Collecting a cup full of bees

[Philip]

As the title says, I am wondering how one goes about collecting a cup full bees.

Have attempted to collect same but wondered if there was a method of achieving this as my attempt yesterday seems to have only been partly successful. One mating hive has retained some of the bees, I would estimate half a cupful, the other was deserted within 30mins.

Any pointers or suggestions on a methodology would be much appreciated.

 

[VEG]

spray the bees with water then shake them into a box spray again and then collect, or do you mean how do you keep the bees in the mating hive

 

[simoncav]

You need to seal the mating hive for 24-48 hours so they imprint onto the hive. Make sure they are fed at this time.

 

[Philip]

Thank you Veg for that tip. I was trying to understand the method of collection really as when I attempted it yesterday it seemed messy trying to shake bees into a pot to then tip into the mating hive. All I really seem to achieve was to upset the donor hive.

The problem of keeping them in the hive longer seems to be another problem, I think I was being soft by opening the hive to soon probably as the weather warmed up suddenly and they were making a lot of noise! I was bothered they were in some distress. [I know there only bees but wilful distress of even a few bees did not sit comfortably with me]

I will have a second go tomorrow thanks again.

 

[Philip]

Thanks Simon. Yes I need to be more organised and have now found a dark cool place to store them for a day or so.

Hopefully they will be less traumatised.

 

[fatshark]

There's a good guide to this in the instructions for using Kieler mini-nucs on the m o d e r n b e e k e e p I n g website. It involves shaking young workers off frames - avoiding drones - into a smooth sided container. I use a picnic cool box. I then use a cut down 500ml plastic milk carton (marked with a line to indicate the correct volume of bees) to scoop the damp bees up.

Have fun!

 

[beebreeder]

Not being rude but find the queen in the donor hive and put her in a safe place, and ideally you need young bees not forragers, a loose shake will get rid of them and then shake the rest into your box, again you do not really want any drones as they are a drain on resources on the small colony and if you are tyring for isolated mating you only want drones of your choice. After three days release on a different site as it gets dusk

 

[Philip]

Thanks for the link fatshark, one of the hives is the type noted and I should have explored there more as some of the questions I seem to have are answered in the instructions which I have now found.

@ beebreeder thanks, sounds like a very useful tip, I guess the queen does not know she should stay well back when I am harvesting, Think I may let her have a read of the instructions.

 

[Poly Hive]

Before taking bees for this purpose put her in a safe place then you can move on with confidence.

Shake the bees into a container,say an empty nuc box.

Pre using spray well with water. Rap the box on a corner to the floor and with a mug scoop the bees into your mini nuc. Note I use a mug as I am filling a proper mini nuc not anApiedia.

Ensure they have feed in the unit.

Leave in a dark cool place for 48 hours so they realise, a, they are queenless, b, they need to build comb, and c, they are desperate.

Then add the cell or virgin.

PH

 

[itma]

... and ideally you need young bees not forragers, a loose shake will get rid of them and then shake the rest into your box...

Yes, a tip I was given was to take the frame a few yards away from the hive before giving the first gentle shake. The older flying bees will happily return to the hive, while the youngsters, not trusting their wings, cling tight.

 

[beebreeder]

No need to walk away they will either fly o drop back in the hive, if you use a marburg box shake the lot in and then gently smoke them and all but the young bees fly home, the rest go inside and cluster ready to be harvested.

 

[Headnavigator]

Then add the cell or virgin.

PH

Sorry if this is obvious, but how does one stop the bees from bursting out of the Kieler when one is adding the cell? I suppose my fear is that they'll return to the original hive at this point, sensing that they are being messed about, rather than stay put.
Or, having observed all the above protocol, can I safely assume that my rather lean cupful will by now regard the Kieler as home?

 

[Poly Hive]

A sprayer is your friend here. Open the lid and spray as you do so then pop in the cell or virgin.

PH

 

[Headnavigator]

Thanks PH - there's a distinct lack of that kind of detail in the books about queen rearing. Or have I got the wrong books?

 

[Poly Hive]

LOL its just one of them things what I picked up from Bernard, and he err... wrote the book...

PH

 

[mbc]

A sprayer is your friend here. Open the lid and spray as you do so then pop in the cell or virgin.

PH

I would add that its also very quick and easy to bump the bees to the floor of the mini nuc, pop in cell or virgin and close before losing bees or squashing some with the lid.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Also very easy to just run a virgin in the entrance from a roller cage,or have a small round hole in the inner plastic cover to place a queen cell,no bees escape at all.

 

[For want of a better word]

Prepare a hive the evening before collecting your young bees for the mating nuc

Smoke and or brush/ gently shake all bees from upper BB to lower
Place a qe between the two brood boxes ( why I run a double brood box system and not 14x12s)
Nurse bees will be on top frames next morning
Queen + drones will be retained in bottom box.

Take a bucket and after gently spraying attache bees on brood shake bees into bucket ( a drop of Vimto or sugar in the water ?)

spray bees in bucket but do not soak!

take a measured 250 g of bees and place in chosen mating hive via slider / grille usually supplied fpr purpose.
close entrance
put in cool place for 24 hours and feed
set up in apiary and allow to fly
close up to qe in morning add virgin queen ... sugar water helps here too... some add an unhatched queen cell ... ...... close completely in evening
transfer to mating apiary,,, open up completely 3 days ... six days.. nine days... look for mated queen laying eggs...............

 

[Headnavigator]

Ooh you are all so kind! I love this forum, and yes, PH, wrong book, will order right one!

 

[plumberman]

No need to walk away they will either fly o drop back in the hive, if you use a marburg box shake the lot in and then gently smoke them and all but the young bees fly home, the rest go inside and cluster ready to be harvested.

Marburg box is a brilliant bit of kit (IMO) for this type of thing - making up mating nuclei and cell starter boxes. Takes the hassle out of collection, filters out drones as well.

Fairly easily made - there is a thread on this forum and also instructions on the Dave Cushman site.