Applemuncher
New Bee
Hi!
My bees swarmed yesterday but I managed to retrieve them with the help of another more able beekeeper than myself. I had (stupidly) lent my spare hive out to someone and due to an increase in my own bees from 2 hives to 3, I had no spare equipment at all.
I usually keep a national hive but I do have a WBC which is usually outside my house for ornamental purposes so as a last resort, I thought I would put the bees in this. When I looked at the inside of the hive, there seemed no way for the bees to get in and out, it looked very much like there was a wooden bar across the bottom so, in my panic, I cut it out.
I got the swarm in the hive and decided I would go back later in the night to give them a feed and put the rest of the frames in, when I opened the hive I discovered that all the bees were in the liner of the WBC, not in the actual hive itself. I guess by cutting the bottom bar out I just gave them access to the entire hive .
I put the crown board (glass quilt) on the top a bit askew to give them a few routes back in to the main hive, I have to go back again later and top up their feed but I just know they will still be in the liner.
Does anyone have any suggestions? They say you learn by your mistakes, I seem to have made quite a few!!!
Thanks in advance
My bees swarmed yesterday but I managed to retrieve them with the help of another more able beekeeper than myself. I had (stupidly) lent my spare hive out to someone and due to an increase in my own bees from 2 hives to 3, I had no spare equipment at all.
I usually keep a national hive but I do have a WBC which is usually outside my house for ornamental purposes so as a last resort, I thought I would put the bees in this. When I looked at the inside of the hive, there seemed no way for the bees to get in and out, it looked very much like there was a wooden bar across the bottom so, in my panic, I cut it out.
I got the swarm in the hive and decided I would go back later in the night to give them a feed and put the rest of the frames in, when I opened the hive I discovered that all the bees were in the liner of the WBC, not in the actual hive itself. I guess by cutting the bottom bar out I just gave them access to the entire hive .
I put the crown board (glass quilt) on the top a bit askew to give them a few routes back in to the main hive, I have to go back again later and top up their feed but I just know they will still be in the liner.
Does anyone have any suggestions? They say you learn by your mistakes, I seem to have made quite a few!!!
Thanks in advance