persuading bees back into the brood box

[clare]

Hello, I am a new beek and would love some advice on how best to tackle this problem of persuading my bees back into their brood box, my main worry is damaging or losing my wonderfully (up to now) hard working queen. I have a WBC hive. I opened the hive yesterday to find the gap between the brood box and lift crammed with what seem to be inactive, watchful bees up to the level of the first lift. There are plenty of bees still in the brood box but my queen seems to have stopped laying, I am attributing this exodus and the halt in laying to the api life var treatment I am using. By leaving home like this they are compromising the efficacy of the treatment I asssume, so I need to get them back home p d q and patch up whatever previously unseen hole they are using. Just not sure how to do it with my worries about the queen. Other hive behaving perfectly, though queen off laying too.

Many thanks,

Clare

Ps if anyone can recommend any leather beek gloves smaller than XS would be grateful, an awkward 1-2 cm overhang at end of fingers gets in the way, can't compromise on leather as last sting took two and a half weeks and a course of steroids and antibiotics to shift the monsterous swelling!

 

[jimbeekeeper]

Just a quick one about your gloves.

It has been discussed with great vigour on the site, pros/conc of leather etc.

But sometimes less is more!

By that I mean latex gloves or marigold gloves which you can get in your size will give your more feeling and sensitivity when working the bees leading to less squashed bees and therefore less stings.

 

[MuswellMetro]

Hello, There are plenty of bees still in the brood box but my queen seems to have stopped laying, I am attributing this exodus and the halt in laying to the api life var treatment I am using. .

think this is as you say just the thymol treatment, some bees react more than other or hive could be in a more sunny and warmer position

personally i would not worry, they will go into the hive sometime so will get "thymolled"

 

[Firegazer]

Clare,
try the blue rubber gloves with gauntlets from Maisemore (and probably other places): Mrs FG uses them and she finally got them stung last week. The sting failed to get through at all. They are much thicker than Marigolds and easy to clean afterwards with Soda Crystal spray stuff.

Give them a try.

FG

PS I still use leather gloves, but they are hard work when they get sticky - I don't think I'd choose them again now I've seen how good the blue rubber ones are.

 

[clare]

Many thanks MM, as a new beek it is really reassuring knowing when not to intervene and leave them to it!

And thanks for info on gloves Jim ( am i assuming too much here?), I have heard the arguements and would love to be a 'no gloves' beek and though my last sting was not during an inspection I don't quite have the courage to give up my leather gloves yet. I am as careful as the oversized things allow!

 

[clare]

Thanks FG will have a look, hopefully they come in small sizes.

 

[jimbeekeeper]

And thanks for info on gloves Jim ( am i assuming too much here?), I have heard the arguements and would love to be a 'no gloves' beek

I would never (and did not) suggest no gloves, just a thinner type, but in my view more sting proof than thick leather ones.

PS My name is not Jim it is Brenda

 

[Russel]

Clare,
try the blue rubber gloves with gauntlets from Maisemore (and probably other places): Mrs FG uses them and she finally got them stung last week. The sting failed to get through at all. They are much thicker than Marigolds and easy to clean afterwards with Soda Crystal spray stuff.

Give them a try.

FG

PS I still use leather gloves, but they are hard work when they get sticky - I don't think I'd choose them again now I've seen how good the blue rubber ones are.

Wouldn't the (ex) petrol station polythene gloves over your leather gloves help prevent this?

 

[kazmcc]

would double marigolds stop stings getting through? Just for peace of mind....I feel safe everywhere now except my hands. I doubled last time and found it easy to feel and use delicately still, but I do worry about stings through them. They hardly seem thick enough, or is it because the stings can't penetrate the rubber?

Sorry to hijack clare, just a question while we're on the subject. Don't really want to buy any equipment so far ( long story lol ) so double, if safe, would be ideal

 

[madasafish]

I use nitrile gloves on top of marigolds for really nasty bees. Seems to work and keeps the marigolds clean.

I assume the gap between the gloves reduces the chances of the sting penetrating both ..

 

[clare]

Understood Jim, sorry Brenda, an excellent, very experienced beek I know works without gloves and as I have such a nightmare finding gloves to fit I envy the manual dexterity it must afford! Even XS rubber gloves are too big, applies to all gloves, need kids sizes. C

 

[BeeSting]

Try putting your leather gloves in the washing machine on a moderate wash temp. The leather will contract, when almost dry but still a damp put the gloves on which should now be pretty tight, to stretch them to your hand size (if you don't do this then they're really difficult to get on once dried). Your gloves should then be a better fit when dry. Over time they will stretch back again to your current problem, so repeat the process... better fitting gloves which are clean! happy days.

 

[buzz bee]

I agree with FG about the blue gloves, I also have small hands, they go down to size 6. Have been stung on the gloves a couple of times but they did not get through. Wash well too. Good compromise as I am not brave enough for nitrile!

 

[clare]

Many thanks for suggestions I will wash my gloves and hope for the best and if not invest in some of the blue ones.

 

[nesshughes]

I use leather childrens gloves in age 9-10 from T*****s, cheaper than adult sizes tooz I bought some lovely kid adult sixe ones but the fingers got longer and longer each time I used them!