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snoop

House Bee
Joined
Oct 23, 2009
Messages
328
Reaction score
2
Location
Cork Ireland
Hive Type
Langstroth
Number of Hives
poly hives
I have a cast swarm that found its way to one of my hives over the summer. Sunday queen was laying , brood & lavae & eggs spread across 5 frames none of them full , some stores not a lot . As I was treating my other hives for varroa I also did this one & fed all hives the same amount in rapid feeders. Went back this evening to top up the feed.
No stores , a few eggs scattered on frames no good laying pattern , wasps in the hive. Rapid feeder empty, some bees with heads stuck in comb looking for feed.

I moved the 5 frames to a nuc , the number of bees has halved since Sunday. I gave more feed , just wondering if there is anything else I can do.
 
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If you have lost half the colony in about 4 days I would not be surprised if it is doomed.

My antidote for wasp attack is lots more bees. That may mean uniting if none are available as a surplus from elsewhere.

Regards, RAB
 
If you have lost half the colony in about 4 days I would not be surprised if it is doomed.

My antidote for wasp attack is lots more bees. That may mean uniting if none are available as a surplus from elsewhere.

Regards, RAB

What he said. The wasps are voracious and starving too. Knocking out a couple of frames in a day or two is within their capabilities. We lost two frames with one bee space entrance in hours the other day from the remains of a nuc. Got back of holiday, inspected, retired to plan. Bang. Gone.

Tonight in spite of it raining all day there was a neat group of 20-30 wasps under a TB nuc between their OMF and the board eating the hive debris (thymol treatment underway). But the entrance is well defended. At the moment.
 
I think that once wasps smell blood/haemolymph they rarely stop. i strongly recommend you move the bees. i have had success with this trick.
 
Er, don't stimulate your strong stocks same time as feeding the weak ones.

Presuming you had an entrance reducer in.
 

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