Shook Swarm

[PuckUk]

After receiving a Colony from a Club Member who was down sizing his Apiary, the Colony was received on brood and super boxes. Upon inspection, there was brood across both super and brood box, with the majority in the super, along with the Q happily laying... the comb in the Brood box clearly needed replacing as a matter of urgency given its colour and presence of 'some limited' chalk brood!

Waiting for warmer weather, I managed to complete a shook swarm Saturday 12th May, all went to plan almost text book, with the exception of perhaps leaving the Q too long from the colony, she looked to have cooled and was curled up in ball.. I thought she must be lost.

I placed everything back together with a QE to the bottom to prevent the Q from escaping, a QE to the top of the brood box and also placed a super of the original colonies honey stores in addition to a rapid feeder of 1:1 syrup.

I opened the hive yesterday afternoon, to find 'lots' of bees in the super, drawn wild comb where I had left a frame out....

The Q was still roaming around the brood box frames with some limited bees... but there was no drawn comb across all of the brood box frames.

There were at least two uncapped, but charges QC, which I knocked down whilst I think about what to do next...

Any advice greatly received

 

[oliver90owner]

Take off the feeder - an absolute waste of time, space, effort and cost. You have already said they have a super of honey stores!!!

How did you manage to cool the queen so badly? Rethink your hive management precedures!!!

There were at least two uncapped, but charges QC, which I knocked down whilst I think about what to do next...

While you are thinking, think that they may have been the only chance for replacing the now 'ailing' queen. I note there is no drawn comb in the bottom box, as you said all the bees were in the super, they are where it is warmest and have little enthusiasm for drawing new comb downstairs where it is (now) likely too cold.

A shook swarm covering (less than?) a super of bees seems to me to be a mistake, given the weather history and forecasts currently circulating.

I would suggest it may be too late to rectify and will need requeening. Could be wrong, but from what you have reported above, things do not look good for the colony at present.

 

[george]

All may not be lost .First thing to do is take out the qe seperating the two boxes so she can be looked after by the bulk of the colony .

If you are thinking of shook swarming in the future , never run the risk of isolating the queen from the colony , its no different when the weather is as rough as it is than overwintering with an excluder in place .

Get out there sharpish .

G