Swarming?

[enrico]

Local terminology
OP is in Canada

OH! Silly me, thanks

 

[Will Kevans]

Being a bit picky here Will but the correct terminology helps us all understand your needs!
A split is where you simply split a good colony in half (or more ) and is generally used in a good strong hive to increase your stock. Anything to do with queen cells or stopping swarming is a method of swarm control and usually has a name associated with it

As I stated I'm a novice, so not familiar with the correct parlance.My concerns are twofold, that they may swarm and that the hive itself looks very full and could do with extra room, I'm assuming this will involve a split of some kind?I will post a video of my hive inspection and you may judge for yourself.

 

[enrico]

As I stated I'm a novice, so not familiar with the correct parlance.My concerns are twofold, that they may swarm and that the hive itself looks very full and could do with extra room, I'm assuming this will involve a split of some kind?I will post a video of my hive inspection and you may judge for yourself.

Sorry, wasn't meaning to be offensive. All bees try to swarm, you will never stop it but you can control it. We have given you a couple of ways of doing that. A beehive should look full. Remember if the queen is laying 1000 eggs a day, at some point 1000 bees will be emerging and a further 1000 will be dying. Your bees will reach a perfect roll over effect and that should result in a full hive. If however you feel there is not enough room then add another brood box under the present one. If they need to use it then they will. Just make sure there is room above the brood for food. I impress again that this will not stop swarming. It may delay it but at some point you are going to have to decide how you are going to control it. Make a decision now what path you are going to use to do this and get all the equipment ready. Be sure you have it with you when you do inspections and stick to your plans
Best of luck

 

[Will Kevans]

Sorry, wasn't meaning to be offensive. All bees try to swarm, you will never stop it but you can control it. We have given you a couple of ways of doing that. A beehive should look full. Remember if the queen is laying 1000 eggs a day, at some point 1000 bees will be emerging and a further 1000 will be dying. Your bees will reach a perfect roll over effect and that should result in a full hive. If however you feel there is not enough room then add another brood box under the present one. If they need to use it then they will. Just make sure there is room above the brood for food. I impress again that this will not stop swarming. It may delay it but at some point you are going to have to decide how you are going to control it. Make a decision now what path you are going to use to do this and get all the equipment ready. Be sure you have it with you when you do inspections and stick to your plans
Best of luck

Thanks for that Enrico. I'm not really sure what to do at the present moment. I cracked the hive and did a full inspection. Ive fitted a super without the excluder to see if they will start filling up that. I'm learning frantically as I progress day to day, I'm sure I will make many mistakes.Last hive inspection I got 10 stings on my legs as the bees crawled up my trousers they even managed to sting me twice on the hands through my gloves, despite using protection. Its rained since then and the temperature has dropped right down, I may attempt a split next week if the weather improves.

 

[enrico]

Thanks for that Enrico. I'm not really sure what to do at the present moment. I cracked the hive and did a full inspection. Ive fitted a super without the excluder to see if they will start filling up that. I'm learning frantically as I progress day to day, I'm sure I will make many mistakes.Last hive inspection I got 10 stings on my legs as the bees crawled up my trousers they even managed to sting me twice on the hands through my gloves, despite using protection. Its rained since then and the temperature has dropped right down, I may attempt a split next week if the weather improves.

You need to spend some money on a good suit and gloves. I guess they might be leather gloves. Awful things. Once you know you can't be stung your confidence will grow. If you are thinking you may be stung you will be nervous and that will lead to more stings!
E

 

[Robert Barry]

Erichalfbee has given you good advice. You need to understand what a swarm is all about and then you will understand a pagden method of swarm control. A Pagden is as follows. You need a spare hive. You need to find the queen.
The old queen will go in the new hive on the old site. Similar to a swarm you now have the old queen and all the flying bees which will return to the old site. They will have fresh comb ( apart from the frame the queen was on) and will act like a swarm starting to make wax and build up the new hive.
The queen cells will go with the old hive on a new site. You now have a hive that will be depleted of the flying bees as though a swarm had left. You need to keep the queen cells down to one where you can see royal jelly and is not yet capped. Destroy the rest and mark the frame with the open cell. Destroy any new ones made in five days.
However if your bees have already swarmed and the old queen has gone( open queen cells where a new queen has emerged) then you are too late. Destroy any other queen cells and leave them to it!

I have been keeping bees for about 15 years but have never had any luck finding an unmarked queen. My eyes just aren't up to it. Does anyone have any tips? I have been getting by but procedures requiring location of the queen are closed to me.

 

[Robert Barry]

Thanks for that Enrico. I'm not really sure what to do at the present moment. I cracked the hive and did a full inspection. Ive fitted a super without the excluder to see if they will start filling up that. I'm learning frantically as I progress day to day, I'm sure I will make many mistakes.Last hive inspection I got 10 stings on my legs as the bees crawled up my trousers they even managed to sting me twice on the hands through my gloves, despite using protection. Its rained since then and the temperature has dropped right down, I may attempt a split next week if the weather improves.

