New hive swarmed

[Emabe80]

Hi don't know if anybody read my other posts well I'm new beekeeper today I've come to the woods to find that my bees have swarmed lucky enough around a paint Tin left on the floor there all back in the hive now and queen is present there's not enough stores in there ( please read other post to see why) but there given syrup. Just wanted to know why could they have swarmed and will they swarm again anytime soon any quick response will be greatfl thanks em

 

[kathrynat]

I haven't seen your other posts, but are you sure that the swarm came from your hive?

 

[itma]

... In the nucs there was only 1 frame of bees all the other 4 frames were rubbish old and fallen apart so I replaced them with new foundation frames( hope this was good thing to do. ...

You have put tiny colonies into vast 14x12 boxes full of foundation.
They haven't tried to "swarm".
They have tried to "abscond".
Different. Essentially no bees left behind.

Because, as you noted elsewhere, the Queen's wing had been clipped, she couldn't fly far or high, and her poor colony regrouped around her.

Their hive is too big for them, and you have compounded their troubles by taking away all their empty drawn comb. They don't have enough bees to get warm enough to draw new wax - even if they had fuel for the task.

Get in touch with the Association that you surely joined after your beginner's course, and ask (beg) for someone to come along and help you.
You, and your bees, need help, and quickly.

 

[oliver90owner]

What a mess! Both the vendor and, I'm afraid, the new beek - lthough you should not have been put in that position by the shark that sold you them - if they are as bad as you tell us (no reason to disbelieve you), they could easily be lost.

At the first opportunity you need to place a queen excluder beneath the frames to prevent the queen leaving again. Make sure the bees know where the feed is - dribble a little to make a trail for them to find it.

The advice given so far seems all good. You should be contacting the vendor and informing him(?) of the situation. Later actions may be coloured by the response and assistance/any refund you receive.

Not really any more you can do apart from placing a sheet of insulation over the crownboard and blanking off part of the hive with more insulation, in order to keep them warm. Close up the floor temporarily, if OMF, as well.

RAB

 

[BeeJayBee]

Here's your other thread, so anybody can refer to it if they want to http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=33229

There's nothing much more suggest, the others have covered it all.

You do need local help, as soon as possible, rather than trying to rely on the internet - but maybe somebody here can help you, checking a map it looks as if you're about 10 miles east of Crewe?

If you're unsure about the disease level of the colony your RBI or SBI should be willing to check it out for you. Don't be afraid of calling them, that's what they're there for. You'll find contact information here http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/public/Contacts/contacts.cfm

Failing that your local BKA might have some recently trained Bee Health Advisors on call, if so I'm sure they'll help as much as they can.

The only thing you might do is, instead of lifting the brood box to put a queen excluder underneath, to fasten it across the entrance with either some rope, some gaffer tape or some ratchet straps. Make sure the wires or slots are horizontal rather than vertical, and that there are no gaps around the frame that bees can either get through or get stuck in.

Good luck.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

get hold of a nuc (or poly nuc) and put the poor dabs in there, feed and hope for the best. But more importantlyGET SOME HELP surely you have joined your local association?
I'm with ITMA - they tried to abscond to a cosier location

 

[oliver90owner]

...instead of lifting the brood box to put a queen excluder underneath, to fasten it across the entrance with either some rope, some gaffer tape or some ratchet straps.

Nope! You don't want your queen squashed up against a small area of queen excluder if they are all trying to get through. Far better for the workers to go through a larger area of mesh.

Gently lifting the brood box should cause little or no disturbance if you have arranged for either someone to fit the excluder or have somewhere to set the box down gently (like diagonally, across the upturned roof).

RAB

 

[BeeJayBee]

Good point RAB, hadn't thought of it that way. Thanks. Cancel that idea please Emabe80!

If I can pluck up the courage I might mention it to the beek of umpteen+ years experience who apparently always does it that way, but then maybe not, because it wouldn't go down well!

 

[Emabe80]

Thanks everybody had some great help off you. Good news the bee keeper owe sold me these poor colanys has refunded me back. Well let me say give 1 which is the standard brood size is doing well they have loads of stores good brood sealed and unsealed also eggs being laid queen looks busy. The hive that swarmed today had no stores well next to none they do go foraging well I've sat and watched for a long time see them bringing in pollen. There is brood sealed and unsealed and upon closer look eggs being laid also but some of the unsealed brood look rather black in colour don't look right and there's a few what are white (normal) seen a few emerging so why the swarm the bee keeper said he gave me a queen that wasn't a British black bee because he had no new ones so I suspect he gave me a old knackerd queen! Well thanks for the help and bets I need more

 

[pargyle]

Well ... I'm not going to add anything further ... you've had some good advice for the last couple of days which really amounts to reduce their space and insulate as much as you can and feed ... even with a small colony they have a chance if you do as you have been told - and if you have been refunded for them then they are a bonus if you can keep them alive and still with you ....

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

 

[oliver90owner]

Unfortunately, dark coloured brood could mean a nasty disease. Unlikely, but a risk.

The obvious cause is chilled brood, but a call to your SBI would rapidly give you (and the SBI) confirmation/relief that no disease is involved after an inspection and test, if deemed necessary.

RAB

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

SBI's are there to help, if nothing else, you get a free health check, the fly by night nuc seller gets put on the radar and you will get lots of free help and advice - they are not monsters

 

[itma]

Maybe worth spelling out SBI - Seasonal Bee Inspector.

Part time civil servant, experienced beekeeper.
There to help.



How to contact ?
Go to http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/public/Contacts/contacts.cfm
and where it says "Find my nearest inspector . Enter your home postcode" put the letters and numbers in the box provided and click the 'Go' button!
Then just give him a phone call.