Bait Hive activity has got me curious :)

[Insy]

Well been a while since I posted anything been around tho just lurking in dark corners .

I put a old hive in the garden 1-2 days ago with 2 old brood frames and 9 fresh frames, come home form work today to see a fair bit of activity. Bees in and out and little bits of pollen going in which for me it a clear sign someone is home .

I noticed a couple bees look to be fighting at entrance which didn't concern until I came back 1 hour later to find a small ball of bees on floor in front of hive with a dead looking queen whether damaged or been balled I have no idea. Quickly prized the crownboard to take a peak to find 2 old brood frames covered in bees and 1 side of new frame with bees I assume drawing it out.

I know what your going to say you'll have to take a look o find out but I didn't want to disturb them to much as they just moved in.
If they still there tomorrow after work, Ill open them up and check for queen/eggs and decide on my next plan of action.

Question is whats the odds 2 swarms tried entering it and one of the queens got assassinated or the V or M queen is now dead and swarm queenless.

Will find out tomorrow, anyone had similar things in the past?

Thanks.

 

[MartinL]

You're right not to be poking them around. Best to leave them alone, maybe give a bit of feed after three or four days just to welcome them, especially if the weather turns cold or wet.

You don't say if you have bees already.
Would you have a frame with eggs, available if they do turn out to be queen-less?

 

[Insy]

That is a third option but with such a small swarm of bees its really not worth the time and effort to place 1-3 day old eggs then 16 days to hatch then a week to mate dependent on weather.

Only thing I would see worthwhile is to place a capped queen cell or a mated queen to give them to easiest start in life espiecally with onl 2 frames of covering bees.

 

[drex]

A swarm can contain several virgins.

 

[oliver90owner]

It is possible that it was a cast with two queens present. Now they are in their new home, they have sorted out the queen situation.

So doubt there will be eggs yet - the queen will need to get mated first. Best to leave them to get on with it - or feed after three days if needed (not earlier, so they use any stores brought with them, thus reducing the chances of harbouring pathogens which may cause infection later).

Taking in pollen is def a good sign they are staying. Restricting their cavity size might be a good idea if the weather is cold, just as one should when introducing a nucleus to a full hive. Casts are notoriously 'flighty' but the signs look good.

 

[Eyeman]

9:30 am and double figure scouts.
Today could be the day ?

 

[Insy]

Thanks for the reply Oliver.

Yes was told about the 3 days rule before feeding rule by the local association, so I'll either open them tomorrow or saturday, move the 2 drawn brood frames to the side wall with a fresh frame each side and dummy the rest and chuck on a sugar feed.

Was very active when I got back from work after 5 this evening and more pollen so hopefully all is well.

 

[Insy]

https://youtu.be/6uOucKZg__o

 

[Insy]

Just quickly popped the roof off pulled the 2 old brood frames out the queen was happily moving about on the frame they seemed to be drawing out the 2 new frames either side.

Chucked a rapid feeder on full of sugar syrup to aid them since its been 3 days and lets see where they go form here, unfortunately I don't have a empty nucleus box at hand I have some on order which should arrive next week so when they arrive ill transfer them over to one of them as it is a small swarm and every little helps to get them going.

 

[MartinL]

View attachment 14337

9:30 am and double figure scouts.
Today could be the day ?

Looks like Last Wednesday was the day for swarms!


Was it? ? ?

 

[Eyeman]

Looks like Last Wednesday was the day for swarms!


Was it? ? ?

Hi
No such luck.
Thursday was just as busy- counted 22 and thought that must be a quorum.
Friday was the start of the rain and not a bee in sight.
Anyway they know where it is.

 

[Insy]

They are a very small cast but they seem to be hanging in there, currently housed in a commercial brood box because I don't have a nuc box as hand waiting on some poly nuc boxes to arrive.

Saturday I chucked on a 4 Pint rapid feeder filled to the top, just pulled lid off and they will finish this by the morning so will top them up again. Lots of pollen going in today and ALOT less flyers but that's down to they don't need to collect honey to build wax as the sugar syrup is there and they're spending their time indoors building a new home.

Once the poly nucs arrive I'll transfer them across and then re bait the bait hive.

Even managed to pull the crownboard off and have a peak without nothing on they very quiet (Wont do that again tho just incase ) I was on way out and couldnt be bothered to suit up.

 

[ladaok]

They are a very small cast but they seem to be hanging in there, currently housed in a commercial brood box because I don't have a nuc box as hand waiting on some poly nuc boxes to arrive.

