Bees just messed up my bathroom!

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Geoff

House Bee
Joined
Mar 16, 2009
Messages
249
Reaction score
0
Location
Shropshire, UK
Hive Type
Commercial
Number of Hives
5
Yesterday I took delivery of two new queens - the postman always seems alarmed if the envelope buzzes.
So yesterday afternoon got them ready to introduce to the hive. First job is to remove the half dozen or so workers from the queen cage. I put the plugs in the bath and sink and sealed all the overflows with screwed up toilet roll so there was nowhere for an escaping queen to lose herself.I then got a large poly bag that I could put the cage and my hands in and opened each cage. Worked a treat this time. I did not have queens flying around the bathroom - they fly faster than worker bees. So I had two queens on their own in respective cages and about a dozen workers in free flight around the bathroom. As they had just been released from a travel cage they did what bees do in the first flight after winter, they evacuated their bowels. So I had brown spots all down the tiles, the sink and window sill. Took some wiping up. I never thought such little insects could hold so much in.
Just as well the missus wasn't around. She doesn't like bees in the house, never mind pooing bees.
 
OMG :rofl:

can just imagine a headless chicken cleaning surfaces frantically bee-smilliebee-smilliebee-smilliebee-smillie

Being female this really gave me a giggle:D:D:D
 
Easy way if you find it difficult is to CO2 the lot tip them out and re-cage the queen, wait for her to come round and off you go
 
LOL :D The thought of you diving for cover in a small bathroom, while bees dive bomb you with poos, just makes me laugh......sorry. Your bathroom may be huge, but I am just picturing what it would be like in mine where you couldn't swing a rat, never mind a cat. Oh dear, bet the missus loved you lol
 
Clear sandwich bag held closed, work with the hands outside the bag and squish workers as they emerge keeping control of the cage entrance as they do. No mess outside the bag, no queens flying in bathroom, angry bees contained. And you can even do it in the bee shed or car...Well it works for me. So far ;).
 
Assume it wasn't you trundling down the highways north of Shrewsbury yesterday afternoon in full beesuit with hives on the backseat?!
 
Never having done this before I had to work out on friday how on earth you get the workers out and keep the queen in. Opened up the small plug and let the workers out one by one was my plan. First two walked out as soon as i opened it but the rest didnt want to go. So a matchstick with a small amount of honey on the end tempted them out. Fairly long job but no angry bees and queen kept nice and safe in her cage. :)
 
Clear sandwich bag held closed, work with the hands outside the bag and squish workers as they emerge keeping control of the cage entrance as they do. No mess outside the bag, no queens flying in bathroom, angry bees contained. And you can even do it in the bee shed or car...Well it works for me. So far ;).

Nice one. I like this idea. Last time I released the workers from the cage my queen got out though I managed to keep her in my hand till I got to the tack room. I got the door closed and she was off for a flight. A frantic 10 mins later I got her safely in to a cage.
 

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