Confession of a negligent beekeeper... and request for help please!

[Oakbear]

2013 started off very promisingly. Although i went in with a single colony they built fast, and i did an AS to get back to 2 colonies. I visited every week.
The original hive continued to go from strength to strength and i put 2 supers on, leaving off the excluder to encourage them up for a week. The new AS hive was slow to build despite feeding.

Then real life got in the way. I stopped visiting. No harvest, no winter feed, no insulation, no varroa treatment. I just left them as they were towards the end of summer.
Spring 2014 i felt pretty guilty, but hoped there were enough stores for them to over winter, but life still got in the way. 2014 dragged on, and i didn't go at all. Partly time, partly guilt. Life settled down towards the end of the year, and i regretted abandoning my colonies.

By winter i guessed that was that, but went to look recently, full of guilt.
The AS hive was dead as a doornail and had been home to a mouse. Looks like they never really built up. I packed it up for cleaning.

In the original hive i found them looking strong. Today i went to inspect.

The colony was very large and spread over a 14x12 and both supers. Plenty of brood in all stages in all 3 boxes, good levels of pollen and honey.
Tons of wild comb between boxes, with stores and brood in it.
They looked the same to my eye in size, colour and temperament as when i had left them, although appreciate it may be a swarm that moved in.
As i removed the supers they became increasingly aggressive. I imagine that wasn't helped by the fact that i removed the wild comb. In the end the weather was starting to turn and i was fed up of the aggression, so i replaced the supers and roof.

I'm pretty rusty and am left wondering what to do next?
Suggestions and help gratefully received.

 

[dexter's shed]

find another beekeeper and give them the hive, obviously beekeeping is not for you

 

[Erichalfbee]

To us folk here bees are part of our real lives.
It sounds as if your real life lies elsewhere.
At least you are brave enough to confess and ask for help.
I'm with Dexter on this one, see if somebody in a BKA local to you fancies a project......or somebody here on the forum, for that matter.

 

[Dishmop]

If you want to keep them you'll have to go bak and have another look inside...hoping that they will get used to you...

Remember,,,they have never been inspected before...

 

[meetballuk]

maybe look into distance beekeeping techniques?, u get what you give with bees, ive had dedicated year and a less than year when i felt i couldnt cope. and the results were expected lots of swarms lost and little honey. but last year time given and i was swimming in hives and honey.
maybe get a partner share the apary give him a swarm if a beginner, he could look when you cant
think guys will need more info to help with bees, so another inspection find queen get excluder in there.
chin up

 

[Oakbear]

Thank you for the replies.

I understand the ire about my negligence. My intent now is to resume keeping them properly though.

I think the plan for now is MAQS treatment and get an excluder in.
I anticipate finding the queen will be tricky though, given the size and aggression. Any ideas if i can't? Just put it in and see where she lays?

I'm also wondering if i reduce the brood box size down to one 14x12 if that will be enough? Should i try double brood? Restrict and AS if needed?

 

[JEP]

I would order 2 new queens so that you can sort out the aggression problem fast. When they arrive split the hive into 2, one consisting of the brood chamber and one consisting of the 2 supers. Leave for about an hour and you should be able to tell which one is queenless (they will fan and make more noise) - although both colonies will do this to some extent anyway after splitting. Search through until you find and kill the queen and then introduce a new queen into each of the two splits. Add supers to both hives and get into the habit of checking the bees regularly - this will be easier with better tempered bees. Make sure you treat for varroa with something effective after you remove honey at the end of the year and aim to move both colonies onto clean brood frames the following year.

 

[BeeJayBee]

Don't beat yourself up about the past - it happens! People get sick, family stuff gets in the way, and bees aren't at the top of the list because they can't be. You're back in the beekeeping fold, so to speak, and with support you'll be back up and running in no time.

If you're a member of an association it might be worth asking if somebody can look over your shoulder or give you a hand for a while.

If I'd a colony that size I'd probably just separate the two boxes. Leave one where it is, put the other on a new stand. I believe it's called a 'walkaway split' in some circles, which might help you to look it up.

 

[wessexmario]

In the end the weather was starting to turn and i was fed up of the aggression, so i replaced the supers and roof.

in that situation, any of us would close the hive at that point, and go back again when the weather and temperament was better, so don't beat yourself up about it.

Sounds like you do want to get back into it, but first be honest with yourself...
Can you give enough time each week during the season?

another alternative if you decide you can't... you could offer the hive on site for another beek who'd like an out-apiary.

 

[Bosleeu]

Maybe leave the MAQS till you have checked the mite drop - your bees may not need it if they have gone so long without treatment and are so strong. It may upset them even more if you treat unnecessarily

The plan to split then requeen is quite good I think. You should have extra gear from the dead hive you can use (after cleaning and disinfecting.

Or you can put an empty box at the old site with one comb and the rest foundation after moving the hive to a nearby spot quite a few meters away.

The flyers will go back there - give them a new queen. The next day it should be easier find the queen as the remaining bees should be fewer and better behaved. Kill the queen and requeen, or wait a week, destroy ALL queencells and unite with the colony at the original site, provided the queen is accepted and laying.