Saturday I chucked on a 4 Pint rapid feeder filled to the top, just pulled lid off and they will finish this by the morning so will top them up again. Lots of pollen going in today and ALOT less flyers but that's down to they don't need to collect honey to build wax as the sugar syrup is there and they're spending their time indoors building a new home.

Once the poly nucs arrive I'll transfer them across and then re bait the bait hive.

Even managed to pull the crownboard off and have a peak without nothing on they very quiet (Wont do that again tho just incase ) I was on way out and couldnt be bothered to suit up.

Why don't you just leave the buggers alone ! If it's a small swarm, the more you mess with it, the more likely you are to stuff it

 

[oliver90owner]

Why don't you just leave the buggers alone ! If it's a small swarm, the more you mess with it, the more likely you are to stuff it

Because they are more likely to survive and flourish if given some TLC by a sensible beekeeper. Certainly continual interference is not good, but if they need help, why not give them it?

 

[Insy]

Ladaok excuse me for the rather crappy reply.

All I did was open it up to find a queen because there was a dead queen balled outside. What would be the point in leaving them alone if it came with a virgin queen who was now dead and queenless and there was no other means for them to raise a new queen from eggs????

I opened them up quickly found a queen mated or virgin I still don't know as I haven't opened it up no more apart from removing roof to top the feeder back up.

If it was a mated or virgin queen the earliest time any new bees would be emerging is around the 31st of May no point opening them up and checking, there's plenty of space for them so no issue swarming etc.

All I'm doing every few days is popping lid off and topping up the sugar feed so they have stores to build wax, raise eggs (if there is any) and keep warm. If I don't feed they will over exert themselves trying to gather stores for wax and brood why not give them feed constantly and let them stay in doors and build their home?

 

[Insy]

Thought I might as well keep this thread going for a little bit as the swarm progressed.

Today I opened them up without smoke as I'm not lighting a smoker up for 1 Nuc, reason for opening was to change them out from a old battered falling apart bait hive to a nice new 6 Frame Commercial Poly box.

Nice mated dark queen 2 frames solid capped brood both sides, 3 new frames being drawn out each with fresh eggs on 1 side each and 1 side of pollen stores on a arch above few frames + I'm still feeding them syrup to help with the foundation building.

Capped brood should emerge sometimes end of this coming week .

Didn't Mark or clip queen as I've not done this yet and wasn't going to risk the new queen to my sausage fingers.

 

[colinc]

Brilliant. Time for them to build up now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Insy]

Well popped up farm today to check the feed on the bees, bone dry :O they had at least half a miller feeder Sunday so topped it back up to keep them happy but they are building real nicely now.

I inspected them Sunday and also managed to mark the queen at the same time, the swarm is still in a 6 frame poly commercial nuc box but I've doubled the brood chamber so its 2 x 6 frame commercial brood.

I'd say they've drawn out 8 frames nearly with BIAS on I'd say 6 frames, I noticed they had neglected the outer frames on bottom box and were working on central on top box so I maneuvered the frames about so the bottom box is fully drawn and laid up and then I moved couple new frames into center top box below the feeder as this is where they are focusing on drawing out frames so will encourage my frame drawing

 

[Insy]

Well on inspection today what can I saw ..... Couldn't find the queen but fresh eggs everywhere so not worried shes gone but a little hopeful I haven't injured her in maneuvering the nuc about as I couldn't separate her whilst inspecting.

Since Wednesday evening this rapidly building swarm is on course for building strong at last they've took down and entire miller feeder of syrup it was bone dry so I've had to top them up and Ill have to check Wednesday/Thursday again reason being is this.

Not only have they taken down all that feed 10 out of 12 frames now drawn, 11th frame starting to be drawn and very little of stores. Nice pollen scattered about in places and 10 frames of BIA now instead of transferring to a Hive with super on top I've decided to add a third brood chamber so thatss 6 x 3 total of 18 frames.

Most of you would now be thinking why!!! only reason being is I recently bought 3 nucs and there no where near as strong as I would like atm but are building nicely so if this strong colony can draw out a few extra frames with stores and brood I can top these nucs up to have 4 decent colony's bit excessive but I'm happy to sacrifice a honey crop this year.

 

[Insy]

Well all was going well until today, think this queen in swarm was a old queen makes sense how she was laying straight away because on checking frames today I now have 2-3 with quite a bit circle in middle of the frames of drone brood. Question is they are building up nicely and I like how the bees have worked and built up but if I allow them to make a new queen now that's 21 days to hatch and 1-2 weeks to mate depending on weather that's a lot of brood I've missed out on. Might have to buy a mated queen just so the colony can keep on building healthy and strong for overwintering. What do you think?