October swarm

[Sutty]

I got home yesterday after spending 4 weeks abroad to find that 2 hives are being attacked by wasps, and a small swarm in a nearby bush.
It's likely from one of my hives but I don't want to inspect with wasps about. I've put it in a poly nuc.
I do need to unite some colonies asap though.
I guess I could remove the attacked colonies, replace them with a wasp trap, and unite with other colonies.
For the time being I've given them a tunnel entrance (electric conduit).
Any other ideas?

 

[Malcolm B.]

Why not inspect and unite at night when the wasps are not about?
Just make sure the air isn't too cold.
I've had to open hives at night a few times when I've been too busy for several days and an inspection is due.
Moths turn up a fly around the lantern but that's all.
The bees are a lot calmer because there is no frenzied activity at the hive entrance.

I set up a lantern close to the hive for seeing generally and then use a 'Head Torch' to illuminate wherever I'm looking. If you use a veil (I don't) I suppose you could strap a Head Torch to your arm or wrist instead?

Work slowly and the bees won't get upset. - You could always sing them to sleep again if they get a little frisky

Malcolm.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I got home yesterday after spending 4 weeks abroad to find that 2 hives are being attacked by wasps, and a small swarm in a nearby bush.
It's likely from one of my hives but I don't want to inspect with wasps about. I've put it in a poly nuc.
I do need to unite some colonies asap though.
I guess I could remove the attacked colonies, replace them with a wasp trap, and unite with other colonies.
For the time being I've given them a tunnel entrance (electric conduit).
Any other ideas?

Are all your hives still showing bee activity or has one given up and absconded? Hindsight is cheap I know but the conduit might have been a good move before going away.

 

[Paulypaul]

Conduit works well. I have all my nucs using them. Have successfully mated queens with conduit on mating nucs, with only one failed to mate, but more likely she was a runt as she was so tiny.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Why not inspect and unite at night when the wasps are not about

This I'd like to see. Video next time you do it?

 

[Malcolm B.]

This I'd like to see. Video next time you do it?

If we have a warm evening - and I remember, I'll do a video just for you
Malcolm.

 

[Sutty]

Are all your hives still showing bee activity or has one given up and absconded? Hindsight is cheap I know but the conduit might have been a good move before going away.

All look active, though whether to normal extent is hard to tell until we get a nice weather day.
I'm currently killing off a nearby wasp nest, so hoping this helps.

 

[ericbeaumont]

set up a lantern close to the hive

Malcolm, you forgot to mention a red light!

 

[blackcloud]

Neighbours get the wrong idea-made that mistake

 

[Malcolm B.]

Malcolm, you forgot to mention a red light!

What are you suggesting, Eric???

 

[ericbeaumont]

What are you suggesting, Eric???

Well, bees go bonkers at white light at night, but cannot see red and trundle about as usual.

They usually tell me to clear off at dusk, so I'm keen to see your night check video.

 

[Malcolm B.]

Well, bees go bonkers at white light at night, but cannot see red and trundle about as usual.

How odd! I never had any sort of problem. This was in the days before LED lights - using incandescent bulbs. Perhaps that made a difference.
I did this some years ago while I was very busy during the day with work - three, maybe four times with no problems at all - and I was into the brood boxes looking for queen cells.

Much more recently I've occasionally taken the crown board off at night (on the way out from locking up the chickens) just to see how much syrup was left in the feeder - I use 'frame sized hollow feeders' with a floating platform to prevent drowning. Again, never a problem with bees getting excited when I take the lid off and shine a light inside.

I now think it must be a good idea to do a video at night so we can see what upsets bees and what doesn't.
I'll look at the evening temperatures and give it a go when suitable.

Thanks for the info.

Malcolm.

 

[Sutty]

Regarding conduit - I have oval continuous conduit, I've cut a 3-4 inch pieces which I have protruding from the entrance area with the rest of the entrance blocked off. However I have seen suggestions that it should provide into the hive rather than out.
Can anyone clarify the best lengths & positioning?

 

[pargyle]

Well, bees go bonkers at white light at night, but cannot see red and trundle about as usual.

They usually tell me to clear off at dusk, so I'm keen to see your night check video.

Goodness - Yes, I've only made the mistake of opening a hive at night once ... I had a head torch with a white light - the bees were all over me in no time. All I wanted to do was remove a crown board and replace it with one with a feeder hole in it. I didn't think it would be a big deal - big mistake. They made a bee line for my head torch and were all over my veil - I could not get inside the veil to switch it off without the bees getting in. Eventually I moved away from the hive and the security light on the outside of my workshop came on and the majority headed towards that light source and I was able to get the head torch off my head and down into the jacket.

Won't do that again ....

 

[Paulypaul]

This I'd like to see. Video next time you do it?

If we have a warm evening - and I remember, I'll do a video just for you
Malcolm.

I recently transferred some hives/colonies into a new apiary, after dark, and had to treat for varroa at the same time, as they were well overdue.
I found the bees clustered on my back and at the back of my head.

May have been because I'd moved them to a new site and they were very disoriented.

 

[Erichalfbee]

You’re cheating
There aren’t any bees in there

 

[Paulypaul]

You’re cheating
There aren’t any bees in there

Yeah. They're clustered on my back. Hence, my jaunty posture.

 

[Erichalfbee]

 

[Wilco]

I find at night they tend to crawl and theb won't fly back to the hive when you're done. Doesn't matter how calm they are, I still end up covered in bees and so try to avoid it!

 

[jimmiestan]

I got home yesterday after spending 4 weeks abroad to find that 2 hives are being attacked by wasps, and a small swarm in a nearby bush.
It's likely from one of my hives but I don't want to inspect with wasps about. I've put it in a poly nuc.
I do need to unite some colonies asap though.
I guess I could remove the attacked colonies, replace them with a wasp trap, and unite with other colonies.
For the time being I've given them a tunnel entrance (electric conduit).
Any other ideas?

Swarm in October?