A/S time of day

[its.only.money]

Hi
I've been keeping bees for over a year, however I've only just completed my first A/S today... an interesting experience.

Earlier in the season I lost a swarm, but successfully reared a new queen from one of the remaining swarm cells.. and the queen is laying really well. However arrived today to find quite a number of capped supercedure type queen cells on several frames.

So I found the queen and did an A/S without too much incident. However I was wondering, as this was completed earlier this evening around 7pm, many of the flying bees will have been already in the original hive, which is now at a new location nearby. Will the fact that they will probably be there overnight affect whether they return from foraging tomorrow to the new hive in the original position, or is there a chance that they may re-orientate themselves and end up staying at the new position?

Does the time of day have any bearing?
Hope the question makes sense.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Hi
I've been keeping bees for over a year, however I've only just completed my first A/S today... an interesting experience.

Earlier in the season I lost a swarm, but successfully reared a new queen from one of the remaining swarm cells.. and the queen is laying really well. However arrived today to find quite a number of capped supercedure type queen cells on several frames.

So I found the queen and did an A/S without too much incident. However I was wondering, as this was completed earlier this evening around 7pm, many of the flying bees will have been already in the original hive, which is now at a new location nearby. Will the fact that they will probably be there overnight affect whether they return from foraging tomorrow to the new hive in the original position, or is there a chance that they may re-orientate themselves and end up staying at the new position?

Does the time of day have any bearing?
Hope the question makes sense.

I think time of day does.
If I have to do an AS when it’s likely the flying bees are not getting back to their original home ( bad weather for example and they are not flying) I nuc the queen

 

[enrico]

Shouldn't be a problem. Not all the flying bees go with a swarm anyway....... So I understand

 

[Swarm]

It's the second attempt from the same colony, how much room do they have? Maybe worth considering a change of genetics though.

 

[its.only.money]

That's a good point Swarm, and something I was thinking too. This was my one colony from the beginning and successfully made it through the winter. Now if I can raise the second at least it will be good experience. Also I have been waiting a couple of weeks for another nuc from a different source, so at least, this winter build up and next spring I have some different colonies for comparison...I know now that I should have started with 2 colonies in the first place.
Still learning....

 

[mickbees23]

I think doing a A/S on an evening prevents a lot of the flying bees returning to the original hive and although some will no doubt return the next day after foraging a lot probably won't. If you have put your supers back on the original spot with the queen and flying bees it is a good idea if you want to keep your foraging force together, to do the modified Pagden method and after a day or 2 move the brood part of the split to the other side of the original hive.
This causes that part of the split to bleed bees off to the original hive and strengthens the foraging bees.

I am sure you will get lots more options...LOL

Cheers, Mick.