The weather you mentioned may have played a role in their temper. Wait for a nice day and smoke well, but gently well in advance before you wade in next time.

 

[B+.]

find another beekeeper and give them the hive, obviously beekeeping is not for you

Ouch. Thats a bit harsh! I know from experience that life can throw you a curve sometimes. If it wasn't for those members of Bedfordshire Beekeepers Association who looked after my colonies when my son died I would probably have lost them all too.

If they're aggressive bees, you might want to take a leaf out of this guys book and do what he did. You'll need a frame of larvae from a gentler stock (or a good queen) so it really is worth working with your local association.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmmtjFgdqz8

 

[enrico]

This is what I would do. I would split all the box's into separate colonies. Give them more room, let them re queen themselves as you said there was brood in every box. In five days go through each box until you find eggs. That is the one with your old queen in. Wait until all queens have emerged and mated, see which you like best for temperament etc. and then decide how many hives you want. If original queen is still aggressive then combine with a quieter hive. Or...... Buy queens from a known source in.
You will gain in confidence by having smaller more manageable hives. You can clean them all up nicely and just do what is necessary.
Others would not do this but I would!
Good luck
E

 

[pargyle]

Ouch. That's a bit harsh!

Yes, it is, but Dexters is right in some respects. It's not really a hobby where you can walk away from the bees and let them get on with it without having to face some consequences. It is a time draining, all consuming, hobby ... full on with the bees during the season and planning and making up kit out of season - often for very little return on either your time or the money that you have to invest in it.

We see many enthusiastic people coming into the craft that drift away because they simply do not have the time to commit to what is required - it's probably one of the reasons why so many beekeepers are of an age where work and family constraints are less demanding.

Whilst not wishing to discourage the OP from trying again, a long hard look at why things went awry the first time would be a very sensible thing to do. There are ways of being involved with beekeeping without having to shoulder all the work and responsibility yourself - shared hives and a shared apiary may be a good solution.

 

[B+.]

Others would not do this but I would!

I'm just a little concerned that, instead of one aggressive colony, he could end up with several. I think a new queen under an introduction cage is the way to go (after dequeening it)

If this colony is as bad as I think it is, I would prefer to see it requeened with all of the drones culled. This means a queen excluder UNDER the bottom box. If he takes his time and does it right, all the workers will be gone by the end of the season and he'll have a good colony for next year.

 

[B+.]

Yes, it is, but Dexters is right in some respects.

Of course, you are right. I just thought that, since he seemed to recognise that what he did was wrong for the bees, we should be more supportive and help him out of a hole.

 

[pargyle]

Of course, you are right. I just thought that, since he seemed to recognise that what he did was wrong for the bees, we should be more supportive and help him out of a hole.

And rightly so ... if he decides that it's an addiction that he does want to pursue then calling on all the other addicts for help and support is a good option and he will certainly get it on here - and worse if he lapses again ! ... My name is PARGYLE and I'm a beekeeper - I need help !!

 

[B+.]

My name is PARGYLE and I'm a beekeeper - I need help !!

My name is B+ and I'm a beekeeper....I'm beyond help!!

 

[dexter's shed]

Ouch. Thats a bit harsh!

my main concern with any hobby that involves living things, is the care of that living thing, even though I'm a pest controller and kill pests daily, I'm all for duty of care, I have a duty to give something a as humane death as possible, and therefore believe the same goes for any animal/insect kept, it should be looked after, end off
we all have hobbies in our lives, I have a £600 metal detector sitting in the cupboard, I used it once about 20yrs ago, it's sitting waiting for me to get some free time to search my woodland (that'll never come) but it's not hurting anybody or anything from sitting there.
I've had all the training via work to fly and use a bird of prey, christ I would love one, I have the space and all the gear, and could raise the purchase price of a BOP easy enough, but I know in my heart that although having the time in the winter months to look after and fly it, it would be a different kettle of fish come summer time, my free time is taken up by my bees,dog and my woodland, so I leave it alone

that's my only reason for leaving such a reply, the OP, may fancy keeping them now, sunny days and the thought of golden nectar on toast, but in 6 months?????

 

[kighill]

Thank you for the replies.

I understand the ire about my negligence. My intent now is to resume keeping them properly though.

I think the plan for now is MAQS treatment and get an excluder in.
I anticipate finding the queen will be tricky though, given the size and aggression. Any ideas if i can't? Just put it in and see where she lays?

I'm also wondering if i reduce the brood box size down to one 14x12 if that will be enough? Should i try double brood? Restrict and AS if needed?

Where abouts in Nottingham are you? it was forcast thundery weather today and in fact was thundering in Arnold this afternoon.
Depending on whereabouts you are it may be that the weather was playing a major part in your inspection alongside the type of manipulations, removing wild comb etc.

 

[BrianO]

my main concern with any hobby that involves living things, is the care of that living thing, even though I'm a pest controller and kill pests daily,

Sorry couldn't resist !!! Brilliant. !!!!

As for OP , go for it, get back involved, an addiction it surely is and a fascinating one.