External colonies or "open air" colonies rather are not particularly uncommon in southeast, Louisiana but are not the norm either.

I relocate anywhere from 3 to 6 open air colonies each season, some have survived out in the open like this for 3-4 years. We have very mild winters & that is the primary reason they can survive this many seasons.

In geographical areas with much colder winters it is unheard of for an open air colony to make it through even one winter.

The colony in this video was relocated because there were concerns they would bother roofers doing work just on the other side of the fence where the hive was located.

Open air colonies can in my experience be more aggressive than other bee colonies because the hive & bees are totally exposed which equates to you being more exposed to a larger amount of bees at one time.

So, what I'm saying is be prepared to tread lightly when dealing with an open air colony, keep your protective gear very close by & if you're not 100% confident, suit up.

If you're new to my channel just to let you know I fool with bees in some capacity roughly 10.5 months of the year or more, weather permitting.

I've been doing this type of work for many years so don't expect to jump right in & do what I do or how I do it without fooling with bees for some time, at least until you understand their biology & establish a comfort level around them.

If you enjoy my videos please consider subscribing to my channel & tell friends & family about this nutball cajun guy who loves to fool with bees, usually without protective gear but always with a smoker in hand.

Appreciate you & thank you for being here!