Swarm didn't quite go to plan.

[Applemuncher]

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

 

[Skyhook]

I can think of 2 possibilities. Either make a sort of eke to funnel from the top lift to a brrod box, then try to smoke them up into it; or dismantle the hive on a sheet and shake them into a brood box/skep.

Good luck!

 

[oliver90owner]

There will likely be comb by the morning. Find the queen and install her in the box along with some of the workers, preferably with a frame of open brood installed. The rest of the bees will follow.

RAB