Help,are my bees going to swarm.

[Friar Tuck]

last week i checked as normal found 3 play cups, ok nothing to worrie about. so 7 day have gone past i added my first super and they have drawn 10 frames in one week. and also built 20 queen cells and one is capped!!!

What should i do remove all play cups and capped cell?

Are they going to swam (yes me thinks)

Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[Poly Hive]

yes they are, (going to swarm) and you need to do an AS asap.

If they wre strong enough to draw a super in a week, quite possibly they needed two. However that is in the past and now you need to help them achieve what they want.

I would put the queen in a nuc with a couple of frames of brood and a good shake of bees, then leave the parent colony to raise a virgin.

In a week check for cells and remove all but the YOUNGEST one.

PH

 

[Friar Tuck]

Hi Poly hive i was was saying i was glad you were online, and you would sort me out. I owe you a beer, your a good bloke i dont have a nuc box / hive. but i do have another hive, can i AS into a full hive ? good my hart is beating hahaha

any other points would be grate

 

[jimbeekeeper]

i dont have a nuc box / hive. but i do have another hive, can i AS into a full hive ?

If that all you have, then that is perfect!

Just reduce the air space down, with a dumby board and or a polystrene wall

Now you have 2 hives

 

[Friar Tuck]

wow 2 hive

right so tomorrow,

find queen mover her to new hive.

how many frames of brood?

how much new foundation?

how many bees to shake?

old hive remove other QC? just leave capped ?

anything else to do with original hive?


thanks guys.......

 

[Friar Tuck]

i do have a nuc box the one the bees came in !!!!!!! is this better than a big hive ?

 

[Poly Hive]

Slow down mannie.

First of all find the queen, more on that later.

If you take out HM and two frames of brood you need two frames of foundation/brood comb to replace them in the parent hive.

I would give the "nuc" which you are going to create in the spare brood box two foundation too. One against the wall and then the two brood frames then the last foundation.

Total four foundation.

Tomorrow when the bees are flying well, say 11am onwards, using no smoke, gently remove the roof and put it upside down in front of the hive.

Take of any supers and put on the roof.

Remove queen excluder.

Pull first frame and inspect carefully then put down against the hive.

Methodically go therough the frames checking each one and look for NOTHING but the queen.

If you do not find her on the first pass, put the frames together and go through again.

Still not got her?

National right? Pull four frames, obviously checking as you go, and leant hem too against the brood box so you have 6 left in there.

Pair them up x 3 sets.

leave as much space as you can between the sets and the side walls.

wall....... pair...... pair....... pair...... wall


Go for a brew for twenty minutes. No less.... patience here please.

She should be in between those pairs.

Failing that make a taramov board and when there are no, I repeat NO people around use that method. (they can get a bit nasty)

Good luck

PH

 

[Friar Tuck]

Cool no probs the queen is marked and read for it (easy to find).....

Is it best the use the Nuc box ???

do i have to move the Nuc 3 miles?

as this can be done with ease (many a good farm round these parts you ;o) )

what to do with the parent hive ? remove all but the capped QC ?

Thanks poly beer is in the post

 

[garethbryson]

Did you not say that one of the cells was capped??? could they have swarmed already?????

 

[Poly Hive]

Re-read #2

PH

 

[garethbryson]

what am i looking for?? lol

 

[Friar Tuck]

No not swamed yet see the queen. and 80,000 other bees.

Big hive or nuc box ?

move 3 miles ?


how many bees with HM

Thanks guys top banana

 

[Tom Bick]

No not swamed yet see the queen. and 80,000 other bees.

Big hive or nuc box ?

move 3 miles ?


how many bees with HM

Thanks guys top banana

Nuc box as you are moving two frames as PH recommends

No point in moving 3 miles move the nuc away from the hive with the entrance facing in the opposite direction to the parent hive. You are trying not to advertise the small hive it can get robed out if not careful.

As for the queen cells in the parent hive if it was me I would remove the capped one (you dont know if it is any good) and remove all but the best looking open cell that you can see plenty of royal jelly in it and mark that frame. Then 4+ days later re check and remove any new cells that the bees will make.

Good look as you have a sealed qc then you are lucky that your bees have not swarmed and just may swarm today.

 

[Tom Bick]

No not swamed yet see the queen. and 80,000 other bees.


how many bees with HM

Thanks guys top banana

Ok missed that question the two frames you put in the nuc box with the queen will have all the bees that are on the frames.

You can then shake one or two frames of bees off into the nuc box.

The flying bees in the nuc box will probably return to the parent hive but not all.

 

[Friar Tuck]

Right Ok... found the queen, decided to use the big hive as the nuc box is one of thos thin plastic travel boxes. Moved 3 frames of brood at all stages, one of the frame was just full of capped bees even saw one emerging (cool) put some a couple of frames in the brood box as well and then made the hive cavity smaller with newspaper...

Do i need to feed the new colony ?

The orginal hive has fully drawn out supers! do i need to super again?

Any thing else i should consider ;o)

Thanks again people

 

[Poly Hive]

No need to feed no.

Lessons to be considered. Enough kit? Right kit? Prepared for swarming?

I think the answers are in the posts.

Also for general consideration. If asked have you a nuc box, I for one am talking a "proper" nuc box not a travel box.

Anyway well done you managed an AS.

PH

 

[barratt_sab]

PH - those look like really useful tips - thank you. I have searched the interweb and looked through my books, but cannot find out what a taramov board is. Is there a description you can direct me to?

Thanks

 

[MrB]

barratt_sab,
Try here http://website.lineone.net/~dave.cushman/taranovswm.html

 

[Poly Hive]

http://website.lineone.net/~dave.cushman/taranovswm.html

This is NOT a back garden job as they can and do get pretty nasty. Not for the bare handed brigade either.

PH

 

[MrB]

Snap!