Shaking in bees on Queen

[Spikedog]

Near wipe out (negative 75%) this 'spring'. One non viable (numbers - no critical mass) Nuc with laying Queen but few brood. One advancing strong hive - If we take brood/shake in bees from strong colony to Nuc will the new arrivals attack/kill Queen? Should she be caged? Thanks in advance P

 

[oliver90owner]

Why take risks with shaking in bees? Transferring a frame with some emerging brood is the standard procedure. No fuss, no hassle, no fighting, right type of bees in the hive (shortly), bees will not return to original hive (and perhaps initiate robbing), current nurse bees do not have to tend a larger amount of voracious larvae, less risk of chilled brood. Might have missed a few points, but 'nuff said?

 

[Spikedog]

Much obliged O-90 - v.clear. We were fearful of straining existing few nurse bees or loosing valuable brood but take your advce re 'emerging' ... nuff said - Thank you P

 

[Hivemaker.]

If we take brood/shake in bees from strong colony to Nuc will the new arrivals attack/kill Queen? Should she be caged? Thanks in advance P

No problem at all if you anesthetize the bees with CO2 for about 12 seconds, you can tip in as many as you want in with no fighting or harm done to the queen, they come round in about three minutes. You could also of course cage the queen with just a tiny bit of cage candy if it worries you, just enough so that the bees can eat it out within about an hour.

 

[Outlander]

No problem at all if you anesthetize the bees with CO2 for about 12 seconds, you can tip in as many as you want in with no fighting or harm done to the queen, they come round in about three minutes. You could also of course cage the queen with just a tiny bit of cage candy if it worries you, just enough so that the bees can eat it out within about an hour.

Co2, I call that AirWick, works a treat.

 

[oliver90owner]

Do the flying bees stay or go home afterwards? Like, does the CO2 give them amnesia?

RAB

 

[Hivemaker.]

No idea really, as i normally get the bees from different apairys, but ones i have done within a quarter of a mile apart have stayed, they don't even fly on the day of introduction, none flying off in every direction and landing all over the place.

 

[madasafish]

Co2, I call that AirWick, works a treat.

Highly recommended for uniting.

 

[YorkshireBees]

No problem at all if you anesthetize the bees with CO2 for about 12 seconds, you can tip in as many as you want in with no fighting or harm done to the queen, they come round in about three minutes. You could also of course cage the queen with just a tiny bit of cage candy if it worries you, just enough so that the bees can eat it out within about an hour.

Sorry but now I have an image stuck in my head of you putting a gas mask on each individual bee like a hospital anesthetist.!



Seriously though, how do you administer the co2?

 

[oliver90owner]

Seriously though, how do you administer the co2?

12 second blast with a CO2 fire extinguisher? ...