My First Solo Stingless Bee Relocation

The first time I set foot on Cavite State University, I was already looking for stingless bees.  I immediately found one among the white anthuriums lining the wall of the Agri Building.  I did not waste time and started asking everyone I met if they have seen any stingless bee nests around the campus.  About 2 weeks ago, or may be three, my inquiry finally led me to an abandoned stingless bee apiary.  I got an unofficial blessing from one of the school director to rehabilitate the apiary... actually his apiary.  It may be unofficial, but I was also promised some support for my unofficial school project, which is more than what I was asking.  And so went I, to NCRDEC area and found the lost apiary!    And today, I relocated my first stingless bee nest!  It was supposed to be last week but we had such a awful weather.  It was only last Wednesday that the sky finally cleared.  And up to now, we had 3 consecutive days of very fine weather.

NCRDEC Vermi-Composting area... nest?!? where?!?

Let's move in closer...

Buried for 3 years or even more... felt like an archeologist
unearthing an artifact... carefully brushed off the dirt
around the rotten box hive.

The hive entrance...

Bees started to swarm like crazy around me the moment I
pried the box open...

I am glad I sealed the top of my veil with duct tape...

Doing my best not to freak out...

Ooops!  I accidentally broke the lower part of the brood
while trying to pry away the earthworm off the hive...

Can't decide what to do or where to put the broken piece...

Finally, the hive is in the box...

Ooops again! forgot to return some of the honey and
back... 

I thought the bees need the honey more than we do to
survive the rainy season... we will just wait for the summer...

Now I can relax...

Sir Ed... he built the platform and took
my photos... thank you very much!

Honey taste great! Very good consistency, not too watery...
I think the thickness was just right... the spider says so too...
I did not know spider also loves honey!

I think I will go back for the broken brood and use it for an

experiment I have in mind... hmmmm....

Now, I have two hives to take care of.... now for the second nest...