Got myself in a mess. Trying to sort it.

[Dibbler]

Long story short. Started by me forgetting to put queen excluder between bb and a homemade feeder box last Autumn. Ended up in hospital unable to check bees. When I did they were fine except. They filled the feeder box with comb. Very heavy, so left for honey stores through winter. On next inspection. Bees doing well. Put super on. Still forgot excluder.
Next inspection.
Eggs. Brood in both bb and super.
Put excluder in between super and feeder box.
No qc visible in bb or super.
Next inspection. Eventually get porters off Crown board on feeder box.looks full of honey. But developing bees aswell. Can't shift Crown board. Next inspection. Lots of bees on Crown board and in roof.
Put excluder on and another super on top of feeder box.
This super has a small hole at the bottom.
Now I have bees going in original bb.
Bees going in small entrance in top super.
I think there were qc in feeder box.
So I think I've got 2 colonies on 1 hive separated by supers. Excluders. The entrance in super is 45 degrees to main entrance.
Weather is good today.
Do I have a look at everything ?
If 2 colonies do I just put top lot on a bb ?
I'm on holiday from Wednesday.
Last inspection was 23 days ago. No bees on top crown board or in roof. All in feeder box and some honey in top super.
Sorry for essay.

 

[Garry R]

I would split these boxes firstly then rearrange. I would put the feeder box on the floor and really attempt to get the crownboard off. Then put an excluder on that and then the broodbox. Take the frames out of the super and shake and brush the bees from the super int the broodbox and really try to get all the bees off. When you have done that an excluder on the brood box and then the super on top of that - perhaps use a different super that has no hole or at least block that holethen either another super to give them somewhere to shift honey. Finally crownboard and roof. This arrangement will at least confine the queen to the feeder box or the broodbox. Leave it a 9 days and then inspect the brood box for eggs and larvae. If she is in the broodbox rearrange again with broodbox on the floor, then excluder then super and the feeder on top. They shouldn't raise a queen cell in the feeder if she is in the broodbox as the larvae should be too old. Wait another couple of weeks to let all feeder bees hatch then put a clearer board under the feeder box - don't use Porters - they are a disaster in normal usage. You can take the feeder box of with its honey and cut out the comb and crush it into a bucket. I hope this might work. Comments and criticisms welcome . Oh and get that super repaired!!

 

[The Poot]

Long story short. Started by me forgetting to put queen excluder between bb and a homemade feeder box last Autumn. Ended up in hospital unable to check bees. When I did they were fine except. They filled the feeder box with comb. Very heavy, so left for honey stores through winter. On next inspection. Bees doing well. Put super on. Still forgot excluder.
Next inspection.
Eggs. Brood in both bb and super.
Put excluder in between super and feeder box.
No qc visible in bb or super.
Next inspection. Eventually get porters off Crown board on feeder box.looks full of honey. But developing bees aswell. Can't shift Crown board. Next inspection. Lots of bees on Crown board and in roof.
Put excluder on and another super on top of feeder box.
This super has a small hole at the bottom.
Now I have bees going in original bb.
Bees going in small entrance in top super.
I think there were qc in feeder box.
So I think I've got 2 colonies on 1 hive separated by supers. Excluders. The entrance in super is 45 degrees to main entrance.
Weather is good today.
Do I have a look at everything ?
If 2 colonies do I just put top lot on a bb ?
I'm on holiday from Wednesday. Sorry for essay.

It’s difficult to understand the arrangement of boxes….but as I write I see @Garry R has responded. I hope you can sort it!
Bees instinctively know how best to punish a mistake

 

[Dibbler]

I would split these boxes firstly then rearrange. I would put the feeder box on the floor and really attempt to get the crownboard off. Then put an excluder on that and then the broodbox. Take the frames out of the super and shake and brush the bees from the super int the broodbox and really try to get all the bees off. When you have done that an excluder on the brood box and then the super on top of that - perhaps use a different super that has no hole or at least block that holethen either another super to give them somewhere to shift honey. Finally crownboard and roof. This arrangement will at least confine the queen to the feeder box or the broodbox. Leave it a 9 days and then inspect the brood box for eggs and larvae. If she is in the broodbox rearrange again with broodbox on the floor, then excluder then super and the feeder on top. They shouldn't raise a queen cell in the feeder if she is in the broodbox as the larvae should be too old. Wait another couple of weeks to let all feeder bees hatch then put a clearer board under the feeder box - don't use Porters - they are a disaster in normal usage. You can take the feeder box of with its honey and cut out the comb and crush it into a bucket. I hope this might work. Comments and criticisms welcome . Oh and get that super repaired!!

