Eventful day on west coast. split hive swarmed.

[irishguy]

As some of you know I split my stronger hive yesterday because it was going to swarm and I also had a hive that was Queen less but needed split because it had queen cells and was going to swarm.

I needed a new hive so I was in the process of making it along with floor,crown board roof etc.. I decided that I wouldn't have time to finish a hive so phoned up for a brood box and mesh floor of the local bee supplier while I make a crown board, roof. About 5 o'clock I get a phone call from bee supplier saying brood box and floor won't be ready till tomorrow. I wasn't to worried because I thought the hives would be OK for another day. Turns out I was wrong because while I was assemblying frames I turned round and seen my hive swarming. I freaked out TBH!

I phoned the guy supplying the brood box to talk me through what I have to do next. Thankfully him and his wife came to my rescue.

It was my clipped queen that swarmed that was in the hive me and another beekeeper split yesterday. We missed a few open queen cells on the frame that was put into the new hive. Thankfully the queen was clipped and didn't get to far. She was buried in some high grass along with a handful of bees. Not much bees so its now in a nuc box that the bee supplier gave me. Hopefully this will pill through. Its in a nuc box with 4 empty frames. I'm going to feed them tomorrow.

In the queenless hive, it was packed full of bees and quite a lot of queen open cells with jelly, some with larvae and quite a lot of closed queen cells that where ready to hatch. We split this into 2 hives keeping 1 closed cell and 1 open queen cell with jelly on 1 frame in each cell. The other closed queen cells where taken away by the cple helping me.

In the next few days I'm going to feed the 4 hives and 1 nuc box to give them a hand. Is there anything else you would do.

So all in all, what an eventful day I had with my bees. I was stressed when it all happened and very disappointed to say the least but looking back at it, im happy enough that I've learnt abit more about bee keeping even thou it's going to effect my honey yield.

I can't thank these 2 enough for coming to help me along with the help yesterday because without it, I'd have lost my bees.

I'm now thinking of buying a new hive or even 12 full frames full of bees so i can get my honey yield this year. I won't be telling the misses thou because shell probably pack my stuff or she might even do a swarm herself taking her and kids away lol

 

[oliver90owner]

I think JBM was likely spot on the money!

 

[Finman]

In the next few days I'm going to feed the 4 hives and 1 nuc box to give them a hand. Is there anything else you would do.
ol

The hive tried to swarm and now laying queen is in nuc box and swarm returned.

When new queens emerge, the swarm leaves again.

********

Now you must make a AS and cut the swarming fever . Nothing usefull in trick that queen is in the nuc.

- move the hive 3 metres
- put a foundation hive in old site and there the laying queen and a brood frame and a food frame.
- when bees move to Foundation hive, then take care that the swarm does not leave from brood hive.

Yes, bees are still in swarm mode.

 

[irishguy]

The hive tried to swarm and now laying queen is in nuc box and swarm returned.

When new queens emerge, the swarm leaves again.

********

Now you must make a AS and cut the swarming fever . Nothing usefull in trick that queen is in the nuc.

- move the hive 3 metres
- put a foundation hive in old site and there the laying queen and a brood frame and a food frame.
- when bees move to Foundation hive, then take care that the swarm does not leave from brood hive.

Yes, bees are still in swarm mode.

When you say they'll be in swarm mode, do you mean all them.

This is what happened with my hives.
In hive 1, there was a clipped queen. The hive was doing very good and was on a super drawing out frames. This hive had open and closed queen cells so we don't an A/S with it and moved the original hive a few meters away and placed the New hive with queen and 1 frame into same location. We left a super on this that was from original hive. We missed some queen cells on the frame we put in new hive and it swarmed. We lifted the swarm with queen and put it in a nuc box with 4 empty frames. This nuc is sitting about 3 Meters away from the hive the queen swarmed out off.

Hive no 2 , in this queenless hive, there was lots of open and closed queen cells so we decided to take 1 frame and remove all queen cells apart from one closed and opend cells and moved it into the hive the queen swarmed out of. We also took another frame with 1 open and closed cell and moved it into a new hive a few feet away from this hive.

So now we have 4 hives, 2 of them with only 1 or 2 frames with 1 open and closed cell and 2 hives with 8 full frames with open and closed cell each and 1 nuc with clipped queen with handful of bees on 4 empty frames.

Will any of these still swarm. If so, what can I do to prevent this. Also what would yous do now with all your hives?

 

[Tonyatcwfarm]

Did the guy that made the manipulations not tell you his plan and what he was trying to achieve by doing them

 

[Finman]

Will any of these still swarm. If so, what can I do to prevent this.

As long as hive has swarm cells, it propably swarms. Not worth to try that it does not.

Are they all swarming....difficult to know when I have not seen them.

 

[irishguy]

Did the guy that made the manipulations not tell you his plan and what he was trying to achieve by doing them

Think we're hoping for all the queens to hatch, mate and end up with more hives. I can't think of any other reason why he done what he did

 

[Finman]

Think we're hoping for all the queens to hatch, mate and end up with more hives. I can't think of any other reason why he done what he did

I do the same. I do not kill at once queen cells because bees start to do new at once.

When queen cells are ready to emerge (black tip of cell), then I take extra off or I put some to emerge into the cage. Or, if I have allredy new laying queens, I give it to the swarm.

 

[ratcatcher]

you seem to have your hands full this year, but why are you hell bent on getting honey, It took me around 2yrs before I had decent colonies and sufficient honey yield to pinch some for myself, if your thinking of buying in bees just so you can have honey, it'll be easier just to buy a few jars

 

[Tonyatcwfarm]

I do the same. I do not kill at once queen cells because bees start to do new at once.

When queen cells are ready to emerge (black tip of cell), then I take extra off or I put some to emerge into the cage. Or, if I have allredy new laying queens, I give it to the swarm.

Hi finman
What's your method of introducing a laying queen from an apidea to a swarm or split nuc
Thanks

 

[irishguy]

I do the same. I do not kill at once queen cells because bees start to do new at once.

When queen cells are ready to emerge (black tip of cell), then I take extra off or I put some to emerge into the cage. Or, if I have allredy new laying queens, I give it to the swarm.

The cple helping me yesterday said the queen would emerge today or tomorrow and will kill that other cell left behind and my colony will start off again with a new Queen laying after she's mates.

 

[irishguy]

I was round seeing the Cple who helped me yesterday to grab a few feeders and chat exactly what we done.

I fed the nuc, Queen is defo still there because I near squashed her. I also fed 3 of the 4 hives and took some frames out and put insulation just until the new Queen's arrive. One of the queenless hives all had the frames drew with wax, honey and brood. There was 2 empty frames with foundation put in yesterday but I didn't know to feed this hive or not. This is the hive we done the a/s from. Can anyone tell me will I feed or add a super on.

 

[irishguy]

you seem to have your hands full this year, but why are you hell bent on getting honey, It took me around 2yrs before I had decent colonies and sufficient honey yield to pinch some for myself, if your thinking of buying in bees just so you can have honey, it'll be easier just to buy a few jars

Why do I want honey lol. Isn't that what bees do and anyone I know who got into beekeeping, they also got into it for honey. I know its not guaranteed every year but I was at least expecting a few jars this year esp after getting advised on here that if I buy 2 overwintered nuc, I should at least get a super each if we have a good season and with the weather were getting, that looks likely. I wasn't expecting swarms with 8 moth old Queen's either so naturally thought I'd get my honey. I know I can buy honey but that just isn't the same.