Culling hives - options?

[drex]

Best thing for a Warre hive in my opinion. Should have taken the good Abbe and shot him at the stake as well

LOL. Couldn't agree more. I hate it. Only keep it as a tribute to an old beekeeping mate, who was keen on them, as he is no longer with us. Really enjoy KTBH though, but glad I acquired my beekeeping skills with conventional framed hive first. Still lots to learn but the TBH is teaching me a lot.

 

[jd101k2000]

An experienced bee keeper told me that tobacco in the smoker pacifies bees. It may be worth trying for the re-queening exercise. There are certain bee keeping suppliers from whom you can obtain tobacco stalks. I do not know if these have the required potency. At this stage there is not much to lose!

 

[RobB]

Many thanks for all the input folks. We've removed all of the supers tonight with the aid of one of the old hands at the apiary. The bees will be dealt with tomorrow.

Lessons learned:#1 re-queen early. #2 have some private place to go to keep your anti-social bees whilst #1 is happening if you've left it too late. This is how we've got ourselves in this fix

Cheers

Rob

 

[bunbury]

I have the same problem and with neighbour being stung they have to go as well children nearby. Requeening has been done but no improvement .
Sulphur candle is my first choice

 

[bunbury]

Made a tent around the hive with 2 dust sheets put tin of Smoke candle(£5.99 from local hardware) under hive under open mesh floor and lit the touchpaper. Very easy and I will be able to use the frames again.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

We've removed all of the supers tonight with the aid of one of the old hands at the apiary. The bees will be dealt with tomorrow.

Made a tent around the hive with 2 dust sheets put tin of Smoke candle(£5.99 from local hardware) under hive under open mesh floor and lit the touchpaper. Very easy and I will be able to use the frames again.

Oh that's alright then. Welcome to the age of throwaway beekeeping. Don't like your bees? then just bin them and buy another lot

 

[pargyle]

Oh that's alright then. Welcome to the age of throwaway beekeeping. Don't like your bees? then just bin them and buy another lot

There does seem to be a growing trend for killing troublesome bees .. despite the inconvenience there are a number of things that can be done without this as a last resort. Requeening/temporary relocation are the obvious, less terminal, solution but it sounds in one case it's too late .... Sad, I'm with you on this JBM.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I'm with you both. Nice to hear that a method has been devised to enable the dead frames to be used again :hair pull:
After all the offers here to take the bees as well.........
I hope they enjoy the honey.....every mouthful!

 

[bunbury]

It is all very well to sit in judgement but with limited resources and neighbours being stung what would you do? Sing rule Britannia as your ship sinks?
On a different tack what about the genetic pool? That doesn't matter to you but it does to me as breeding from such a strain goes against all laws of genetics.

 

[Hachi]

It is all very well to sit in judgement but with limited resources and neighbours being stung what would you do? Sing rule Britannia as your ship sinks?
On a different tack what about the genetic pool? That doesn't matter to you but it does to me as breeding from such a strain goes against all laws of genetics.

People offered help and for reasons best known to you; you didn't take them up on it and by your own admission YOU left it too late and now the bees are dead. But reading your posts again, their demise was always going to be the final solution because you only sought advice on how to save your honey.

Lets hope there won't be a second time..... for the bee's sake

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Hachi: you realise you were not replying to the OP?

RobB. I would seriously query my relationship with my BKA if I were you. I'm sorry you had to kill your bees but I think most of the posters would have leapt at Hivemaker.'s offer. Next time ask here a bit less deep in the hole. Good luck.

 

[jimmybee]

If you have to kill your own bees then your not a beekeeper what's so hard about removing the capped drones a queen excluder, smoke,and a new queen .I would move bka!

 

[Summerslease]

Poor old Rob B and Bunbury. If there's a subject best avoided on this forum it's killing your bees. You will always look callous no matter how much panic they are causing you and your neighbours. And some of those who condemn you have a rather evangelical approach to beekeeping and drown out the beeks who offer help based on years of experience.

Allelujah brother.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Poor old Rob B and Bunbury. If there's a subject best avoided on this forum it's killing your bees. You will always look callous no matter how much panic they are causing you and your neighbours. And some of those who condemn you have a rather evangelical approach to beekeeping and drown out the beeks who offer help based on years of experience.

Allelujah brother.

B****X - good advice (and help) was offered. Rob decided to listen to the 'old hands' at the apiary instead of tackling the problem. Bunbury obviously thought it was easier just to kill them rather than
a) move the bees
b) requeen - which would have appeased his great anxiety as to the integrity of the gene pool.

i.e. easy way out.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Heidi; bist du hier?

 

[RobB]

<sigh> I was told posting here was likely to be painful experience.

Killing both hives was a miserable, upsetting, decision. It came about through a combination of circumstances which left us with no other option. As noted in my post above, lessons have been learned and we hope never to find ourselves without the time and space to re-queen again.

Thanks to those that did try and help.

 

[Roola]

I'd have taken them off you

 

[Tdf]

<sigh> I was told posting here was likely to be painful experience.

Killing both hives was a miserable, upsetting, decision. It came about through a combination of circumstances which left us with no other option. As noted in my post above, lessons have been learned and we hope never to find ourselves without the time and space to re-queen again.

Thanks to those that did try and help.

You got an offer of getting them requeened for you. You came on here with your mind already made up

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Lighten up guys; it wasn't malice and they were evicted; look at the BKA.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I must say that I was not impressed by their BKA's stance. I suppose that rot usually starts at the core.