Getting a hive and bees from friend.

[einsteinagogo]

<snip>

I believe that this should be good because they hopefully won't want to swarm again this year..... or I could be wrong.....

Roll on tomorrow morning...

Mark

Never assume that! bees will be bees!

 

[B+.]

Before i knew better, i have had them cook just moving them two miles in temperatures like we have right now

If we're talking horror stories from our past.... I once took a swarm and had it in a box on comb and foundation. It was a hot day so I left it on my patio while I came indoors for a drink. By the time I returned, all the wax had melted and the bees were in a mess :-(

 

[jd101k2000]

Bees being moved panic, get agitated, fan their wings and the temperature rapidly increases. Bees then die of overheating and drowning in melted wax that gathers at the bottom of the hive as the combs disintegrate.

When moving bees you are extremely unlikely to kill them with cold or draughts. Windows open is good, plenty of ventilation to the hive.

If bees do escape into your car while you are driving them, how do you think that will affect your driving? Will you feel cool and rational? Enjoying the feeling of bees flying around your head and the opportunity to commune with nature? If not, you may wish to consider wearing a bee suit while driving.

 

[Tremyfro]

Last year we went to collect our bees from Pxxxxxs.....it was a full colony. We were assured that they would be prepared for travel. The weather was so hot....one of the hottest days. We had a long journey down to South Wales. We set off...onto the motorway....after about 20 miles everything ground to a halt....we never did find out why!!....we had the air con going full blast ...mostly we were worried about overheating....we really had no idea of any dangers! how stupid was that! We didn't worry about escaping bees...so we weren't wearing any protective clothing.....we didn't worry about having a car crash...with 70000 bees let loose! Hind sight is a wonderful thing! By the time we got to the bridge...we had about 50 bees or more loose in the car....believe me ...we sat very still.....luckily they mainly were on the windows but some did crawl around the steering wheel!.....
Even then we were only worried about losing any...when we paid at the toll....the window was only down for a moment and some escaped. All we could think of was that they would be sad and lost!
We did get home safely...thank God.....but some of the escaped bees took up residence in the car....eventually they clustered on the hive. We carried the hive down to the hive stand with great relief!
Never again would I move bees in a car.....we had no idea of the dangers....if we ever have to do it again...I will hitch up the little trailer to move them...escapees can take their chances!
Now we have TOTAL RESPECT for the the bees!

 

[Hivemaker.]

If bees do escape into your car while you are driving them, how do you think that will affect your driving? Will you feel cool and rational? Enjoying the feeling of bees flying around your head and the opportunity to commune with nature? If not, you may wish to consider wearing a bee suit while driving.

Lol...personally i enjoy the company, almost always a few bees buzzing around in the cab of the truck, they hitch a lift from one apiary to the next, has no effect on my driving at all, rarely bother with bee suits even when working on the bees, let alone in the truck.

 

[jd101k2000]

You are in the former category (cool and rational). I am not!

 

[Erichalfbee]

or I could be wrong.....



Mark

Maybe
A cast which made their home in a bait hive in my garden in April last year tried to swarm again in June.

 

[Mrs Webmuppet]

Welcome to the world of beekeeping.

I too have twice moved bees in my car.....somewhat nerve wracking , both occasions involved driving over the Orwell Bridge on the A14. For the uninitiated this is an accident black spot. I did make sure the first time that the hive was well taped up, the second time was with a swarm in a cardboard box.

 

[bigfathairybiker]

Bees arrived...

Transferred five frames FULL of bees to brood box.
One frame of new foundation was heavy with bees and the foundation fell out.
Luckily whilst in the new brood box. Removed this frame and foundation and replaced with new one.

Tipped rest of bees in top.

Added queen excluder, one super, a tub of sugar/water feed, crown board and roof. Maybe not in that order as I was too busy focusing on the cloud of bees on my face net!

Lots of them flew out the top and decided to settle underneath hive.
Eventually bees began using entrance.
But still thick covering of bees underneath mesh floor.
After a grabbing a few handfuls of bees and placing them at entrance they made it in.
But around 30 plus bees decided to spend the next few hours in a little bundle under one corner.
As it was now getting cold and dark a quick poke got the last bees to fly about and return to the hive ( or they may have just flown off! )

Neighbours must of heard the noise as a few turned up to have a look, but were told to stay back as the bees were definitely not in a good mood at first.

