First disaster, urgent advice required!

[ericbeaumont]

urge to fiddle

Suggest you leave well alone for at least a week and assess again.

Bear in mind that laying & population will decline slowly during late summer, and that it is far better to approach autumn and winter with the boxes rammed.

 

[MrMouse]

Another update - any pointers or thoughts more than welcome!
This evening I’ve been to feed my two nucs above without going into them. (Day 6 post queen release)

Here’s the discrepancy, the Payne’s (unpainted) nuc seems to have infinitely more activity at the entrance than the BS nuc. Similarly, the feeder is much busier in the Payne’s nuc. (Obviously with a clear crown board on the Payne’s I can see that this is absolutely rammed). The BS nuc appears to be far from it.

I assume I shouldn’t really worry yet? The flying bees when I made the split have probably just more heavily returned to one than the other.

When I next go in and check that we have queens laying, assuming successful introductions in both, should I donate a frame of eggs to the quieter one?

Or, should I just go with the flow, accept that if laying, the smaller nuc will build up and just go from there?

 

[Swarm]

Leave alone now and make sure they have enough stores.

 

[Malcolm B.]

In my classic urge to fiddle and with the populations of each being very high, I’m really tempted to add extra frames in nuc extensions. I’d be grateful for persuasion either way!

Its very easy to succumb to the temptation to continually 'fiddle' and check and investigate and worry etc etc.

When you feel the urge to interfere, just grab a cup of tea (or coffee or beer) and go and sit next to the hives and simply watch them. You can then fiddle visually and you won't disrupt them or upset them.

Bees are quite good at looking after themselves! They have been doing it a very long time. Events in the hive take time to happen.

Have patience and self control - plus a beer or two.

Enjoy your bees

Malcolm.

 

[Man from Noverre]

Wait and watch is probably the best advice at the moment, if you want to talk bees have you joined a local association. There are a few in Dorset, dependent on exactly where you are. Am in BH10, but know how little I know.

 

[MrMouse]

A further update:

Went into my Nucs yesterday - the next beginner mistake was evident!

Payne’s: absolutely packed full of bees and stores. Eggs on about half of 2 frames. Lots of pollen coming in.

BS HB nuc: far fewer bees, absolutely packed with stores. No empty cells, no brood, queen not seen.

I’m accepting that BS nuc may not be queen right. I’ve swapped a couple of the frames of capped stores for foundation as an experiment (will likely end up combining with the other nuc at some point).

I’d be grateful for some advice on the Payne’s nuc though. I’ve effectively made them honey bound by feeding too much. I’ve therefore stopped feeding them. I see my options as below (in order of likely preference, I think). Maybe the collective hive mind could advise?

1. Stop feeding (done), leave them to their own devices over the next few weeks, they’ll use up some stores and make space for the queen to lay. Hefting regularly to check weight.

2. Swap a frame or two of capped stores for foundation (I have no drawn comb) and hope that with a bit of feeding, ongoing ivy flow and warm weather with lots of bees they draw this out.

3. Add a brood extension with some capped stores (spare frames I’ve got) and some foundation. I expect this will be the least preferred option.


Thanks for the ongoing advice, I’ve joined my local BKA but their membership runs Nov-Nov…

 

[ericbeaumont]

Bees will draw comb on a flow but add only one foundation at a time in the centre of the nest.

Give a frame with eggs & larvae to the middle of the BS box. Check after 4 days for EQCs. Remove all you find and use your brood extension box to unite with newspaper to the queenright lot.

Two aspects to bear in mind: queen introduction is always uncertain; queenless bees don't always make EQCs on a test frame.

 

[enrico]

A further update:

Went into my Nucs yesterday - the next beginner mistake was evident!

Payne’s: absolutely packed full of bees and stores. Eggs on about half of 2 frames. Lots of pollen coming in.

BS HB nuc: far fewer bees, absolutely packed with stores. No empty cells, no brood, queen not seen.

I’m accepting that BS nuc may not be queen right. I’ve swapped a couple of the frames of capped stores for foundation as an experiment (will likely end up combining with the other nuc at some point).

I’d be grateful for some advice on the Payne’s nuc though. I’ve effectively made them honey bound by feeding too much. I’ve therefore stopped feeding them. I see my options as below (in order of likely preference, I think). Maybe the collective hive mind could advise?

1. Stop feeding (done), leave them to their own devices over the next few weeks, they’ll use up some stores and make space for the queen to lay. Hefting regularly to check weight.

2. Swap a frame or two of capped stores for foundation (I have no drawn comb) and hope that with a bit of feeding, ongoing ivy flow and warm weather with lots of bees they draw this out.

3. Add a brood extension with some capped stores (spare frames I’ve got) and some foundation. I expect this will be the least preferred option.


Thanks for the ongoing advice, I’ve joined my local BKA but their membership runs Nov-Nov…

Thanks for the update. Cant improve on Eric Beaumonts advice