how soon after moving a hive can I tear into it

[Obee1]

So finally I've had enough. I'm sending my mean bees to live in the countryside. They've upset my neighbour and stung 4 people. So I'm moving them - more than 3 miles. At the moment they are queenless which hasn't improved temperament. So as I need to look for queen cells but can't open them up here I'm going to just lock em in and move them. How soon at the new location can I tear into the hive looking for queencells? The queen they had died on Monday (5 days ago) and I don't think there were any sneaky supercedure cells hidden within... But it's possible. I have purchased a queen ready for them but my concern is that if a virgin hatches within I will have no hope of finding her. The hive is mahoosive and virgins look like workers to me! If only they emerged with a coloured spot marked on them.

 

[Moggs]

One step at a time! Yes, move them. Or risk more upset. Bees in the garden needs careful planning and experience.. Are they Q-? You need to be sure or you may waste your new queen as she will surely be killed.. Queen introduction needs care - bees ready to accept a queen, not nasty seasoned bees ready for a fight. I would move them and check periodically for signs of s queen.

By the way, though it may be a figure of speech 'tearing' into a hive is not likely to improve their temperament.


I've had that déjà vu before...

 

[Erichalfbee]

If they can fly straight away I'd look in the day after you move them.
By my reckoning you have 10 days before any virgin might emerge....worst case scenario.
Emergency queen made on 3 day larva...so you need to get in before then

 

[Tremyfro]

My God...how are you going to move them...you can't lift that many boxes altogether.....are you going to break them down into separate brood boxes and then the supers? I do not envy you that task! The countryside sounds good.....well away from people until they learn some manners!....but not near me...I would be terrified and my country girls might learn their wicked townie ways!

 

[Obee1]

My God...how are you going to move them...you can't lift that many boxes altogether.....are you going to break them down into separate brood boxes and then the supers? I do not envy you that task! The countryside sounds good.....well away from people until they learn some manners!....but not near me...I would be terrified and my country girls might learn their wicked townie ways!

yes we're splitting into 3 sets of 2 boxes. But as there are 4 brood boxes all full of brood and stores not even sure if we can lift 2 at once. Might just be six lots of one box. Made up lots of spare crownboards with ventilation and got spare floors. Dreading it.

 

[Moggs]

And they're angry bees already? Good luck.


I've had that déjà vu before...

 

[Tremyfro]

The very best of luck moving Mean Greens Queens hive today. I hope they appreciate their new queen and become Gentle 36 Bees instead.

 

[B+.]

At the moment they are queenless which hasn't improved temperament. So as I need to look for queen cells but can't open them up here I'm going to just lock em in and move them. How soon at the new location can I tear into the hive looking for queencells?

I would give them a day to settle down but no longer than 9 days after you last saw the queen. This gives you enough time to destroy the emergency cells and introduce the queen (without attendants) under an introduction cage. Shake all the bees off and make sure there are no cells.

 

[B+.]

If only they emerged with a coloured spot marked on them.

That would be nice!
I do the next best thing and mark them straight from the incubator

 

[Obee1]

So today was the big move day for my meanhive. Locking them in after bed wasn't an option as the 6 boxes were too tall and heavy so needed splitting. My main concern was the people within a 500 foot radius as these are mean bees now queenless. So I was out in the garden at 5 am to split them before anyone was around. First problem, they were bearded on the front of hive. I had made lots of ventilated boards to make bottoms and tops for the boxes and had duck tape and ratchet straps. I wore double jeans 3 tops and a bee jacket with fencer hood. Soon the air was thick with bees and I took first sting through the jeans. Ouch. There was no way they were staying in boxes so I moved all the parts away and left a nuc with frames for the returners. Not many returned as they clustered on the boxes as I tried taping lids and floor and joins between boxes. After 4-5 leg stings and 2 hand ones had a rethink. Went in and got another bee suit....on top of what I was wearing. Now look like Michelin man, sweating conkers and can barely move. Guess what. Still took a sting to back of neck through fencer veil. Kept walking away for them to settle. After 2 hours I figured those clustered on outside of boxes weren't going home so covered air vents so they couldn't smell their sisters. Retreated. An hour later still clustering so got 4 big white sheets and wrapped each split in a sheet thereby capturing a lot of the bees clustering outside and taped it shut. Finally got four wrapped hive parcels into car. A few bees got in but we shooed em out. Not a moment too soon as People were by now walking their dogs nearby. Jumped in car and drove them to rudry about 10 miles away. Then had to reverse process and rebuild. Boy were they even madder when they were opened up. So now they are in a huge garden with an orchard and well away from people. Surrounded by beautiful countryside lots for them to forage on. I have access via a locked gate whenever I like and car can be parked outside the gate. Perfect hive location. The couple whose garden it is are lovely and he did the bee training course a few years ago but thought beekeeping would be too time consuming for him so offered to host a hive.
I never want to move a mean hive that big again - unless I have a crane and lorry to move it in one peice. Next saga is knocking down the emergency q cells and giving them a newly purchased gentle queen .... Or I may just let em raise one of their own as the eggs in there are from hivemakers queen. That is looking like a good plan from where I sit. I have another hive I can use the purchased queen in.
Remember guys I do these things so you don't have to.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Respect!