Before it started to cool down a few bees were already venturing up the garden and a few returned covered in pollen probably from the Rape Seed field ten feet away!

Anyway... I'll probably leave them alone tomorrow, returning on Monday to have a check on them.

Oh... almost forgot... I got a bee up my nose and my Dad had one hide in his ear! Didn't get stung though...

What a day.

Mark

 

[einsteinagogo]

Lol...personally i enjoy the company, almost always a few bees buzzing around in the cab of the truck, they hitch a lift from one apiary to the next, has no effect on my driving at all, rarely bother with bee suits even when working on the bees, let alone in the truck.

I moved so many bees around in my car last year, moving hives, collecting swarms, moving full supers and I learnt use wooden boxes not cardboard, because bees eat through cardboard, although it was all I had to hand at work, a cardboard box to catch a swarm, that arrived in the courtyard!

My bee suits, jacket and full suit, leather and nitrile gloves and kit, are always in my car in the season...and I always wear them carrying whilst bees are in transit.

On a few occasions, I took my work colleagues to the pub, and they asked, why are there bees in your car....they remained calm...I said keep the windows up, I'll take them home....

it would appear, that bees get in my car, get chilled at night, and then later in the day warm up and fly around...as I don't see them.

I got back to the apairy, and opened all the doors and windows, and boot lid and let them free, to go home...

I work approx 35 miles away, so they are not going to find their way home!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Bees arrived...

Transferred five frames FULL of bees to brood box.

Added queen excluder, one super, a tub of sugar/water feed, crown board and roof. Maybe not in that order as I was too busy focusing on the cloud of bees on my face net!


What a day.

Mark

Is this the swarm your uncle caught?
What is in the super and why are you feeding?

 

[bigfathairybiker]

Is this the swarm your uncle caught?
What is in the super and why are you feeding?

Hi,

Yes it is the swarm from one of his own hives.

There is nothing in the super apart from the feeder.

I believe that all the bees were on new frames of foundation. No brood was transferred from the original hive. So basically there are 11 clean frames in the hive. No brood and no stores.

I believe that my Aunt put a feeder on them because they had nothing to eat and probably wont get a chance until they go out today if it stops raining.

Mark

 

[theeggman]

To the world of beekeeping.

May I suggest that you sort your protective clothing out. If you got a bee up your nose and your Dad one in his ear there may be some issues re. your protection.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Ah.......I thought you had a super with foundation in it.....sorry

 

[bigfathairybiker]

May I suggest that you sort your protective clothing out. If you got a bee up your nose and your Dad one in his ear there may be some issues re. your protection.

It's ok, this was around 50 yards from the hive back at the house!
This single bee had decided that as it was getting late and it hadn't found the hive entrance, it would venture further afield in search of somewhere to settle down for the evening. It first tried my nose then my Dads ear.


We weren't wearing any protective clothing at the house, so it was very easy for the bee to gain access!

I wear a full suit when close to the bees. It may have been that I was still wearing the suit down round my waist that attracted him/her to us.
Or it may have followed the pheromones from the half a dozen that tried stinging me through my gloves.

This begs the question of:- Should I clean my gloves and suit to remove bee sting pheromones so next time the bees won't chase me up the garden?

I'll be checking on them tomorrow ( Monday ) so I'll let you know how I get on and post up some piccys.

Mark

 

[einsteinagogo]

<snip>

This begs the question of:- Should I clean my gloves and suit to remove bee sting pheromones so next time the bees won't chase me up the garden?

I'll be checking on them tomorrow ( Monday ) so I'll let you know how I get on and post up some piccys.

Mark

I would always recommend, if your gloves or bee suit, have been stung, that you wash it, before returning to the hive.

If you have leather gloves, trying to get the "smell out" can be difficult, maybe you want to consider, disposables, or marigolds, or nitrile disposal gloves, easier to wash between visits, or through them away.

I started with leather gloves, and only use them for collecting swarms now, I use nitrile disposal, and you can handle the bees, a lot easier, and feel through the gloves is better, than heavy leather gloves. (difficult to clean as well!).

But I certainly would get them washed....

 

[BeeJayBee]

...it may have followed the pheromones from the half a dozen that tried stinging me through my gloves.

This begs the question of:- Should I clean my gloves and suit to remove bee sting pheromones so next time the bees won't chase me up the garden?

Yes, wash before wearing quit or gloves again because the pheromones will linger and will upset (agitate) the bees for no good reason, and you will probably also get stung.