Honeycomb and brood outside of my hive??

[Queenstown]

I’m new to bee keeping and this forum ,my hive got robbed out or swarmed 2-3 weeks ago ,totally empty not 1 bee in the hive.I checked on the hive yesterday and the brood box is busy as can be plus honeycomb full of brood out side of the hive .there is room inside for all the bees (I think) this was midday so I’m not sure how many where out and about .any help would be most appreciated, I’m getting another hive up there this week to see if I can get them into The new hive but I Havnt got a clue what to do ???

 

[Erichalfbee]

Hi and welcome to the forum.
Do you have a local beekeeper who can help you with this?
From what you say an empty hive is being occupied by a new swarm? Or robbers are clearing it out? You say there is comb and brood outside the hive? How has it got there?Has it been removed from the hive or built outside it? What’s happening inside? Maybe some pictures might help.

 

[Queenstown]

I thought I did attach some pics. .I will do on this thread .the hive was clean these new bees have built new comb underneath the entrance ,I will try to attach a few pics

 

[Erichalfbee]

Ok. Thanks. What’s inside?
If your hive swarmed and produced a new virgin queen she might have undershot the entrance on her return from a mating flight so the colony established itself with her underneath? You need to get them and her inside but it depends what’s inside the hive.

 

[Queenstown]

I thought I did attach some pics. .I will do on this thread .the hive was clean these new bees have built new comb underneath the entrance ,I will try to attach a few pics

Ok. Thanks. What’s inside?
If your hive swarmed and produced a new virgin queen she might have undershot the entrance on her return from a mating flight so the colony established itself with her underneath? You need to get them and her inside but it depends what’s inside the hive.

Thanks heaps ,I’m going up there tmrw to have a look ,I will pull a few frames about and get a few pics of the brood pattern and hopefully find the queen.there are brood out side and brood inside ,is it uncommon for 2 queens?

 

[pargyle]

I think Dani is spot on ... it looks like a big swarm has arrived but for some reason the queen has ended up beneath the hive. Open the brood box .. see what's in there. If it is full of bees then it may be you need to accommodate them with a second brood box. If there are not a lot of bees inside then treat what has happened as a swarm and scoop them into a box and tip them in.

Just for the forum in general ... that's Queenstown NEW ZEALAND - so you are right in prime swarm season where you are.

 

[Swarm]

Thanks heaps ,I’m going up there tmrw to have a look ,I will pull a few frames about and get a few pics of the brood pattern and hopefully find the queen.there are brood out side and brood inside ,is it uncommon for 2 queens?

Take some empty frames and rubber bands with you as well, just in case you need to use the comb they have already built and maybe use a something to blank the area below the entrance for a while until they are established.
If there is brood inside as well as outside, I would check both carefully for the queen as there is a possibility there could be two colonies there. Swarms sometimes do turn up at already occupied hives so well worth making sure before uniting them.
Lovely photo, you've got to love bees and they all look so innocent.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Take some empty frames and rubber bands with you as well, just in case you need to use the comb they have already built and maybe use a something to blank the area below the entrance for a while until they are established.
If there is brood inside as well as outside, I would check both carefully for the queen as there is a possibility there could be two colonies there. Swarms sometimes do turn up at already occupied hives so well worth making sure before uniting them.
Lovely photo, you've got to love bees and they all look so innocent.

The technique of tying or banding comb into empty frames can be tricky at first. I'd suggest you take a look at J P the Beeman's YouTube offerings on removing bees from various sites, cutting out combs from cavities and banding these into frames. He makes his videos mostly for amusement but they do contain a lot of useful tips for doing cut-outs.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

narrow masking tape is easier - and does the same trick

 

[pargyle]

narrow masking tape is easier - and does the same trick

And the bees drag it out of the hive when they have rebuilt the comb ... I wondered what on earth it was on the landing board when I changed to masking tape (I think it was a tip I picked up on here) ... really chewed up to almost string. Before that I'd always used rubber bands ... which do work but they are a bit of a fiddle.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

And the bees drag it out of the hive when they have rebuilt the comb

same with rubber bands, the colony I rescued from a compost bin a few months ago is now at the range apiary, when I went up there to remove the feeders and shut down for winter, I found a pile of rubber bands, chewed through and sat on the grass in front of the hive.

 

[pargyle]

same with rubber bands, the colony I rescued from a compost bin a few months ago is now at the range apiary, when I went up there to remove the feeders and shut down for winter, I found a pile of rubber bands, chewed through and sat on the grass in front of the hive.

Yes ...I used to use those heavy duty one the postman always seemed to deposit on the drive ... they even managed to remove some of those. Must have given the colony a bit of a shock when the bee responsible for taking the last bite out of it chewed through the last bit of the rubber band. The Post Office sadly stopped using them a few years ago and I switched to 15mm masking tape.

 

[Garry R]

When I have done this I first brush the bees into the empty brood box. Then I lay an appropriate deep frame flat on a bench with a foam sheet first to gently hold it on top of two pieces of thin plastic coated garden tie wire - one at each end and long enough to go right round the frame. Cut out the comb to a template size of the internal size of the frame and put the cut piece into the frame and pull the wire taut and twist to stop it unravelling. Get it upright and pop it in the brood box with the bees you brushed in earlier. Do as many as you can even jig sawing and wiring them in place trying to have the bits in the top/bottom orientation. It's amazing how quickly they will firm up and repair the wax. Hope this helps.

 

[Kaz]

Hi @Queenstown , welcome to the forum. My son lives in QT and I'm popping over to NZ on Tuesday for Christmas. I would have loved to meet you and your bees, but we're spending our time there on North island (he's flying up to join us). But maybe next time?

 

[Queenstown]

Hi @Queenstown , welcome to the forum. My son lives in QT and I'm popping over to NZ on Tuesday for Christmas. I would have loved to meet you and your bees, but we're spending our time there on North island (he's flying up to join us). But maybe next time?

Definitely next time Kaz , Allgood

 

[Erichalfbee]

popping over to NZ on Tuesday for Christmas

Oh....I love your turn of phrase.
Private jet?
Have a lovely time.

 

[Kaz]

Oh....I love your turn of phrase.
Private jet?
Have a lovely time.

I wish the terminology takes my mind off the unbearable flight(s)
Thank you, queenstown's post has made me start thinking I might be able to get my bee fix while I'm there

 

[Erichalfbee]

I wish the terminology takes my mind off the unbearable flight(s)
Thank you, queenstown's post has made me start thinking I might be able to get my bee fix while I'm there

We will expect a report and pictures...

 

[BeeAdmin]

I’m new to bee keeping and this forum ,my hive got robbed out or swarmed 2-3 weeks ago ,totally empty not 1 bee in the hive.I checked on the hive yesterday and the brood box is busy as can be plus honeycomb full of brood out side of the hive .there is room inside for all the bees (I think) this was midday so I’m not sure how many where out and about .any help would be most appreciated, I’m getting another hive up there this week to see if I can get them into The new hive but I Havnt got a clue what to do ???

Hey, did you get this figured out? Hope everything went well.

Welcome!

 

[Queenstown]

Hey, did you get this figured out? Hope everything went well.

Welcome!

I went up there today and all the bees seem to be going in the hive now? I’m not sure what to expect inside I’m popping up there on Saturday to open her up .it’s a shame because all the honey comb that was outside was all good healthy brood .they have seem to of left the outside to fend for it’s self ????