the queen is captured so she can be moved to her new home.

"But now, as it’s mostly younger bees coming out of there, they’re not going to bother anybody. They’re more worried about their momma that’s trapped in the tree,” Barber explained.

Although there may be less interaction with the bees using this method, the work still comes with a risk.

"Just like you would be annoyed that you couldn’t get into your house, they do get annoyed that they can’t get in to where they want to get in,” Barber said.

For now, the group will continue looking out for the queen at this location in hopes of a happy hive reunion at a new location in the near future.