Reintroducing bees separated from hive

[Snowmonkey961]

Hello

We bought a hive and bees from a beekeeper who sadly has to give up beekeeping. She closed the hive late on Saturday and we collected it early on Sunday morning. We moved the hive to our apiary about 10 miles away.

I have received a text from her today saying she has found about 1000 bees clustered under the blocks where the hive was - they weren't there when we collected. She has put them in a nuc and asked us to collect them.

My question is whether the bees in the hive will accept these after 2.5 days away from the hive, or whether they will attack them.

Assuming they can safely rejoin the hive, what is the best way to reintroduce them? We were wondering whether to leave the open nuc near the hive and let them sort themselves out rather than shaking them in, given all the recent disruption.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I would tip them in

 

[pargyle]

I would tip them in

It's a bit odd if the hive was closed up late one night and was collected the next morning .. either the bees WERE there when the hive was collected and the OP (in the excitement ?) didn't notice them or ..

They could be a small swarm that has moved there ...bees like the smell of bees.

I'd be just a little cautious about tipping them in.

1. I'd be checking for a queen - should be easy with so few bees. If there is a queen there - whole different ball game.

2. If no queen or in doubt - tip them out in front of the hive rather than into it ... they will either find a home there or somewhere else .. less risk I think than risking the potential fighting.

 

[Snowmonkey961]

Many thanks to both for the prompt responses, albeit completely opposite in view. That is what makes it interesting.

Although the previous owner had sealed the entrance, we discovered a few holes where bees could still move in and out, so I guess it is possible that they are from the hive.

They definitely weren't there when we collected, we knew it was a place to check and did so.

I think we will do a quick check just in case there is a queen there and decide from there.

 

[pargyle]

Many thanks to both for the prompt responses, albeit completely opposite in view. That is what makes it interesting.

Although the previous owner had sealed the entrance, we discovered a few holes where bees could still move in and out, so I guess it is possible that they are from the hive.

They definitely weren't there when we collected, we knew it was a place to check and did so.

I think we will do a quick check just in case there is a queen there and decide from there.

Dani and I usually agree on most things and she may well be right that tipping them in would be fine ..although I still think it's a bit odd that so many bees, which found their way out of holes in a hive, did not find their way back in. You always get a good spread of advice on here and the joy is that you can make your own mind up after listening to everyone else. There are few very bad decisions you can make in beekeeping - the bees will very often make amends for what we beekeepers inflict on them.

Let us know how you get on ...

 

[Erichalfbee]

Dani and I usually agree on most things

Walking them in might well be safer on second thoughts
A use for a white sheet after all
Do tell us what you find?

 

[Snowmonkey961]

We have just got back from collecting / inspecting the nuc of bees. Thankfully, there were considerably less than the 1000 or so the previous beekeeper claimed as sadly the majority of them were dead. We are both feeling a mixture of anger and sadness right now.

The bees were sealed in a nuc with no frames and no water. I have no idea when they were found and put in there. There were a few bees ambling around but they were very lethargic. We left the nuc on its side in the long grass next to the hive. It has been raining here so they will find water easily and hopefully if any survive they will find their way into the hive.

Thanks again for your advice

SM

 

[pargyle]

Don't beat yourselves up - these things happen. The reality of keeping livestock is that occasionally you do have to face deadstock. They probably were weakened by being left out .. I doubt in the time that they either starved or died from lack of water. The more likely explanation is that they died from heat or suffocation from being locked in the nuc.

Losing bees is always sad and frustrating - I will go out of my way to rescue ONE bee .. but to put it into perspective - a good queen will lay over 1000 eggs in a day ...in losing these you have really not made much of an impact on UK bee stocks.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Hello

We bought a hive and bees from a beekeeper who sadly has to give up beekeeping. She closed the hive late on Saturday and we collected it early on Sunday morning. We moved the hive to our apiary about 10 miles away.

I have received a text from her today saying she has found about 1000 bees clustered under the blocks where the hive was - they weren't there when we collected. She has put them in a nuc and asked us to collect them.

My question is whether the bees in the hive will accept these after 2.5 days away from the hive, or whether they will attack them.

Assuming they can safely rejoin the hive, what is the best way to reintroduce them? We were wondering whether to leave the open nuc near the hive and let them sort themselves out rather than shaking them in, given all the recent disruption.

Probably just some late shift foragers coming home next day.
I closed up a colony last Friday night ready for a relocation Saturday morning. Once moved I put an empty nuc on the stand and stragglers went in. Closed the nuc up Saturday night and took the stragglers to join the parent colony.