Thank you so much. I've made a new super. Holey one was from the gentlemans old beekeeper stock.
Do you think there is just one queen ?
She is in the bottom bb. Marked so easier to spot.
I use porters in the winter to help heat loss. A hang up from pre stroke bee keeping in Lincolnshire. We had some pretty harsh winters.
Won't use in the future now.

 

[Dibbler]

It’s difficult to understand the arrangement of boxes….but as I write I see @Garry R has responded. I hope you can sort it!
Bees instinctively know how best to punish a mistake

I've started a bee book. I write down exactly what I've done in each hive after I've done it. I'm finding when I move to another hive I've already forgotten. My stroke head doesn't retain new memories very well at all.

 

[E&MBees]

Thank you so much. I've made a new super. Holey one was from the gentlemans old beekeeper stock.
Do you think there is just one queen ?
She is in the bottom bb. Marked so easier to spot.
I use porters in the winter to help heat loss. A hang up from pre stroke bee keeping in Lincolnshire. We had some pretty harsh winters.
Won't use in the future now.

I use a piece of wood, large plant label, etc to block the holes in the crown board. I tape or pin the labels. Aluminium tape works well providing you use it both sides so the bees don’t get stuck to it.

 

[Dibbler]

I use a piece of wood, large plant label, etc to block the holes in the crown board. I tape or pin the labels. Aluminium tape works well providing you use it both sides so the bees don’t get stuck to it.

Thank you. Your knowledge has gone in my bee book so I remember it.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

just put a piece of slate or thin plywood over the holes - no need to secure it, the bees will have glued it down by the next inspection.

 

[Dibbler]

I would split these boxes firstly then rearrange. I would put the feeder box on the floor and really attempt to get the crownboard off. Then put an excluder on that and then the broodbox. Take the frames out of the super and shake and brush the bees from the super int the broodbox and really try to get all the bees off. When you have done that an excluder on the brood box and then the super on top of that - perhaps use a different super that has no hole or at least block that holethen either another super to give them somewhere to shift honey. Finally crownboard and roof. This arrangement will at least confine the queen to the feeder box or the broodbox. Leave it a 9 days and then inspect the brood box for eggs and larvae. If she is in the broodbox rearrange again with broodbox on the floor, then excluder then super and the feeder on top. They shouldn't raise a queen cell in the feeder if she is in the broodbox as the larvae should be too old. Wait another couple of weeks to let all feeder bees hatch then put a clearer board under the feeder box - don't use Porters - they are a disaster in normal usage. You can take the feeder box of with its honey and cut out the comb and crush it into a bucket. I hope this might work. Comments and criticisms welcome . Oh and get that super repaired!!

Sorry Garry. I've re read my post. It sounded like bees were only in feeder box and super. That is incorrect. Bees with queen also in original bb. Honey stores in super above that.
I will get crown board off the feeder box so I can see what's I there.
Last inspection was honey plus capped brood.
Hence my thinking there is another queen in top 2 boxes.
It can't be original queen from bb as there are 2 excluders between that and feeder box ?

 

[The Poot]

I've started a bee book. I write down exactly what I've done in each hive after I've done it. I'm finding when I move to another hive I've already forgotten. My stroke head doesn't retain new memories very well at all.

I’m like that and I haven’t had a stroke! I need to make short notes once I’ve closed a hive, before moving on to the next one. But I always forget to do it

 

[JamezF]

I’m like that and I haven’t had a stroke! I need to make short notes once I’ve closed a hive, before moving on to the next one. But I always forget to do it

I have a cheapo voice recorder that I switch on and put in my bee suit breast pocket when I get to the apiary and just talk myself through what I've done and need to do next time as I go along. It's a bit tedious to listen back sometimes. It's amazing how much you can witter on whilst working the bees, but it helps me no to miss stuff. I find that paper notes end up sticky or wet (or both) unless someone else is making them whilst I go through the hives.

James

 

[The Poot]

I have a cheapo voice recorder that I switch on and put in my bee suit breast pocket when I get to the apiary and just talk myself through what I've done and need to do next time as I go along. It's a bit tedious to listen back sometimes. It's amazing how much you can witter on whilst working the bees, but it helps me no to miss stuff. I find that paper notes end up sticky or wet (or both) unless someone else is making them whilst I go through the hives.

James

That is a good idea James

 

[Dibbler]

I have a cheapo voice recorder that I switch on and put in my bee suit breast pocket when I get to the apiary and just talk myself through what I've done and need to do next time as I go along. It's a bit tedious to listen back sometimes. It's amazing how much you can witter on whilst working the bees, but it helps me no to miss stuff. I find that paper notes end up sticky or wet (or both) unless someone else is making them whilst I go through the hives.

James

What a brilliant idea. Definitely doing that. I love this forum. Thank you so much.

