Wingy
Field Bee
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2017
- Messages
- 767
- Reaction score
- 137
- Location
- Wigan, Lancashire
- Hive Type
- Langstroth
- Number of Hives
- 21
Last summer I posted a thread "I think they are doomed". I had been given a couple of Langstroth hives and positioned one on my allotment then a small cast swarm moved in. Within a week the virgin Q had gone missing and the colony dwindled to less than 200 bees. I was looking for some help to save them from here & my local association. The verdict was just let them die off but I wasn't going to give in that easily.
I was taken on by kevrhcfag from this site mentoring me, he had nothing Langstroth and again thought they had no chance. A couple of weeks later kevrhcfag had a Q that he didn't think was going to make the grade so gave it to me with about 100 bees.
I put them in a homemade plywood nuc on 3 super frames & 2 brood foundation (don't ask) and made a Kingspan jacket.
I treated & fed. Then 2 weeks ago I transferred all to a dummied Langstroth brood box and added 2 more frames of foundation.
Just checked in today and amazed. The hive is full, the 3 super frames have been extended to the bottom lots of drone brood, all other frames fully drawn and BIAS pollen & stores. Just taken out the dummie boards and now on full 10 frames. Tomorrow will add QX and super.
Opened up the hive now twice this year transferred from nuc to full hive, cleared lots of brace comb, done a full inspection and the bees have shown no interest in stinging. Such lovely calm bees and all from a Q that kevrhcfag thought wasn't up to his high standard. I've already ordered a nuc from him for this summer after seeing what he produced last year I know it will be difficult to go wrong
I was taken on by kevrhcfag from this site mentoring me, he had nothing Langstroth and again thought they had no chance. A couple of weeks later kevrhcfag had a Q that he didn't think was going to make the grade so gave it to me with about 100 bees.
I put them in a homemade plywood nuc on 3 super frames & 2 brood foundation (don't ask) and made a Kingspan jacket.
I treated & fed. Then 2 weeks ago I transferred all to a dummied Langstroth brood box and added 2 more frames of foundation.
Just checked in today and amazed. The hive is full, the 3 super frames have been extended to the bottom lots of drone brood, all other frames fully drawn and BIAS pollen & stores. Just taken out the dummie boards and now on full 10 frames. Tomorrow will add QX and super.
Opened up the hive now twice this year transferred from nuc to full hive, cleared lots of brace comb, done a full inspection and the bees have shown no interest in stinging. Such lovely calm bees and all from a Q that kevrhcfag thought wasn't up to his high standard. I've already ordered a nuc from him for this summer after seeing what he produced last year I know it will be difficult to go wrong
