On hol's tomorrow and we have a problem!

Gaztafari · Jun 5, 2011

HI all....I am on one colony with double brood and QE then super, all national. I got the bees locally, and as a full colony, 5 or 6 weeks ago and all appeared OK until I inspected three weeks ago, they had become very aggressive so I had to stop inspection. I put it down to the weather perhaps, as it had been foul for a week or so? Anyway.... I lost my nerve a bit (as I had been stung badly around my face at an Apiary just after my last inspection on my own Bees) and never inspected since then, so no checks for almost three weeks! ( I know I should have got help but it was just one of those things and I sort of put it to the back of my mind)
Then, yesterday I had a distraught call from the chap where I site my hive saying the front of the hive was absolutely covered with hundreds of Bees and flying around in the air too. I immediately thought they had swarmed but when I arrived all seemed OK, with Bees coming and going as they should. The chap hadn't actually seen a swarm move off, but then again, he didn't see them all go back in the hive neither! So I checked the hive but it seemed to be still very full of Bees, both brood boxes with probably 7 or 8 frames full of Bees. I then noticed eggs, standing erect and right on the bottom of the cell? There was also very young larvae and good amount of open and sealed brood, plenty of stores. However, on three frames there were 5 QC's, one on the bottom of a frame, the rest, sort of mid frame. 4 of them sealed but 1 open just at the very tip so I could see a big fat pupae/Larvae inside. I searched the frames twice but could not spot the Queen. Is it possible they were on a 'practice' swarm, aurienteering themselves? I am convinced the Q is still in there somewhere.
Am I right in thinking Q usually stops laying a few days before take-off?

The big problem is I go on holiday tomorrow....I haven't the equipment to create a nuc... I felt the only course of action I could take is to tear down the QC's. Only two remain, one sealed, one open, I tore the other three down as they were poor, scrubby things. I know they will almost certainly make more but at least it would buy me some time untill I return.
Any thoughts tout le monde?
I know it was a bit of an epic but I thought/hoped to give you as much info as possible.
Thanks everyone.
Gary

Russel · Jun 5, 2011

Hi Gary,
Beeks have a duty of care to both their charges and the public you really need to sort something before you leave them, can you not find someone from your local assoc who can tend them whilst you're away?

isc26 · Jun 5, 2011

How long are you away for will make a difference.

Do you have the kit to do an artificial swarm? If you do seriously consider doing it before you leave.

May/June hols & bees seem to clash badly unless you have a good stand in to take over for you.

drex · Jun 5, 2011

Sounds like they have already swarmed, what with the cloud of bees and I have read on here that they will swarm as soon as a QC is sealed.

Leave the sealed cell in and you are inviting them to swarm again ( as I have learned from experience this year). It is better to leave one unsealed QC, at least you know that contains a healthy larva. You do not know for certain what is in the sealed cell.

I presume your queen was not marked? If you have the equipment, rather than tearing down the sealed cell you could do a split ( and if it is dud, unite later). What makes you convinced the queen is still there? If she is, then as advised above you could do an AS.

As above, a local contact might help you out. Failing that do you have another super you could add to give them more space?

Gaztafari · Jun 5, 2011

Thanks for the input everyone...Russel, I really do take your point and you are absolutely right, that is why I am desperate for a positive outcome.
I am away for 8 days.
The Q was/is marked but unable to spot her so cannot do a AS, although I do have spares to do one..
If Q has swarmed...why are there brand new eggs? I thought she stopped laying prior to swarm?
I thought I had someone who may have helped but have been let down right at the last minute.
Drex...when you say a split, do you mean to make up a nuc?
Thanks again people.

drex · Jun 5, 2011

Time is against you.

I have copied this from Beebase. It is entitled swarm control when you can't see the queen.

This system can only be used if the colony is showing signs of
swarming, i.e. there are queen cells with larvae in them. If queen
cells are sealed it is too late as this indicates that the colony may
have already swarmed.
1. Move the original brood box and floor to one side. A minimum of one metre. This is
called the ‘Parent Colony’; the younger bees remaining in this box.
2. Place a new brood box and floor filled with drawn comb or foundation on the original
site. This is called the ‘Artificial Swarm’; the flying bees will fill this box.
3. Examine the brood combs in the original brood box (parent colony) and remove a comb
containing eggs and young brood. It must not have any queen cells on it.
4. Place this comb in the centre of the new box (artificial swarm).
5. Replace the vacant space in the original box (parent colony) with a new drawn comb or
foundation.
6. Place any supers on the new brood box (artificial swarm) at the original site.
Leave for seven days then
7. Examine the new brood box (artificial swarm). If there are no queen cells this is
probably where the original queen will be, if so eggs should be visible. If there are
queen cells select one with a visible larva and destroy the rest.
8. In the original box (parent colony) if the queen is not present then the queen cells will
develop and it is probable that one new queen will hatch and take over the colony. This
is because of the decrease in the number of bees, but it is not infallible. If the queen is
present then eggs and young larvae will be present. The probability is that due to the
reduced number of bees they will break down any queen cells.
9. Later in the season or in the following spring you will need to find the older queen to
cull her. The colonies can then be re-united.

This would appear to be your best option in the time you have available.

My experience is limited but I cannot see why this would not work. More experienced beeks may be along later, but the time is ticking by.

A split is just that, splitting up your bees, into 2 ( or more) separate boxes. The box can be a brood box or a nucleus box. The split can be queen/QC or QC/QC