Cut out comb from under the hivefloor

[sean-a]

I had a swarm land under the hive and set up home, with comb hanging from the mesh floor.
I didn't have another hive so lifted the floor onto a couple of empty supers, and had left it for about a month, partly because I needed another hive, and partly trying to work out how to deal with them.

I had a go at sorting them out yesterday.....

I made up some empty brood frames, with elastic bands looped over the frame vertically.

I moved the bees and supers to a table about 5 metres away to avoid flying bees.

Then I cut out the comb, a piece at a time and tried to tie it into the empty frames. The comb was very soft and had a lot of nectar and difficult to tie in.

The good news was that there were eggs, and lots of lavae and some brood.
Bees quite docile, and spending lots of time eating the spilled nectar.

The bad news was that in tying the comb in lots of bees were squashed, and I didn't see the queen at all. She was there because there were eggs present, but no sign of the queen.

All in all about 7 frames partially filled with cut comb, brood nectar and pollen. Into a new brood box and put back on the original site.

Bees were clustered on the table, and on the supers that were supporting the floor, so I scooped them up and shook these onto the top of the frames.

The off cuts I put on a plate and put that on top of the crown board, super around it and then the roof.

Is there anything I need to do now other than wait and hope?

 

[dexter's shed]

in future use elastic bands rather than tying

 

[einsteinagogo]

A tip I was given, was close the OMF, with black correx, in this very forum, to stop them returning under the floor!

also check if it was a swarm, or virgin returning after mating, and missing your entrance, so check BB above floor!