My first Queen cells found.

[bigfathairybiker]

Well.... I had to inspect the hive tonight as I got a phone call...

When I got there the hive was open and spread around the place.
Most of the frames were half inside the brood box in a pile on its side.
One frame had been pretty much eaten. I probably have no Queen cells now to worry about!!!
Another the bottom was damaged.

I managed to put it all back together.
A lot of the bees were still on two of the frames and buzy doing what bees do.
But there was a loud buzz of annoyance and many of the flying ones decided to attack me while I was rebuilding their home.

I've weighted the hive down with around 80lb of concrete blocks as a temporary protection from them being attacked again and also put a metal fence panel in the way of where the Badger came through. I'm only guessing at a Badger.

I didn't look to closely but I think the frame with all the stores on was the one that got eaten.

Bloody Badger.

Mark

 

[bigfathairybiker]

Had a look inside this evening as Dad says no bees have been in or out all day.
Appears the badger has been back as the mesh floor has been bent up, but it hasn't managed to tip the hive over.

Around 100 bees in the roof area, 300+ dead on the mesh floor and around 100 or so spread around the frames. None of them moving about and many just fall off when frames moved. All stores empty with the odd bee head first in a cell.
No sign of queen.

I think I have a dead hive.
It was a sad evening.

My beekeeping lasted all of two weeks.

I'll be building a badger proof area before I get another swarm.

Mark

 

[pargyle]

Had a look inside this evening as Dad says no bees have been in or out all day.
Appears the badger has been back as the mesh floor has been bent up, but it hasn't managed to tip the hive over.

Around 100 bees in the roof area, 300+ dead on the mesh floor and around 100 or so spread around the frames. None of them moving about and many just fall off when frames moved. All stores empty with the odd bee head first in a cell.
No sign of queen.

I think I have a dead hive.
It was a sad evening.

My beekeeping lasted all of two weeks.

I'll be building a badger proof area before I get another swarm.

Mark

Put what's left alive in a Nuc, just three frames, dummy out the rest of it and put a feeder on top with 1:1 syrup if there's no honey left. If they still have a queen they could come round .. if not then you need to beg a frame or even part of a frame with eggs in it and they could raise a new queen. Bees are survivors given the opportunity ... it's a disaster but possibly recoverable.

Strap the hive up really well, some big stakes in the ground and fasten the straps to them so the badger can't push the hive over, put the inspection board in if the nuc has a mesh floor - or better still put a board on the hive stand so it can't get at the floor.

Sad ... but it happens. Good luck, don't despair.

 

[Edwardking]

Had a look inside this evening as Dad says no bees have been in or out all day.
Appears the badger has been back as the mesh floor has been bent up, but it hasn't managed to tip the hive over.

Around 100 bees in the roof area, 300+ dead on the mesh floor and around 100 or so spread around the frames. None of them moving about and many just fall off when frames moved. All stores empty with the odd bee head first in a cell.
No sign of queen.

I think I have a dead hive.
It was a sad evening.

My beekeeping lasted all of two weeks.

I'll be building a badger proof area before I get another swarm.

Mark

Mark, please don't be discouraged by these events. Beekeeping is not easy, it's a constant challenge. We are all learning new things, even those who have kept bees for years. Buy a nuc or get a swarm when you're ready and try again - you will succeed, it's just not an easy hobby.

 

[bigfathairybiker]

Well.... today I removed all but four of the best frames.
No stores, brood or eggs, but about half a frames worth of drawn out comb.
I cleaned up and replaced the floor.
Put what bees were left in there.

And this is when something wonderful happened....

I added about half a jar of honey produced by the hive my swarm originally came from.

The bees loved it!
From doing absolutely nothing to within half an hour most were out foraging. Flying back and forth.

I've left them for now and after speaking to a friend I may beable to get a couple of frames of eggs and brood to plonk in there with them.
They could then make an emergency queen cell.

Looking good.

Mark

 

[Tremyfro]

Oh wonderful...I am so glad...what a great thing honey is!

 

[pargyle]

Well.... today I removed all but four of the best frames.
No stores, brood or eggs, but about half a frames worth of drawn out comb.
I cleaned up and replaced the floor.
Put what bees were left in there.

And this is when something wonderful happened....

I added about half a jar of honey produced by the hive my swarm originally came from.

The bees loved it!
From doing absolutely nothing to within half an hour most were out foraging. Flying back and forth.

I've left them for now and after speaking to a friend I may beable to get a couple of frames of eggs and brood to plonk in there with them.
They could then make an emergency queen cell.

Looking good.

Mark

See ... told you so ... keep the faith ... bees will survive often when you think it's absolutely impossible .. during the floods a couple of years back one member on here (can't remember who) had hives floating in the floods that survived ... never give up on them.

 

[For want of a better word]

Well done!
I have one apiary sire with a badger set in it
Hive stands are heavy angle iron, and about 1/2 meter from ground.
Hives are solid pine with OMF and flat tin roofs
Heavy weight straps hold the hives securely to the stands

Only have suffered one attack, hence everything big and heavy
Stock fence they just dig under or bite through.
Do not leave any comb trimmings on the floor... and sprinkle some Jeyes fluid around the stand legs.
Bloody badgers!

Yeghes da

 

[For want of a better word]

See ... told you so ... keep the faith ... bees will survive often when you think it's absolutely impossible .. during the floods a couple of years back one member on here (can't remember who) had hives floating in the floods that survived ... never give up on them.

Sue and Doris of Penlynt or was it Bill Black of Leryn?...... think they went to live in Cataluna

Yeghes da

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

during the floods a couple of years back one member on here (can't remember who) had hives floating in the floods that survived ... never give up on them.

ChrisB

 

[pargyle]

ChrisB

Yes ... of course it was ...getting old, memory not what it was !