done brood in fondant tub

[beeboybee]

ahhhhh left a tub of fondant on one of my hives as its only just got warm up in merseyside..... today 20deg!!! did full inspection on both hives all good. but brace comb in fondant tub ontop of super full of drone brood!!!!
really worried queen might have been in tub so i have placed empty super under brood box with fondant tub in, should i leave it there untill drones have emerged and run the risk of brace comb being built under brood frames, going to put a super ontop this evening to make some more space...

 

[oliver90owner]

Why? How does queen get into the super? Or do you mean brood and a half?
If the tub is isolated from the brood by a Q/E, only three days required to know she is not in it.

Three weeks later, they will likely have built a lot of wild comb down and engulfed the tub!

RAB

 

[beeboybee]

sorry that should read brood not super!

so floor, brood,crown board, empty super with fondant tub then roof.

 

[Midland Beek]

Well, that is your bees saying they need more space.

And you seem to have a good understanding of Sod's Law. Sod's Law says the queen was in the tub when you inspected.

 

[beeboybee]

how long should i leave the tub in its new position under the brood box in a empty super as a spacer?

 

[beeboybee]

had a little pic at the above problem with tub in super under brood box today!
was hoping to see the tub free from bee's but still very active, should i just leave it be until its obviously not being used then take out, how long before they start to build wild comb down from the brood to fill the super?

Any top tips to emptying the tub? without damaging queen should she be in there.........

thanks all

 

[oliver90owner]

Any top tips to emptying the tub? without damaging queen should she be in there.........

Not a top tip by any means. I gave it at post#2 (or perhaps I am wasting my time replying because I am on an ignore list?)

Isolate the tub with a Q/E for three days and look for eggs. If they are only in the tub, that is where she is! If they are found elsewhere, that is where she is.

RAB

 

[beeboybee]

Dont worry RAB your not on any ignore list!

i am just getting my head round the problem... i have a spare QX so should i place that above the super with the Tub in Then the brood Box above. or the other way around with tub sat ontop of QX?

thanks for responding

 

[oliver90owner]

I just went bak to your OP and read this agian: did full inspection on both hives all good. but brace comb in fondant tub ontop of super full of drone brood!!!!

I hope it was not the super that was full of drone brood!! Or your problem is more than just finding her!

I would put the tub at the warmest part of the hive (top), but honestly, the probablilty of her being in a small tub, c/f a huge expanse of comb, is small. I am using a queen excluder to help locate my queen (I need to) in my 'powerful' Dartington colony at this very moment.

You could try looking for the queen (on a warm day) if you were so concerned re her whereabouts! I wouldn't, but I do not worry about such small things. Location of eggs will easily locate her, close enough, as you have a simple 'go-no go' situation here.

Regards, RAB

 

[VEG]

Do you use drone foundation in your supers?

 

[beeboybee]

No its a empty fondant tub that has wax comb built it it at a guess mostly drone cells the empty super is what the tub was housed in!

gonna have to get the camera out i think!!!!

 

[melon]

I had the same problem a few weeks ago. 5 takeaway pots used for fondant had wild comb being built in them in different hives. The queen was laying in one, but I only realised she was there when the bees started fanning at the top of the tub, which I had put on the floor in front of the hives to empty. I put a board in front of the entrance, like I use for hiving a swarm, took the lid off the pot and shook the bees out. I suppose it was a bit risky, but she walked back in. There wasn't much brood, so I just removed it then.