Left behind bees

[Mrs Webmuppet]

We moved my hives to a more suitable location however things didn't go quite to plan and one of the hives tried to break through the stuff bunging up the entrance. With the aid of the smoker we got a lot of them back in and continued with the move. However I now have a fair number of displaced bees flying around in a grumpy and confused manner. I have put my nuc box in the spot where two of the hives lived to give the bees a 'focal' point, which seems to have been a partial success . Due to work commitments I can't block the entrance up until Monday evening (I am on nights) with a view to reuniting them with the rest of the hives on Tuesday.

Is there anything else i can do in the meantime to calm them down?

 

[enrico]

Nope, just get them in a nuc and take them to their new home. They will probably cluster on the ground and die. If any other hives are nearby they may find them but unlikely
E

 

[snelgrove]

normally a few are left when moving unless your prepared to wait until flying has fully stopped, but there shouldn't be large amounts left that need a box to house them.

 

[Mrs Webmuppet]

Snelgrove, sadly one of the hives staged a breakout and more bees escaped than was initially thought.


Ok so when I take the bees to join the rest of the hives, what should I do with them.....as far as I can see the options are:

1, shake them out in front of the hive they escaped from.

2, do unite involving a can of air freshener with the hive they escaped from(although I'm not sure if that's a good idea as the hive is in the process of re-queening)

3,put a frame of eggs /brood from another of my hives and start a nuc (as the insurance policy for the hive (see point 2)).

Any ideas/thoughts?

 

[Erichalfbee]

3,put a frame of eggs /brood from another of my hives and start a nuc

How many are there for heaven's sake?
A nuc's worth?

 

[snelgrove]

Snelgrove, sadly one of the hives staged a breakout and more bees escaped than was initially thought.


Ok so when I take the bees to join the rest of the hives, what should I do with them.....as far as I can see the options are:

1, shake them out in front of the hive they escaped from.

2, do unite involving a can of air freshener with the hive they escaped from(although I'm not sure if that's a good idea as the hive is in the process of re-queening)

3,put a frame of eggs /brood from another of my hives and start a nuc (as the insurance policy for the hive (see point 2)).

Any ideas/thoughts?

just shake them in front of next hive. air freshner first I heard of that

 

[Erichalfbee]

air freshner first I heard of that

Short cut to uniting.
Instead of faffing around with newspaper.......
What you do is spray the top bars of the bottom box and the bottom bars of the top box and just put the latter on the former.
Lots swear by it....me......I've never been brave enough.

 

[theeggman]

Short cut to uniting.
Instead of faffing around with newspaper.......
What you do is spray the top bars of the bottom box and the bottom bars of the top box and just put the latter on the former.
Lots swear by it....me......I've never been brave enough.

After ITLD's suggestion, been there done it, IT does work.

Gird up your ""loins"" or something, Erica, Give it a try!! It works.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Loins.....I have loins....they belong to hubby
No....what I mean is I have too few colonies to try this if it does't work

 

[Mrs Webmuppet]

My mentor is a fan of the air freshener route.....I wondered what on earth he was doing the first time! I'm not entirely sure how many bees there are in the box....I will investigate once I move them. I suppose they like loads when they are all flying .

 

[snelgrove]

Short cut to uniting.
Instead of faffing around with newspaper.......
What you do is spray the top bars of the bottom box and the bottom bars of the top box and just put the latter on the former.
Lots swear by it....me......I've never been brave enough.

old methods work, newspaper easy