moving colony to new hive - nightmare

[shrekfeet]

What a nightmare I had this evening. YOu may have seen my earlier post. On the 22nd July I had to hastily gather a swarm in to a temp box the night before getting up at 4am for holiday. On return I put a hive together and if you read my earlier post you will know that when I went to transfer them they had totally ignored the frames I added and built out comb from the roof of the box - typical!
So this evening I took the advice off here and cut the comb from the roof and tried to wire it into empty frame. It didn't work! So I've ended up dumping the bees into the new hive and 'placing' the comb around the brood box to try to encourage the bees to stay. I ended up cutting all the comb away as I wanted to try to find the queen and move her to her new residence. Anyway, no sign of a queen and no sign of any brood!??! There were a couple of what I would call 'play cups' drawn out

So, what next? assuming that they stay in the new des res, do I buy a queen. If there had been no queen for a month how much longer before they die out? Should I just try to reunite them with one of my other colonies? What else should I be thinkig about?

Every time i go in these days I come away feeling like I'm out of my depth and should trhow the towel in

 

[Poly Hive]

If there is no brood at all then you have a virgin.

I would give them a feed to assist with the comb building you have now given them and dump the comb you have cut out. If you leave it lying about you will invite robbing and your colony is dwindling as it is.

Can you obtain a test frame from someone to check there is a queen in there?

PH

 

[richardbees]

shrek,

if you're sure there was no brood after 3 weeks....imo you are no worse off than you were yesterday. hopefully there's a late-starter Q amid all the gunge being cleaned by her workers.

Leave them for a week, see if they organise themselves or just disperse. From your description you've no structured hive to which you could introduce a new Q.

 

[shrekfeet]

thanks folks, firstly I seem to have posted the sale question twice, is there a moderator present that can merge the two?

When I finished messing up nature this evening there were bees everywhere. Some in the old box, lots on the front, some in the new hive, lots on the front. And lots flying around. I guess if the queen is amongst the mess in the new hive then when I get up in the morning they should be mostly in there with her? If she is still in the old box that currently has no lid on it then they will be back in there? am i making the right assumption? I suppose she could have failed to return from a mating flight? But the bees were soo blinking calm tonight even whilst I was haking at their home they made no attempt to sting me.

 

[oliver90owner]

I read with concern that your bees had suddenly decided to swarm the day before you left for holiday. I suspect that the swarming impulse was initiated some time before that date and the signs had not been picked up by you. Like queen cells being prepared; like congestion within the hive, or particularly the brood box; like non-working workers congregating in the hive.

To boot, it may appear to some of us that this was, in fact, a cast. That would mean even less attention from the beekeeper in the preceding period before the holiday. Seems to me (from these two threads) that you need to get a grip on the task of beekeeping or, as you say, throw in the towel. In addition a swarm introduced to a box with three frames of drawn comb would be expected to build oodles of wild comb in a couple of weeks - no, nearly a month

Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings, but this appears to be the case to me. Please tell us if it is not.

Take the advice of PH and get them sorted.

 

[itma]

ISTR that my advice was to involve your local association and get help with wiring up the wild comb.
I am reinforced in my opinion that you need help, and quickly ...

 

[shrekfeet]

Oliver thanks for the comments. Maybe you have more time on your hands than I do. And maybe you are right and I should throw the towel in as I am a bad beekeeper, not giving my colony the attention they deserve. I don't profess to be perfect. But when you work full time, have a large garden, 60ft poly tunnel, handful of sheep with lambs at foot, chickens, 3 children and a pheasant shoot to help look after, sometimes things can be a little neglected and those things might end up being the bees that, after all, if they don't get my full attention can always bugger off and look after themslelves - unlike most of the other things on my list.
If only I had the time to attend the meetings of my local association more frequently then I wouldn't need to be on this forum asking for guidance!
On top of that you can add the fact that when I have had the chance to look inside
it's been too frikin wet or cold to open the hive and do a good inspection most of this so called summer. Otherwise, thanks for your guidance and support Oliver. Much appreciated

 

[shrekfeet]

@ craig, yes, I've been to Specsavers and can spot eggs ;-) usually that is

 

[BeeJayBee]

No, don't throw in the towel, and don't be too despondent. Have a read of Bad Beekeeper's Club, it might help put things into perspective. [ame]http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Bad-Beekeepers-Club-Stumbled/dp/1847443982[/ame]


Local associations don't always have their meetings at a time when everybody can attend, and if it's like ours they're only once a month anyway, and includes 'socials'. No apiary visits because there isn't a club apiary.

If you've got some phone numbers, it might be worth calling a few people to see if they have got some time to spare to give you a hand.

 

[itma]

...
If you've got some phone numbers, it might be worth calling a few people to see if they have got some time to spare to give you a hand.

Even if the Secretary is the only number you have, its worth a call to see if s/he can suggest other members who might be willing and capable of helping.
Most are only too keen to offer assistance to a novice.

 

[Poly Hive]

The Bad Beekeepers club is last resort.

For a final resort...........lol pm me for a phone chat if you are truly desperate.

PH

 

[shrekfeet]

thanks all, will make a concious effort to get more involved, read my book more and try to be a better bee keeper. Every day's a school day!

 

[Beeak]

But when you work full time, have a large garden, 60ft poly tunnel, handful of sheep with lambs at foot, chickens, 3 children and a pheasant shoot to help look after,

I read this with some recognition and sympathy - minus the children and substitute partridge for pheasants add two allotments and I have all these too!! I could have added a pig but he is in the freezer now.

I have found the local beekeeping association really invaluable. I do have a mentor but he is pretty busy himself but I have called one of the other members up and he was only too pleased to help. Most of them really are extremely helpful and really want you to succeed.