Abandoned Hive Help

[domino]

Hi,

I keep my bees on a farmers land and one of his neighbours asked if I would take over two hives on his land.

They were placed their last year by a beginner who for personal reasons can no longer look after them. Both are on 12x14s

I went to look at them today and I'll admit I'm overwhelmed a little by the hives.

Both have closed queen cells, as well as opened one for in which the queen have hatched and a lot of brace comb.

The first hive seems to have swarmed, the second has so many bees in it that they are pouring out.

I quick inspection shows that they are out of space, very little brood and honey/nectar in every cell.

The 2nd hive they've started making comb in the roof and have filled it with honey.

It's unlikely I'll find the queens in either due the the state of the comb.

I want to get them through the winter then rehive them onto fresh kit in the spring and move them to my main site. My question what do I do in the meantime?

My plan is to put two supers on each just to give them more room so hopefully I can see if a queen is laying.

The key concern for me is if there is no room do the queens simply stop laying or is there a chance the hives will go queenless as they keep swarming?

I've knocked down all but two queencells in each hive because I can't find the queens and in any case both hives have at least four hatched queen cell cases.

Help and advice welcome.

 

[ratcatcher]

Hi,

one of his neighbours asked if I would take over two hives on his land.



I went to look at them today and I'll admit I'm overwhelmed a little by the hives.


I want to get them through the winter then rehive them onto fresh kit in the spring and move them to my main site.

but surely, that farmer asked you to take them over, to keep on his land?

 

[domino]

but surely, that farmer asked you to take them over, to keep on his land?

No, they aren't on a famers land. They are a bot of rough ground this other person has at the end of their garden.

They don't care if they stay or go, the site is hard to get to so I'm going to move them.

 

[VEG]

if the owner doesnt want them then crack on with whatever you want to do.

 

[Sean.]

if the owner doesnt want them then crack on with whatever you want to do.

I'd following the advice in the following leaflets, and get it in writing that they have been abandoned. As hives are not cheap to start with.

http://www.google.co.uk/url?url=htt...YQFjAA&usg=AFQjCNEhMNyUldd_mjqmAyV3D8fm2FI2dw

Abandoned Hives - British Beekeepers Association

 

[VEG]

As I said if the owner doesn't want them

 

[drstitson]

"The first hive seems to have swarmed, the second has so many bees in it that they are pouring out."

if there are sealed queen cells in both then both will have swarmed.
does hive two have eggs?

 

[itma]

Whether or not they have swarmed isn't going to affect things greatly --- other than your site move potentially messing up mating flights --- for which reason, I'd be prioritising the internals rather than relocating.


I think there should be plenty time to sort things out before winter.


Using a second brood box, I'd move all the decent brood frames you can into a new box above the old one, and fill that top box with drawn comb and foundation. I'd arrange the in-use brood frames above whatever frames and wild comb you have to leave in the bottom box.

If you have any full-with-stores-only frames that you can get out of the brood box, extract them and return them as drawn comb to the top box.

My idea would be to get them to move up onto 'workable' frames - rather than try to take a crop from them in new supers.

Any time you spot Q in the top box, you can withdraw the lower box. Move it aside to let the fliers return 'home' before trying to tackle the wild comb.

 

[curry756]

Whether or not they have swarmed isn't going to affect things greatly --- other than your site move potentially messing up mating flights --- for which reason, I'd be prioritising the internals rather than relocating.


I think there should be plenty time to sort things out before winter.


Using a second brood box, I'd move all the decent brood frames you can into a new box above the old one, and fill that top box with drawn comb and foundation. I'd arrange the in-use brood frames above whatever frames and wild comb you have to leave in the bottom box.

If you have any full-with-stores-only frames that you can get out of the brood box, extract them and return them as drawn comb to the top box.

My idea would be to get them to move up onto 'workable' frames - rather than try to take a crop from them in new supers.

Any time you spot Q in the top box, you can withdraw the lower box. Move it aside to let the fliers return 'home' before trying to tackle the wild comb.

Awesome answer - very informative

 

[domino]

Whether or not they have swarmed isn't going to affect things greatly --- other than your site move potentially messing up mating flights --- for which reason, I'd be prioritising the internals rather than relocating.


I think there should be plenty time to sort things out before winter.


Using a second brood box, I'd move all the decent brood frames you can into a new box above the old one, and fill that top box with drawn comb and foundation. I'd arrange the in-use brood frames above whatever frames and wild comb you have to leave in the bottom box.

If you have any full-with-stores-only frames that you can get out of the brood box, extract them and return them as drawn comb to the top box.

My idea would be to get them to move up onto 'workable' frames - rather than try to take a crop from them in new supers.

Any time you spot Q in the top box, you can withdraw the lower box. Move it aside to let the fliers return 'home' before trying to tackle the wild comb.

Just what I was hoping for thanks.

I wasn't planning to move them until after the winter anyway. This way I was hoping they'd be able to stablise themselves to some degree.

 

[MuswellMetro]

Whether or not they have swarmed isn't going to affect things greatly --- other than your site move potentially messing up mating flights --- for which reason, I'd be prioritising the internals rather than relocating.


I think there should be plenty time to sort things out before winter.


Using a second brood box, I'd move all the decent brood frames you can into a new box above the old one, and fill that top box with drawn comb and foundation. I'd arrange the in-use brood frames above whatever frames and wild comb you have to leave in the bottom box.

If you have any full-with-stores-only frames that you can get out of the brood box, extract them and return them as drawn comb to the top box.

My idea would be to get them to move up onto 'workable' frames - rather than try to take a crop from them in new supers.

Any time you spot Q in the top box, you can withdraw the lower box. Move it aside to let the fliers return 'home' before trying to tackle the wild comb.

good post ITMA

 

[domino]

Both these hives seem to be nicely under control now they have both swarmed; which they were in the middle of doing with I took them over.

I've now got two neat hives, both with two queen cells in each.

Hopfully if I leave them alone for three weeks now they'll start laying.