Dusty

 

[Tremyfro]

Oh you have made me goose flesh...then fearful...then cried....now feeling your relief! So glad it is over. Leave them to make a new queen with the Hivemakers eggs. You could take a brood box from them for your new B+ queen...then she will have a good sized hive when you combine the Nuc with it.

 

[kazmcc]

After going through a grumpy hive recently, I have the utmost respect for you. Well done. Your new site sounds lovely! Good luck with the rest of it

 

[Erichalfbee]

Well done for keeping your head.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Lets hope they do make emergency queen cells.

 

[Jimmys Mum]

Sounds like the morning from hell! Well done!

 

[nantmoel]

Sounded a right pain to sort out! I would let them make their own queen from the eggs from the Buckfast from Hivemaker. We have a similar colony of bees that are nasty, this today had a new Buckfast queen so lets how they except her!

Your story reminds me of a hive we had 20 plus years ago! They would not let you get within 50 yards of them before they started to 'dive bomb' you! God they were nasty. I remember the district bee inspector coming to inspect my bees I have in two apiaries, the first were all buckfast and the second one included the 'nasty hive' when I drove him to the this apiary I said they are down to you!! He walked towards the hive with his veil down (I did warn him) they were bouncing off his head, he soon put his veil up! Next he smoked them at this point he was covered in bees, next he removed the roof, they were going crackers - he promptly put the roof back on and retreated back to me saying "I think they are fine". I can still see him getting stung all over, and make me smile when I think of it to this day.

Hope everything work out for you.

 

[Obee1]

Lets hope they do make emergency queen cells.

what are you thinking Pete? There can't already be a queen resident as I killed the evil queen and they had no queen cells- I shook every frame in the hunt for her so I know for sure. Then after a long drawn out introduction your queen was laying in there. I saw eggs the day I found her dying on the hive floor which was 10 days after she took up residence. They are acting queenless. Their behaviour was getting much better after putting your queen in.

Am I missing something? I'm assuming it would be prudent to check there are EQcells but do I need thin them down?

 

[Obee1]

Sounded a right pain to sort out! I would let them make their own queen from the eggs from the Buckfast from Hivemaker. We have a similar colony of bees that are nasty, this today had a new Buckfast queen so lets how they except her!

Your story reminds me of a hive we had 20 plus years ago! They would not let you get within 50 yards of them before they started to 'dive bomb' you! God they were nasty. I remember the district bee inspector coming to inspect my bees I have in two apiaries, the first were all buckfast and the second one included the 'nasty hive' when I drove him to the this apiary I said they are down to you!! He walked towards the hive with his veil down (I did warn him) they were bouncing off his head, he soon put his veil up! Next he smoked them at this point he was covered in bees, next he removed the roof, they were going crackers - he promptly put the roof back on and retreated back to me saying "I think they are fine". I can still see him getting stung all over, and make me smile when I think of it to this day.

Hope everything work out for you.

Yes I was wondering what would happen if the SBI wants to inspect them. As I was in the midst of all the carnage my OH was horrified by it all and said lets give up and rebuild the hive! How I wished I could have walked away and let someone else sort it. Not an option unfortunately. Don't think there are many volunteers for jobs like this. Must admit I can cope with the awful bees - it's the stress of neighbours or the public getting stung that I can't deal with. Now they are away from people I will be happier to open the hive - just need time to forget the pain of the stings and the stress of it all.

 

[kevrhcfag]

what are you thinking Pete? There can't already be a queen resident as I killed the evil queen and they had no queen cells- I shook every frame in the hunt for her so I know for sure. Then after a long drawn out introduction your queen was laying in there. I saw eggs the day I found her dying on the hive floor which was 10 days after she took up residence. They are acting queenless. Their behaviour was getting much better after putting your queen in.

Am I missing something? I'm assuming it would be prudent to check there are EQcells but do I need thin them down?

I think Pete suspects there might be a virgin in there somewhere.

Hosepipe is a handy thing.