New Bee's... appear a little lost!!

[PuckUk]

Hi,
New bee's arrived last night, small Nuc of five frames having been transferred into my hive, very lazy getting up this morning only rising around 9am!!

The wife telephoned later on to inform that the girls were awakening and flying around becoming quite busy.

Arrived home from work this evening and immediately made my way to the new hive, sat for a little while and observed.

Bee's flying about, but not many emerging. Most appear to land on the rear of the hive, or are making their way up to the gap inbetween the roof and wall of the hive. Or are making a dive for the underside of the varroa floor.

A couple manage to find the landing board, but then fly off! Very few make it to the hive entrance, but don't appear to enter, instead fly off again.

There are around half a dozen dead or dying bee on the floor within around a metre of the hive....

I know not to open the hive, but I'm beginning to feel a little anxious..

Any advice welcomed.

 

[Otleybee]

If they were busy early on you cannot really judge from what is happening now. Did they have stores on the frames when they arrived. Was there brood present when you hived them?

A bit more information would be good but I am sure that they will be fine.

 

[PuckUk]

Plenty of stores, having recently been fed on syrup solution.

Eggs and sealed brood seen as well as the young queen, being this years.

I've no issues with knowing these bees were in good health having come from within the Bee Club of which I'm a member, just wasn't really sure what to expect having taken delivery of my first new hive.

Cheers

 

[huntsman666]

They making their orientation flights getting to know where their new home is.

Don't worry about a few dead bees, hundreds die each day this time of year.

 

[drstitson]

The bees may be lost but you appear to have found a stray Grocer's apostrophe!!!!!

 

[For want of a better word]

The bees may be lost but you appear to have found a stray Grocer's apostrophe!!!!!

Bee ... one bee singular

Bees... more than one bee plural

Bee's... as in the bee's hive ... a hive belonging to one bee

Bees'.. as in the bees' hives.... more than one bee, with more than one hive

collective noun for a lot of bees is a grist


I may be wrong and no doubt there will be many corrections !

​

I expect you bees will be settled in by daybreak tomorrow!

 

[drex]

Last year was my first year. I had bees go under the floor when put in new hive too. Happened twice. I guess they can smell the colony through the floor, and are just trying to get to them the direct way.

I now put the varroa insert in for 2 days after hiving and they soon find the right way in.

 

[richardbees]

ditto drex

I'd also suggest you 'seal' the under side of the omf..

 

[victor meldrew]

ditto drex

I'd also suggest you 'seal' the under side of the omf..

I put a nuc into a full sized hive on a mesh floor 2 days ago . no problems at all !.
I would check that they have an entrance and that it is at the front .
Sounds silly but I have been called to such a situation before and found things assembled totally incorrectly

John Wilkinson