Hi - New croydon beekeeper

[winwoodbees]

Hello everyone, I am into my second year but new to this forum and still very much a newbie to beekeeping.

My first hive swarmed earlier this week having filled their first super much quicker than I anticipated. It was both a scary and exhilarating learning experience as the swarmed bees were placed back into a spare NUC before their transfer into another hive (on order, needs to be built quickly.)

I am very keen to make contacts in my local area to understand how their bees are fairing and looking forward to asking silly questions.

Question: my current queenless hive, post swarm has small group of bees under the open mesh floor on the outside of the hive. They have been there for a week (could be since swarming). Should I just be patient, await the new virgin queen to hatch and let them find their own way back into the hive?

 

[pargyle]

Firstly, welcome .... can you add your location into your profile as it does make a difference when people are responding to questions (there's no such thing as silly ones) - but there's a world of difference between keeping bees in Croydon and Stornoway ... or worse - Finland !!

The answer to your question. I'd brush them off and tip them back into the hive.

Presumably your queen was not clipped ?

What sort of hive do you have and is there a gap beneath the stand where the bees could undershoot the entrance ? If so block it up with something .. they sometimes get a stronger whiff of the hive via the mesh floor and undershoot then hang about underneath wondering how to get back in.

However, a question ... have you been into the original hive since they swarmed and knocked down all bar one (good) queen cell ? If there are still multiple queen cells in the hive you risk other swarms (called Castes) where another load of bees push off with a virgin. It may be a bit late now, a week after the swarm has left, as they usually go as the first queen cell is capped. Worth a quick look though sooner rather than later.

 

[enrico]

I agree wholeheartedly with what Pargyle has told you and urge you to take heed! Oh! And welcome

 

[Erichalfbee]

I am very keen to make contacts in my local area to understand how their bees are fairing and looking forward to asking silly questions.

Have you joined your local BKA and do they have a Facebook page? Mine does and it’s a useful conduit for swapping local news.
Have you joined Beebase?
If your colony swarmed earlier this week Id get into the brood box today If you haven’t already
You might still have time to find an open queen cell to leave then remove the others.
Let us know what’s happening in there
And welcome from me too

 

[Murox]

Hello and welcome aboard.

 

[winwoodbees]

Hello all and thank you for the welcome.

I went through and removed all queen cells bar one earlier this week. Expecting emergence today/tomorrow based on when they swarmed. My plan was to check that remaining queen cell on Friday, if the queen has emerged then leave them alone for 3-4 weeks.

Regarding the NUC, swarmed hive, I am hoping to get them into the brood box tomorrow, just need to get building tonight.

Regarding the bees under the mesh floor, there isn't any gap between the entrance and underneath as the hive is sitting on side turned breeze blocks. But will take your advice and knock them off and place back into the hive this weekend.

Thanks for the advice and will join the local BKA forum

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Welcome.
Not from a bungalow in Penge by any chance? (readers of Mortimer will get this )

 

[winwoodbees]

Thank you for all the help. Queen cell eventually emerged, later than expected and spotted the queen inside. Left them alone immediately and will come back in 2-3 weeks time.

I haven't been able to rid the hive of bees settling underneath the mesh floor. I did knock them off the base pre queen cell emerging, but will now leave them alone for a few weeks. Any suggestions on how big of a problem this is, and ways to encourage them back inside the hive? I removed comb they had been building below the base and re-inserted the varroa board to reduce their space in hope that this will encourage them back in the hive.