new to beekeeping - first swarm

[latis]

Hi everyone,

Firstly, I'm very new to this and although I have met my local beekeeping association and fully intend to join them AND go on a beginners course things have rather overtaken me. . . . . oops!

I dived in at the deep end last week and claimed a swarm of bees that had arrived in a friends garden for my newly built bee hive. I went armed with a box and bee suit and only the knowledge I had gleened from some books, internet and tv. Inspite of being completely unprepared I managed to end the day with a hive full of bees and only one bee sting. The thing is that in my newbee ignorance I put a super on straight away because the swarm seemed huge and I was worried they wouldn't think they had enough space and would move on.

However, one week on I have been back to check out how they have been getting on and they have started work in the super having drawn out comb on at least 5 of the frames and with honey already in most of them to some extent. the problem is that the brood box has been left completely untouched (because they start working from the top - I knew that DOH!!) and there is no sign of the queen doing any laying - I'm guessing becuse the queen excuder is keeping her in the broody where the is no drawn out comb?

I havn't spotted the queen yet but the bees seem happy so i figure she is probably there somwhere. . .?

does anyone have any idea how I go about rectifying my mistake now? should I remove the queen excluder and accept that I'm going to have one super with larvae in it? or should I remove the frames they havn't started on yet to persuade them to work on the ones below? or remove the super completely?

any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

jo

 

[beeboybee]

i would put the brood ontop of the super without queen excluder for them to work work and then when the brood is getting worked by the queen in a few weeks swap them back so super ontop but put a queen excluder above brood box....

i am only starting out myself so wait for a few opinions first!

 

[Mike a]

Welcome to the forum Jo

Leave the hive as it is

If you remove the super now you will take away their food reserves, If the swarm is large the queen will have plenty of bees down below the QE looking after her and they will draw out the brood frames. As you've probably read already they store honey above the brood area which is why its been put into the super and not into the brood frames.

Looks like we could be in for a few days of nice weather down south so keep an eye on the entrance for signs of pollen coming in. Don't open the hive and disturb them for at least another week or two no matter how desperate you are to keep an eye on their progress. Let them do what they do best once they swarm.

Build a new nest and work hard.

In the mean time read up as much as you can and attend any association meetings.

 

[latis]

Thanks

There did seem to be a big bunch "hanging around" below the queen excluder so I guess they were with her. Fortunately the hive is at my parents quite a way from mine so any urges I might have to tamper have been tempered by the distance my parents are sure they have seen them coming back with pollen but unfortunately I havn't witnessed this for myself yet.

I will be going to my local beekeepers meet on thursday night with my pennies to sign up as a member - things have only happened in the wrong order because the bees turned up early (will have to give them a calender so they can keep up with my time-table )