JCBrum
Drone Bee
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2009
- Messages
- 1,054
- Reaction score
- 1
- Location
- Birmingham UK
- Hive Type
- 14x12
- Number of Hives
- 8 ish
Last Tuesday at about 8pm I collected a nuc box with a new colony in it from a beekeeper about 20 miles away from my home in Birmingham. He had started it about 23 days beforehand. I took it home in the car and they didn't overheat or make a lot of noise. The box was ventilated top and bottom.
I noticed straight away that the font of the box around and above the entrance was covered in yellow streaks. The beekeeper said he didn't think there was a problem but agreed the bees might have had a diarrhea attack.
I put the box in the garden at 9pm and opened the entrance. The next morning at about 11:30am I transferred the 5 frames to a hive on the same location and put a plastic tub feeder on with a quart of thin syrup in it. I didn't inspect them to avoid a chill and there were about three frames with bees, one with stores and one with bare foundation. I didn't see the queen.
I monitored the activity at the entrance but have seen very few bees entering or leaving during the last 3 days.
This evening (Friday) at about 6:30pm I decided to have a quick look. There is no queen and no brood. Some cells have what looks like sugar syrup in them and the bees are on two frames, which seems fewer than there were 3 or 4 days ago. They do not rise up when the cover board is removed and seem sluggish.
I am concerned that they will die away. What should I do now ?
Regards JC. (john - new beekeeper).
I noticed straight away that the font of the box around and above the entrance was covered in yellow streaks. The beekeeper said he didn't think there was a problem but agreed the bees might have had a diarrhea attack.
I put the box in the garden at 9pm and opened the entrance. The next morning at about 11:30am I transferred the 5 frames to a hive on the same location and put a plastic tub feeder on with a quart of thin syrup in it. I didn't inspect them to avoid a chill and there were about three frames with bees, one with stores and one with bare foundation. I didn't see the queen.
I monitored the activity at the entrance but have seen very few bees entering or leaving during the last 3 days.
This evening (Friday) at about 6:30pm I decided to have a quick look. There is no queen and no brood. Some cells have what looks like sugar syrup in them and the bees are on two frames, which seems fewer than there were 3 or 4 days ago. They do not rise up when the cover board is removed and seem sluggish.
I am concerned that they will die away. What should I do now ?
Regards JC. (john - new beekeeper).