How to kill a colony in a small poly hive

[ugcheleuce]

G'day everyone

I have tried a number of things to rescue my one colony, but the queen keeps getting killed and the workers are laying eggs (again). The colony is small (three frames in a six frame poly hive) and is neither growing nor shrinking. They have enough honey and pollen for a while, so they won't die quickly if I simply close the flying hole. As far as I know they're not collecting anything, and they typically don't drink much sugar syrup either.

How can I kill the colony quickly, without damage to my poly hive? I have no other hives (I'll restart beginner beekeeping next year).

Thanks
Samuel

 

[Rob den Dekker]

From what I've heard, popping a petrol drenched rag in and putting the roof back on does the trick as a last resort.

Can't you merge them with another colony instead?

 

[Madge]

G'day everyone

I have tried a number of things to rescue my one colony, but the queen keeps getting killed and the workers are laying eggs (again). ... How can I kill the colony quickly, without damage to my poly hive?

Simon, are you sure they're laying workers? What are the signs?
Kitta

 

[ugcheleuce]

Simon, are you sure they're laying workers? What are the signs?

* Multiple eggs in most cells
* Drone brood in worker cells
* Drones that hatched but weren't helped out of their cells
* Absence of marked queen that was introduced 3-4 weeks ago
* No emergency queen cells

On the plus side, these bees are the tamest beasts you've ever seen, so they're great for staring at up close.

Can't you merge them with another colony instead?

No, I have no other colony (beginner beekeeper, remember). And who would want egg-laying workers in their colony?

 

[For want of a better word]

Remove all the frames... shake all the bees off.. remove the hive... walk away.

keep the frames for next years beekeepering adventure...the flying bees will probably find another local colony to live with.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Remove all the frames... shake all the bees off.. remove the hive... walk away.

keep the frames for next years beekeepering adventure...the flying bees will probably find another local colony to live with.

just did it with a doomed drone laying nuc last week, within an hour they'd begged themseves in to the other hives. Don't worry about the actual laying worker, either she won't get in anywhere or if she does, the strong queen pheremones in the host hive will supress her laying instincts

 

[BeeJayBee]

On the plus side, these bees are the tamest beasts you've ever seen, so they're great for staring at up close.

Well-fed drones, of any species, can be a bit like that!

I shook out a drone colony last week, there were thousands of them. It was a bit sad to do it, and a bit strange to see them collecting in lumps on the grass before they had worked out what to do next. If it's any consolation, I didn't see any casualties whilst they were begging their way into other colonies.

 

[Hombre]

From what I've heard, popping a petrol drenched rag in and putting the roof back on does the trick as a last resort.

Spot on Rob, a great way to melt a polyhive - the secret is to fully read the question asked before tendering your preferred answer.

To improve on your petrol drenched rag suggestion though, a PP3 9V battery, wire wool and a couple of wires can ignite said box of vapour rather spectacularly.

 

[MuswellMetro]

fairy liquid ,a strong solution in warm water and drench the whole hive and comb

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

To improve on your petrol drenched rag suggestion though, a PP3 9V battery, wire wool and a couple of wires can ignite said box of vapour rather spectacularly.

Oh dear! did I leae one of my old schooldays diaries up in Chris B's last year!! (we also had a supply of gunpowder which made it even more interesting )

 

[jd101k2000]

I suppose the petrol could melt it in a Dali-esque way. You could then enter it for the next Turner prize and exhibit it at the Tate.

 

[chalkie]

Remove all the frames... shake all the bees off.. remove the hive... walk away.

keep the frames for next years beekeepering adventure...the flying bees will probably find another local colony to live with.

 

[Foxylad]

Petrol is very quick, placed on to something metal like a buiscuit tin lid. Or small glass jar.

Foul brood colonies are destroyed ths way.

Personally I would just shake them off and walk away with the empty hive.

 

[TOBY-3652]

Remove all the frames... shake all the bees off.. remove the hive... walk away.

keep the frames for next years beekeepering adventure...the flying bees will probably find another local colony to live with.

 

[Hombre]

Oh dear! did I leae one of my old schooldays diaries up in Chris B's last year!! (we also had a supply of gunpowder which made it even more interesting )

Could be, I'm sure that they would make good reading. I've made a note about the gunpowder though, just in case . . . would that be distributed beekeeping?

It was a good summer generally I think.