Brood box swap, am I asking for trouble?

[sjt]

Someone is giving me their colony of bees.
The drawback is that he wants his hive and so the colony needs to be transferred to one of my hives.
For reasons not needed here we have to move them anyway in the next week or so, hence the urgency to get it done.
Is this too risky at this time of year or do I just go for it. It is forecast to be quite warm and sunny for the next couple of days
Also any recommendations for the best way to go about it?

 

[pargyle]

Someone is giving me their colony of bees.
The drawback is that he wants his hive and so the colony needs to be transferred to one of my hives.
For reasons not needed here we have to move them anyway in the next week or so, hence the urgency to get it done.
Is this too risky at this time of year or do I just go for it. It is forecast to be quite warm and sunny for the next couple of days
Also any recommendations for the best way to go about it?

Well - it's a pretty hypothetical question as you don't appear to have a lot of choice ?

I would relocate the existing colony to wherever you are going to site them (hopefully more than 3 miles from where they are now). Leave them for a couple of days in their existing hive to settle down after the move and acclimatise. Pick a nice warm afternoon when they are flying - get well suited up as they may not like being disturbed this early in the season - move the original hive to one side, put your hive where it was and quickly and carefully transfer the frames from the original to your new hive. Close it up. Remove the original hive and the flyers will return to the new hive. Be very careful that you get the queen across and don't damage her at this time of the year or you will be in a pickle. I wouldn't spend time looking for her or trying to catch her - just go for a quick and careful transfer of the frames. Hopefully the two hives are the same dimensions ?

I assume you can keep the frames ? If there's a problem with this then offer to replace the frames he is 'giving' you with new ones, made up with foundation.

Should be fine, although not ideal, you are down South and the forecast for the next week is very good.

Lastly, check the stores situation while you are moving the frames and if in doubt add a slab of fondant.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Have you an empty box you can give him? That way all you would have to do is to move his box onto your floor and under your roof. Would he accept that?

 

[MuswellMetro]

The three mile rule does not apply yet as they would be too chilled to fly more than a mile to a pollen source, Any older bees will also have lost their mental map of routes

whether you leave them to settle two three days is up to you, i would take the weather forecast more into consideration than letting them settle, i would however feed them a pint of warm syrup in a contact feeder and perhaps a pollen pattie

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

What use would they have for an empty hive at the moment anyway? couldn't you just move the hive now and give them back the BB next month when the weather is a bit more sensible for mucking around with bees?

 

[pargyle]

What use would they have for an empty hive at the moment anyway? couldn't you just move the hive now and give them back the BB next month when the weather is a bit more sensible for mucking around with bees?

Yes... that would be the most sensible option .. I assumed that the hive in question had miraculous properties or had been gold plated thus rendering it of immense value to the original owner and therefore subject to immediate and irrevocable repatriation .... ??

 

[sjt]

Thanks for all the advice everyone.
It was a lovely calm sunny day in Sussex today so the brood box was swapped at the original site but otherwise as Pargyle advised. All went well, it only took a few minutes and within 10 minutes all the flying bees were in the hive and none left in the old brood box.
Loads of stores in there and some capped brood visible so hopefully all will be well.
Next is to move them to the new out apiary in a few days time.

 

[Bosleeu]

Edit, sorry just read it's all done and dusted, never mind and well done.

 

[pargyle]

Thanks for all the advice everyone.
It was a lovely calm sunny day in Sussex today so the brood box was swapped at the original site but otherwise as Pargyle advised. All went well, it only took a few minutes and within 10 minutes all the flying bees were in the hive and none left in the old brood box.
Loads of stores in there and some capped brood visible so hopefully all will be well.
Next is to move them to the new out apiary in a few days time.

Well done ... always a worry at this time of the year but sounds like it all went to plan.