- Joined
- Sep 7, 2013
- Messages
- 338
- Reaction score
- 317
- Location
- Loughborough
- Hive Type
- 14x12
- Number of Hives
- 11
I am hoping someone can explain what has happened/what I have done wrong here.
I have one little Apidea, which I have had for a few years, and have used - problem-free - for banking QCs, and getting these emerged/mated. Basically set (by adding a cupful of nurse bees from a couple of colonies, putting some fondant in the feeder slot, and plonking a QC in the middle) and forget. Boom. 100% success
This year has been bizarre for swarm urge. I have, on two occasions, gone into colonies, and have unexpectedly found myself releasing virgin queens.
Twice I have tried to bank them in the Apidea, and both times with the same disastrous results as below. In both cases:
- I added fondant to the feeder slot (yes, they are swimming/drowned in liquefied fondant)
- I shook in bees (admittedly fairly arbitrarily) from the source colony
- I ran the VQ in off my hand into the section with the comb
- I left closed/ventilated overnight, and then fully opened the entrance
Once, I can think I have made a mistake (e.g. by letting the Queen crawl over into the feeder section), but to see this twice is dispiriting... Any ideas ?? Basically, no bees in the comb section, no queen to be seen, and the remainder of bees all drowned in the feeder section. After 48 hours:
Only posting, not as I am proud, but as I would like to learn what I have done wrong, and help prevent others from making any similar mistake. Cheers
I have one little Apidea, which I have had for a few years, and have used - problem-free - for banking QCs, and getting these emerged/mated. Basically set (by adding a cupful of nurse bees from a couple of colonies, putting some fondant in the feeder slot, and plonking a QC in the middle) and forget. Boom. 100% success
This year has been bizarre for swarm urge. I have, on two occasions, gone into colonies, and have unexpectedly found myself releasing virgin queens.
Twice I have tried to bank them in the Apidea, and both times with the same disastrous results as below. In both cases:
- I added fondant to the feeder slot (yes, they are swimming/drowned in liquefied fondant)
- I shook in bees (admittedly fairly arbitrarily) from the source colony
- I ran the VQ in off my hand into the section with the comb
- I left closed/ventilated overnight, and then fully opened the entrance
Once, I can think I have made a mistake (e.g. by letting the Queen crawl over into the feeder section), but to see this twice is dispiriting... Any ideas ?? Basically, no bees in the comb section, no queen to be seen, and the remainder of bees all drowned in the feeder section. After 48 hours:
Only posting, not as I am proud, but as I would like to learn what I have done wrong, and help prevent others from making any similar mistake. Cheers