MMJ100
House Bee
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2010
- Messages
- 112
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Alpes Maritimes France
- Hive Type
- Langstroth
- Number of Hives
- 20
I have a question and hope someone can advise me
Last Sunday I heard a loud noise of bees I found that there were many bees flying and walking around the stacked hive boxes that I keep in an outhouse in my garden. I presently have two colonies at the other side of my garden (the rest are elsewhere), they are both weak and small although now doing well.
Although it is just April spring is well underway and these two hives are active and bringing in a lot of pollen. Having seen this swarm I went into these two hives (200 yards away) to see if they had swarmed. I did not think there was a chance as I had inspected last week. I found no change in numbers and also no queen cells at all. So I deduced they had not swarmed.
On Monday I got up very early, well before dawn and started to move them. They were in a pile of three Langstroth boxes but I did not know which one they were in. these were boxes stored after last year's harvest and awaiting to be added to my other hives this year. I took the top one and the second down and put them on a prepared site near my other bees. As I put the second on top I was just able to see about 3 frames of bees. I put the third box near the other two. I closed them up and left them. No bees came out and both boxes were very light.
Today, Tuesday, I thought I needed to put a feeder on and feed them and also limit their space, as I had seen in the dark that they occupied about three frames. I had not looked into the second box.
I prepared myself and went in... I took off the top box set it aside for later removal, looked into the bottom box to see 3.5/4 frames full of bees (more than I anticipated). I started to fill in the space so they were contained and did not have too much space. All went well, until I needed to look at the other box, I was bowled over to find the other box which had been on top also had 3.5/4 frames full of bees.
I then thought what do I do? So I took the frames from the top box and gently put them in the bottom box. Effectively I arranged them from vertically in two boxes to a horizontal one in one box. They now fill about 7/8 frames so the box is quite full. So did I do the right thing?
Also the frames are not at all new they mostly are a bit brown and have been used for at least a year if not more, but they are all built out and ready.
So did I do the right thing and what if anything apart from feeding them do I do now? I have had many swarms to deal with over the years but this is such a big one and on frames that I would not think were ideal. Should I just feed them and leave them to get on with it. I normally give a swarm a mixture of built out and just foundation.
Assuming they come from someone else would it be a good idea to add some anti Varroa strips? Thank you for your answers,
Michael
Last Sunday I heard a loud noise of bees I found that there were many bees flying and walking around the stacked hive boxes that I keep in an outhouse in my garden. I presently have two colonies at the other side of my garden (the rest are elsewhere), they are both weak and small although now doing well.
Although it is just April spring is well underway and these two hives are active and bringing in a lot of pollen. Having seen this swarm I went into these two hives (200 yards away) to see if they had swarmed. I did not think there was a chance as I had inspected last week. I found no change in numbers and also no queen cells at all. So I deduced they had not swarmed.
On Monday I got up very early, well before dawn and started to move them. They were in a pile of three Langstroth boxes but I did not know which one they were in. these were boxes stored after last year's harvest and awaiting to be added to my other hives this year. I took the top one and the second down and put them on a prepared site near my other bees. As I put the second on top I was just able to see about 3 frames of bees. I put the third box near the other two. I closed them up and left them. No bees came out and both boxes were very light.
Today, Tuesday, I thought I needed to put a feeder on and feed them and also limit their space, as I had seen in the dark that they occupied about three frames. I had not looked into the second box.
I prepared myself and went in... I took off the top box set it aside for later removal, looked into the bottom box to see 3.5/4 frames full of bees (more than I anticipated). I started to fill in the space so they were contained and did not have too much space. All went well, until I needed to look at the other box, I was bowled over to find the other box which had been on top also had 3.5/4 frames full of bees.
I then thought what do I do? So I took the frames from the top box and gently put them in the bottom box. Effectively I arranged them from vertically in two boxes to a horizontal one in one box. They now fill about 7/8 frames so the box is quite full. So did I do the right thing?
Also the frames are not at all new they mostly are a bit brown and have been used for at least a year if not more, but they are all built out and ready.
So did I do the right thing and what if anything apart from feeding them do I do now? I have had many swarms to deal with over the years but this is such a big one and on frames that I would not think were ideal. Should I just feed them and leave them to get on with it. I normally give a swarm a mixture of built out and just foundation.
Assuming they come from someone else would it be a good idea to add some anti Varroa strips? Thank you for your answers,
Michael