 

[Dibbler]

I've done exactly as Garry said. Crown board is now off the Feeder box, which is full to bursting of honey. No larvae or eggs that I could see any longer. Just honey stores.
Got all bees from super into brood box.
All excluders on.
They didn't like me taking the crown board off the feeder. Quite a few stings.
Positive got beautiful honeycomb to eat.
Will do the rest of instructions when I return from holiday.
I can't thank you enough @Garry R
Thank you to everyone for helping me.
Husband has bought me a proper bee suit for my birthday. Goodbye very large bee jacket lol

 

[Dibbler]

 

[Dibbler]

Doing the 2nd part of instructions today. I found a rhombus board in the bee shed. I just didn't recognise it last time.
I'm going to take photos of anything other than standard equipment and write what it is.
Gosh this bee keeping with a stroke head is certainly frustrating. I'm determined to keep going though as I'm in my 4th year since restarting. I'm not collecting other people's swarms any longer as my balance can be pretty rubbish. I love bee keeping and know why I did it for so many years before.

 

[Dibbler]

Part 3 Followed Garry R instructions and noticed i can now see into the feeder box. It's a lot lighter so had a good look. No eggs or brood. Some capped honey but not much. This was full to bursting before and very heavy.
So I've instigated part 3 of instructions.
Queen definitely in brood box. Lovely she is too.
So rhombus board under feeder just to make sure all bees have vacated.
The super has 4 full frames of capped honey.
Brood box has 2 frames of space. 1 drawn out the other partially.
All other frames have brood. Eggs and pollen. Small amount of honey in corners.
I will look again over the weekend and take the feeder box off.
Thank you for all your help. I'm just so relieved to know I didn't cause damage with my lack of memory. I won't be doing that again ! Oh the super has now been mended.

 

[pargyle]

Part 3 Followed Garry R instructions and noticed i can now see into the feeder box. It's a lot lighter so had a good look. No eggs or brood. Some capped honey but not much. This was full to bursting before and very heavy.
So I've instigated part 3 of instructions.
Queen definitely in brood box. Lovely she is too.
So rhombus board under feeder just to make sure all bees have vacated.
The super has 4 full frames of capped honey.
Brood box has 2 frames of space. 1 drawn out the other partially.
All other frames have brood. Eggs and pollen. Small amount of honey in corners.
I will look again over the weekend and take the feeder box off.
Thank you for all your help. I'm just so relieved to know I didn't cause damage with my lack of memory. I won't be doing that again ! Oh the super has now been mended.

Even those with functioning memory drop the odd clanger ! Well done getting it back on track and the confession is always helpful as others may get into a similar situation in the future. I think beekeeping both relaxes and sharpens the mind .. it's like muscle - the more you exercise it the better it gets ! Stick with it, if you are enjoying it ..keep doing it !

 

[Garry R]

So glad it seems to have all worked out, It;s amazing that you can manipulate bees in this way but of course not all the time. I had three separate nucs which I had all side by side in the apiary which I wanted to combine into one colony. I understood that it was possible to combine 3 colonies easier than 2 and so kept one queen in the new colony with a spray of air freshener to be sure. I intended to keep one queen on a couple of frames as insurance but due to stupidity both the other queens ended up in the 2 frame arrangement. Went back 9 days later to find the 3-nuc combo was queenless and the "2-queen mistake" laying well with one queen (I presume the winner). Nice queen cells in the 3-nuc so left one sealed due to weather forecast hopefully helping mating in the next two weeks. Plenty of flying bees and 9 frames of brood of course and reckon they might need a super when it all emerges. So some of the conventionial wisdom didn't work but unexpectedly it seems to have worked out OK. I am an ***** but the bees are smart.

 

[Dibbler]

So glad it seems to have all worked out, It;s amazing that you can manipulate bees in this way but of course not all the time. I had three separate nucs which I had all side by side in the apiary which I wanted to combine into one colony. I understood that it was possible to combine 3 colonies easier than 2 and so kept one queen in the new colony with a spray of air freshener to be sure. I intended to keep one queen on a couple of frames as insurance but due to stupidity both the other queens ended up in the 2 frame arrangement. Went back 9 days later to find the 3-nuc combo was queenless and the "2-queen mistake" laying well with one queen (I presume the winner). Nice queen cells in the 3-nuc so left one sealed due to weather forecast hopefully helping mating in the next two weeks. Plenty of flying bees and 9 frames of brood of course and reckon they might need a super when it all emerges. So some of the conventionial wisdom didn't work but unexpectedly it seems to have worked out OK. I am an ***** but the bees are smart.

I had no idea you could turn bees kind of upside down and they adapt.
They are definitely smart and I've always thought that bees are amazing.
You have taught me a lot Garry and I am very grateful.
In a way its good to know that others make the odd mistake, doesn't make me feel so stupid