I definatly need your help on this one

[Floyd]

Just had a call from a very nice lady who lives on the opposite side of the Loch from.

She had mentioned to the postman that her neighbour had bees but has now had to go into care managed housing and he gave her my number.

She didn't want to bother me as she thought that the bees would just get on with it. However she got stung twice today whilst collecting Bay leafs from her neighbours garden and it sounds like she was lucky to only get two.

The original hive that they were housed in was a Warre hive which is now empty and the bees have decided that they want to live in a completly delapidated WBC hive. It is an absolute mess even the lifts are rotten and as I didn't have any gear with me didn't want to investigate further.

How can I get them out of the WBC into one of my nationals. I have plenty of spare Brood boxes and drawn comb. They are really aggresive so to just lift out what I presume will be natural comb is probably not an option.

I was considering taking a frame of emerging brood from my hive and then feeding heavily. If this is an option how would I transport the frame. She is only 2 miles as the crow flies albeit across the water so I cant see how I could just box them up and move them.

It did cross my mind that I may be able to smoke them up by using some damp straw but would not like to make them all move to another location and don't know if this is even a recommended practice.

As usual your suggestions would be greatly appreciated I would like to get this sorted as soon as possible but as chance would have it the next 5 days are forcast windy with gust to 40mph with rain.

Many thanks once again, wouldn't know what to do with my morning cups of Tea if the forum was not here.

 

[Skyhook]

On the 28th August I dont think there's time to start mucking about with Bailey changes. I think you need to gird yourself- suit over jumper, 2 pairs of gloves etc- and shook-swarm them into a new BB. Drawn comb will give them a head start. It's not text-book, but neither's your situation.

Leave the new hive on the original site and burn the old one, brood and all.

When they've had a chance to settle for a few days I would OA before they seal any brood, they will then go into winter clean as a whistle.

I would burn the warre as well. Absconding is pretty rare, it seems likely that there is a swarm in the old WBC (or a 2nd colony), and the colony in the warre has died out- another reason to shook-swarm and burn the brood.

If you want to donate a frame of brood it's quite resilient stuff, I would wrap it in a towel warm from the airing cupboard and keep your fingers crossed.



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[oliver90owner]

Not sure what the problems might be, but:

The frames may be good to transfer to another box.
Not sure what you mean in para 6. Bees will not return if you are two miles away across a loch.

If they are not on frames, you have little choice than to box them up and move them. It might be a bit hairy but another hive, with some frames, in place of the WBC would soon mop up any stragglers after the initial furore.

Go well prepared with at least a couple layers of protection and get the job done. Best to warn any neighbours before stirring them up.

RAB

 

[mbc]

On the 28th August I dont think there's time to start mucking about with Bailey changes. I think you need to gird yourself- suit over jumper, 2 pairs of gloves etc- and shook-swarm them into a new BB. Drawn comb will give them a head start. It's not text-book, but neither's your situation.

Leave the new hive on the original site and burn the old one, brood and all.

When they've had a chance to settle for a few days I would OA before they seal any brood, they will then go into winter clean as a whistle.

I would burn the warre as well. Absconding is pretty rare, it seems likely that there is a swarm in the old WBC (or a 2nd colony), and the colony in the warre has died out- another reason to shook-swarm and burn the brood.

If you want to donate a frame of brood it's quite resilient stuff, I would wrap it in a towel warm from the airing cupboard and keep your fingers crossed.
.

All pretty good advice IMHO apart from the warm towel, a cold damp towel would be better.

 

[user 6228]

Don heavy duty PPE

then drag the WBC off position, put a new box in the old position , with a sheet in front of the new hive leading from the WBC to the new hive
Then start smoking them out of the WBC and throwing the WBCs bees and comb on the sheet.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The original hive that they were housed in was a Warre hive which is now empty and the bees have decided that they want to live in a completly delapidated WBC hive.

There you are - proof that even the bees think the warre is sh!t .

I agree that the way forward is to move them out of the WBC and this has been well covered in the previous posts - just mix and match to what suits when you open the hive up

 

[Skyhook]

All pretty good advice IMHO apart from the warm towel, a cold damp towel would be better.

Really? I did think of saying a warm damp towel, but thought it would cool too quickly- why cold?


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[Floyd]

Thought I would give an update on this one as the information was greatly received.

After dressing like someone entering the Fukushima Nucleur Plant, the bees actually turned out to be quite nice. No Pinging but was covered all over my shoulders. Boy that is some noise felt like I was actually inside the hive.

As Oliver suggested the frames were in quite a good condition. They were a bit fragile but as they had been moused, the bees had built lovely comb adhering to the frames with very little brace comb. They are already sagging when lifted.

However, she has decided that they must go quick and despite all my work including crossing the loch in rather windy conditions she has now promised them to her neighbour (maybe 600 meters away). It wont be in my hive!

Can I move them and use the block wth grass method or technically do I have no other options

Many thanks once again

 

[Swarm]

She's now promised them to someone else??!!
I'm afraid in that case I'd leave them to get on with it.

 

[REDWOOD]

Post them through her letter box

 

[mbc]

Really? I did think of saying a warm damp towel, but thought it would cool too quickly- why cold?

Open brood is far more likely to be damaged by drying out than cooling.


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She's now promised them to someone else??!!
I'm afraid in that case I'd leave them to get on with it.

Lol, too right !

 

[oliver90owner]

Cut your losses. There are a lot of wasters out there.