Do two colonies grow faster than one?

[Beesnaturally]

unless they're high efficiency ones, all they will do is attract more wasps to the area

I've started putting out low efficiency ones for an afternoon, then replacing them with high efficiency ones at nightfall. By 9.00 in the morning most are in the bag. I use drinks bottles with the top cut off and inverted. They seem pretty efficient. Just clear bottles work if you get the light right - bright on the side, dark on top.

 

[Do224]

Check she’s not a drone layer or multiple eggs in cells on the small one.. looks rather like the decision has been made for you!

There was the odd drone cell but predominantly worker brood. Do you think theyre superseding her?

Here’s one frame (I know it’s horrible comb…it’s the one I used in the swarm trap that they arrived in)

View attachment IMG_8532.MOV

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I use drinks bottles with the top cut off and inverted. They seem pretty efficient

if you say so

 

[Antipodes]

There was the odd drone cell but predominantly worker brood. Do you think theyre superseding her?

Here’s one frame (I know it’s horrible comb…it’s the one I used in the swarm trap that they arrived in)

View attachment 33078

If you can't find the queen (like you say) and they have made a number of queen cells , I would have thought the queen had died? They are emergency cells in that case, not supersedure. It looks like seeing the queen would not be too difficult if she was there given the numbers of bees ...Any eggs?

 

[Do224]

If you can't find the queen (like you say) and they have made a number of queen cells , I would have thought the queen had died? They are emergency cells in that case, not supersedure. It looks like seeing the queen would not be too difficult if she was there given the numbers of bees ...Any eggs?

Ahh ok, initially I thought they might have swarmed but that seems very unlikely I suppose.

I had a good look for the queen but couldn’t find her. I could see very small larvae but couldn’t see eggs (although I’m terrible at spotting them and it’s quite dark where the hives are under the trees).

Do you think this colony has a chance given their size and their need to produce a new queen? Anything I can do to help them?

 

[ericbeaumont]

Do you think theyre superseding her?

Likely.

they have made a number of queen cells

How many?

 

[user 20297]

Ahh ok, initially I thought they might have swarmed but that seems very unlikely I suppose.

I had a good look for the queen but couldn’t find her. I could see very small larvae but couldn’t see eggs (although I’m terrible at spotting them and it’s quite dark where the hives are under the trees).

Do you think this colony has a chance given their size and their need to produce a new queen? Anything I can do to help them?

I have the same problem. Get a bright torch, (I use a surplus, rechargeable bicycle headlight) that you can shine into the cells.

 

[Do224]

How many?

Perhaps half a dozen…

 

[Antipodes]

Ahh ok, initially I thought they might have swarmed but that seems very unlikely I suppose.

I had a good look for the queen but couldn’t find her. I could see very small larvae but couldn’t see eggs (although I’m terrible at spotting them and it’s quite dark where the hives are under the trees).

Do you think this colony has a chance given their size and their need to produce a new queen? Anything I can do to help them?

It might be enjoyable and also learning/experimental to see how they go, so yes. I'd probably reduce the entrance down to just a bit bigger than a drone. When the new queen is laying you could feed them to encourage more laying.

 

[Swarm]

If in doubt regarding eggs, take a photo and zoom in on the cells.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Perhaps half a dozen…

Suggests emergency, as Antipodes mentioned.

Queens don't just die, so something must have happened to produce EQCs.

 

[Beesnaturally]

if you say so

if you say so

The wasps say so

 

[ericbeaumont]

The wasps say so

Trying hard to work out why you kill (needlessly) one social insect in favour of another.

You make no mention of a threat to your colonies from wasps, so what drives your thinking?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Trying hard to work out why you kill (needlessly) one social insect in favour of another.

You make no mention of a threat to your colonies from wasps, so what drives your thinking?

I wonder how many of those wasps were trying to get into the hives anyway?

 

[Do224]

Just been observing the hives from the outside this morning and witnessed a couple of wasps try and get into the small queenless colony. They were chased back out.

There’s another beekeeper who has hives in the same apiary…a couple of them died out last winter and I’m pretty sure one now has a wasps nest inside judging by the activity at the entrance. I’ve contacted him to come and sort it.

I’m going to move my small queenless colony into the 6 frame nuc pictured below as they’ve just been in a temporary box.

I’ve jammed some cable ducting into the entrance. Do you think this will enable them to defend against wasps or could I/should I do better?

 

[Beesnaturally]

Trying hard to work out why you kill (needlessly) one social insect in favour of another.

You make no mention of a threat to your colonies from wasps, so what drives your thinking?

My observation of wasps going into hives. Coming out with larvae. If you don't control them where they are plentiful they will take down small hives by removing the brood. These jars are around my mating nucs, the most vulnerable, and as you can see, under threat from large numbers.

My own 5 acres of virtual wilderness might have perhaps 20-30 ground nests. And the hot summer seems to have boosted them strongly. They smell my extraction, my comb and I'm forever hooshing them out of the building. In short: they are a bloody nuisance, a risk to my business, and there are millions more just a little further away.

If you were making a living from bees I don't suppose you'd need to ask that question.

 

[ericbeaumont]

If you were making a living from bees I don't suppose you'd need to ask that question.

Well, I am and yet I do ask it.

I've lost about 10 nucs to wasps in ten years, nearly all before I learned the value of strong nucs at this time of year.

These jars are around my mating nucs, the most vulnerabe

Close proximity of traps to nucs will guarantee attention from wasps. If you really must put out traps, put them as far from the nucs as is practical.

Wasps and nuc mating at this time of year is often a risky game.

 

[Beesnaturally]

I've lost about 10 nucs to wasps in ten years, nearly all before I learned the value of strong nucs at this time of year.

Close proximity of traps to nucs will guarantee attention from wasps. If you really must put out traps, put them as far from the nucs as is practical.

Wasps and nuc mating at this time of year is often a risky game.

That's your way. I've been trying to keep bees in production by using small mating nucs, because honey income is my whole income, and I'm trying not just to keep the show on the road but to grow it.

You really don't know anything about my operation, my layout, my priorities, my observation-set or my wasp population. And I don't need your advice, or your ethical critique.

Ta.

 

[magor]

a reason may do traps inside apiary is to attract mothers ,but earlier or late in season? and when wasps nest populations grow may better move traps far from apiary ? more , no close to entrances as to no keep bee guards on alarm all time?

 

[Beesnaturally]

a reason may do traps inside apiary is to attract mothers ,but earlier or late in season? and when wasps nest populations grow may better move traps far from apiary ? more , no close to entrances as to no keep bee guards on alarm all time?

I find watching and trying different things is best. Going after the queens is an interesting idea, but I'm sure Dani will have kittens at the millions of wasp-lives denied