Bee Gum - an Old South Expression

Bee Gum is a hollow tree log in which a beehive resides. It's a term more common to the Southeast. It originated because often gum trees were hollow, making it a natural place to hive bees.

The bees at Odd Job could be called bees in a bee gum, although the tree is an oak.

Beegum Gap is a part of the trail up to Rabun Bald, the second highest point in Georgia and I have been to Beegum Gap.

There's an interesting write-up in the Old Settlers Gazette about bees and beegums - it's only a couple of pages and worth reading - especially for the picture on the second page.

Here's a section of Bees in America that describes the bee gum.

Michael Bush on a post on Beesource says about moving the bees out of the bee gum into a box:
"If you can get them through to spring, THEN you can put a frame of brood and some empty drawn comb in the super and then drum and smoke them up into that box and then put an excluder in, you might trap the queen up in the super and the brood there may anchor the bees to take care of her. About a month later pull the log and split it open and steal the honey."

So I am going to say a mantra every time I drive over to Odd Job: "Move up, move up, move up." Who knows, maybe it will work!