After moving nuc 20m... how best to tidy up?

[cwinte]

OK, I know not an ideal thing to do but nuc was right by my office, never expected it to survive but there is brood.
So, moved into a new brood box 2 days ago, added fast feed. That night closed up for 36 hours and moved to new stand.
Just opened this morning, with a leafy branch over the doorway - sunny spells breezy day. There have been a few seeming to orient around the doorway - but not many or for long.
Maybe a cupful back by my office with their pollen and stores asking where home is. They settle a bit and some are exploring the space between the table and wall as the most hive like space.

Should I just wait and see, for how long?
What are their likely options - just find a new home somewhere or start building their own colony in the space by the wall?
What are my options?

I could put the old nuc back there with a frame in and let them collect in it, but then what to do with them? Shut them up longer and release by or in the new hive? (How much longer)
I'm away on Sat am so only 2 days available anyway!

Maybe the key thing is the state of the new hive at the end of the day - are there enough flyers to survive? (and not care too much about the strays so long as they are not causing a problem).

Your thoughts please...

 

[Erichalfbee]

Can you borrow an apidea?
Put that in its place with some comb and if there are any bees there at night you can put them back over a feeder hole by taking the floor of the apidea out
I soppose any little box would do

 

[enrico]

They won't build their own colony. They will find the closest hive or die. You may find a weak clump there in a couple of days. Gently pick them up and put them by the entrance to the hive. They will crawl in.
You will find this happens for a couple of weeks. As the new bees emerge the problem will go away.
E
E

 

[cwinte]

OP: time is helping I think, already fewer and at least there is a group around the new hive door area.

 

[cwinte]

Plus I'm seeing many more around the new hive location than at the old nuc location. Wonderful!

 

[cwinte]

IN case this is relevant to a reader: 8 hours after opening the new hive (4pm) only 20 or 30 bees are at the original location. Over 100 around the hive door.
Success!

 

[enrico]

Well done
E

 

[Erichalfbee]

IN case this is relevant to a reader: 8 hours after opening the new hive (4pm) only 20 or 30 bees are at the original location. Over 100 around the hive door.
Success!

Sounds good. Well done

 

[cwinte]

Further update on the ex-nuc: victims of robbery?

Not so good after I was away in France 15 days, house sitter was not a bee keeper...
The colony now very small and weak, though there is a queen easy to see there is no sign of laying or stores.
I think they've been robbed.

There were quite a lot of bits of legs etc by front door, no bodies though and in the grass it was too thick to see. The extensive biscuit capping across front door show there was extensive activity.

Now just 3 shallow sides of bees. I added a sugar feed last night but on reflection now, seeing a fight by the 2cm door, maybe that is just causing trouble and bringing in visitors.

I suspect the 2-3 cups of bees and their queen will not last long like this.

I could unite them back to the hive they came from which I suspect is still not queen right. The main hive were a bit feisty and at 6-7pm with clouds and cool it did not seem a great evening for pushing them further with more detailed inspecting.
The brood box of the hive (that the nuc came from) is pretty empty with just a few capped honey patches. Lots of bees and 20Kg of honey in supers.
I could also harvest some honey I guess but I'm more interested to get strong colonies established and through the winter.

My third & best hive could afford to donate 1 frame of brood or eggs to either the ex-nuc or the seemingly Q- hive.

Ideas on my best bets?
I have to Friday a.m. then away until Tuesday so timing is not great

Could leave it to Tuesday before deciding or
make one intervention either Thurs p.m. or Friday a.m. but forecasts not great (N Kent)...

 

[enrico]

This time of the year I would combine what I could to get the hives strong enough to survive.
E