It ain't over 'til it's over...

[beeno]

View attachment 11035
... the beekeeping season that is. All mine tucked up snug, time to put all the equipment away (don't have that much really) until spring, well nothing much is going to happen now until OA. Wrong, nearly there, when I receive a call from a member of the public intent on saving a swarm of bees that has been sitting in a tree in their car park for the past three weeks. Sadly, they had tried their local BKA, but there was no room at the Inn. However, I was prepared to make some room at mine, as I often find that I am peoples' last port of call, and I feel as a beekeeper I want members of the public on our side.
I am not sure who was the Queen Bee, as a 4m scaffolding tower was erected to get to the swarm, which by now had built seven combs. Considering what I put them through, they were very good girls. Probably, fatigued as they were extremely low on stores. All the bees were nice and fluffy, with a laying queen, who laid in the swarm box overnight. They are now hived on new combs with 1:1 for some urgent food, honey, pollen and I will make some fondant for the future. They are a good sized swarm, so I expect them to pull through, but were caught in the nick of time. Thank you to Peter and Nick for persevering.

 

[Cb50]

Amazing to see all that comb built out in the open in a tree, esp at this time of year. Lucky it has been so warm for them.

 

[midnight sun]

Nice job. Good luck with them.

 

[little_john]

Well done, Beeno - nice photo too.

LJ

 

[REDWOOD]

Any brood in the combs

 

[beeno]

Any brood in the combs

Yes, small patches of capped worker brood and emerging workers plus a small patch of uncapped drone brood in drone cells. Not much, but I guess most of the effort had gone into building the comb.

 

[beeno]

Thanks all, nice to have some excitement now and again.

 

[richardbees]

....presumably the colony's been insulated by leaves up til now?

Thanks beeno

 

[itma]

Well done from me too.

If they have managed to cap any stores on that comb, you could try cutting it just a little smaller than a frame and holding it in place (no-foundation) with some Post Office rubber bands, cable ties or even garden twine. It doesn't have to be perfect to be helpful. Just try to get the comb with cells the "right way up" - points not flats top and bottom.
"New combs" - you haven't given them all foundation, have you?
Its too late to expect them to go through all that malarky again!
An alternative method of giving them drawn comb when you haven't got any spare brood combs would be to put them into a couple of supers …

I'd be offering them Ambrosia asap, insulating to the max (so they can stash away some Ambrosia) and ordering in the first box of fondant …

The tricky bit is the unfortunate weather forecast ….

 

[beeno]

....presumably the colony's been insulated by leaves up til now?

Thanks beeno

I expect so, but I was so busy with one thing or another that I could not tell you what kind of tree it was. There were many twigs and the remains of an old birds nest incorporated into the nest.

 

[beeno]

Well done from me too.

If they have managed to cap any stores on that comb, you could try cutting it just a little smaller than a frame and holding it in place (no-foundation) with some Post Office rubber bands, cable ties or even garden twine. It doesn't have to be perfect to be helpful. Just try to get the comb with cells the "right way up" - points not flats top and bottom.
"New combs" - you haven't given them all foundation, have you?
Its too late to expect them to go through all that malarky again!
An alternative method of giving them drawn comb when you haven't got any spare brood combs would be to put them into a couple of supers …

I'd be offering them Ambrosia asap, insulating to the max (so they can stash away some Ambrosia) and ordering in the first box of fondant …

The tricky bit is the unfortunate weather forecast ….

Hi itma,
They were flying by the seat of their pants - only a few cells of stores. Weather has turned here since Friday, so they would probably have been dead by now with all the rain. It was no point in even trying to save any of their comb, on this occasion, because of all the twigs, remains of birds nest etc. going through it. They have fully drawn spare combs of honey and pollen from my other colonies, but I shall get some Ambrosia from Thornes tomorrow, closed today, as I don't want to disturb my other colonies now the weather has turned. I shall make them some fondant too, as I want to put a little bit on my nucs anyhow as insurance since there seems to be a lot of brooding going on still.
Thanks to you in particular and the forum, I know exactly what to do on this occasion. If not you know I would ask.xx

 

[itma]

If they have honey stores, then they may not need Ambrosia. (And it may be too late/cold.) Even Ambrosia needs to be evaporated down a bit.) But they sure will need fondant later on in the winter …

 

[beeno]

If they have honey stores, then they may not need Ambrosia. (And it may be too late/cold.) Even Ambrosia needs to be evaporated down a bit.) But they sure will need fondant later on in the winter …

I shall see what Thornes says tomorrow (weather in our locale) as I am going to get some OA anyway. But yes they will need more stores before Christmas especially since she seemed keen to lay. It will probably have to be fondant placed straight onto top bars. Thanks again itma

 

[richardbees]

What with the rain over the w/e and cold winds today - they'd be "brown bread" if you hadn't collected them!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Well done Beeno......a heart warming tale.

 

[charlievictorbravo]

I was hoping DerekM might be along but in his absence, I'd say insulate, insulate , insulate. The less heat lost from the hive, the greater the colony's chance of survival with so little a quantity of stores.

CVB

 

[Jimmys Mum]

Clearly the bees don't always know best! Quite a rescue Beeno!

Fingers crossed for them overwintering and becoming a strong healthy colony for next year.

 

[derekm]

I was hoping DerekM might be along but in his absence, I'd say insulate, insulate , insulate. The less heat lost from the hive, the greater the colony's chance of survival with so little a quantity of stores.

CVB

Yes...
The bees need an energy surplus, if they are starting from scratch why throw the energy into the sky when you dont need to.
Second they have a summers work of getting their nest "right" so they need longer working days inside the hive... i.e. not in cluster.

Before anyone cites they use less stores when cold in cluster, thats from this

and thats with no hive at all. and those bees have done that been there already

 

[Swarm]

I was hoping DerekM might be along but in his absence, I'd say insulate, insulate , insulate. The less heat lost from the hive, the greater the colony's chance of survival with so little a quantity of stores.

CVB

Over the top.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Over the top.

That's where I put mine - don't bother with the sides ever