Bees crawling up your trouser legs? You need a pair of wellies with the trouser bottoms tucked firmly inside. An alternative would be to tie up up the trouser bottoms with string.

Bees stinging through gloves sounds like poor gloves or very aggressive bees. It used to happen to me occasionally until I switched to leather gloves. A way to deal with aggressive bees is to spray all clothing with Bee Quick. Do it before you put it in as it can sting the skin and eyes. Be sure to spray the gauntlets of tbe gloves as they seem to find tbe irresistible.

If you are using a jacket in preference to a full suit wear at least one pair of long johns underneath your trousers, and be sure to tuck the jacket inside your trousers or they will find a way in.

Intelligent, sexually attractive men should always wear a hat, ideally a peaked hat, underneath the hood. The peak pushes the gauze away from the face preventing facial stings and the cap itself eliminates the chances of stings to the head, as aggressive bees will sting through hood.

 

[thorn]

Erichalfbee has given you good advice. You need to understand what a swarm is all about and then you will understand a pagden method of swarm control. A Pagden is as follows. You need a spare hive. You need to find the queen.
The old queen will go in the new hive on the old site. Similar to a swarm you now have the old queen and all the flying bees which will return to the old site. They will have fresh comb ( apart from the frame the queen was on) and will act like a swarm starting to make wax and build up the new hive.
The queen cells will go with the old hive on a new site. You now have a hive that will be depleted of the flying bees as though a swarm had left. You need to keep the queen cells down to one where you can see royal jelly and is not yet capped. Destroy the rest and mark the frame with the open cell. Destroy any new ones made in five days.
However if your bees have already swarmed and the old queen has gone( open queen cells where a new queen has emerged) then you are too late. Destroy any other queen cells and leave them to it!

It's far easier to put the queen in a nuc with a couple of frames with some sealed brood on, and a couple with nectar and pollen, shake in some workers and move that away. You'll not deplete your hive and the queen will give you the making of a new colony. Watch Gwenyn Gruffydd's YouTube video on the artificial swarm first. You'll find it helpful.

 

[enrico]

It's far easier to put the queen in a nuc with a couple of frames with some sealed brood on, and a couple with nectar and pollen, shake in some workers and move that away. You'll not deplete your hive and the queen will give you the making of a new colony. Watch Gwenyn Gruffydd's YouTube video on the artificial swarm first. You'll find it helpful.

I agree, that had already been suggested so I was just explaining a pagden in simple terms.

 

[Tyler1982]

Looks like orientation flights to me, figure of 8 outside hive!

 

[Boston Bees]

Bees stinging through gloves sounds like poor gloves or very aggressive bees. It used to happen to me occasionally until I switched to leather gloves.

Leather gloves are not a wonderful idea, in terms both of triggering stinging, and carrying disease.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Leather gloves are not a wonderful idea

unless you're just removing brambles from around the hives

 

[enrico]

Just seen the video. Not sure on conditions out there but if the temperature suddenly reached flying point that is what bees do, especially if they have been cooped up for a couple of days. All the newly emerged bees fly around getting their bearings. Others come out for a crap. It all calms down after ten minutes!. It looks a bit manic when you first see it. Most of the time you don't happen to be there when it happens!

 

[Will Kevans]

Bees crawling up your trouser legs? You need a pair of wellies with the trouser bottoms tucked firmly inside. An alternative would be to tie up up the trouser bottoms with string.

Bees stinging through gloves sounds like poor gloves or very aggressive bees. It used to happen to me occasionally until I switched to leather gloves. A way to deal with aggressive bees is to spray all clothing with Bee Quick. Do it before you put it in as it can sting the skin and eyes. Be sure to spray the gauntlets of tbe gloves as they seem to find tbe irresistible.

If you are using a jacket in preference to a full suit wear at least one pair of long johns underneath your trousers, and be sure to tuck the jacket inside your trousers or they will find a way in.

Intelligent, sexually attractive men should always wear a hat, ideally a peaked hat, underneath the hood. The peak pushes the gauze away from the face preventing facial stings and the cap itself eliminates the chances of stings to the head, as aggressive bees will sting through hood.

Judging by my experience with these bees, I wouldn't describe myself as intelligent or alluring!I am using leather gloves and certainly revisit the hive more protected!I had army combats on and I could use the elastics to stop them crawling up my legs, it didn't occur at the time until the little blighters started crawling up my legs!

 

[Will Kevans]

Thats good to know, I co

I have been keeping bees for about 15 years but have never had any luck finding an unmarked queen. My eyes just aren't up to it. Does anyone have any tips? I have been getting by but procedures requiring location of the queen are closed to me.
[/QUOTE That's good to know, I was thinking I was being stupid, still not sure what I'm looking for . I'm definitely going in with more protection next time tho.

 

[JamezF]

Some people say that colour and/or texture of clothing can be a trigger for bees to become more aggressive. I can't say I'm desperately interested in experimenting to find out how true that is, but it is claimed that they don't like black gloves for instance. They have very little, if any, visual sensitivity at the red end of the spectrum too, so red may appear black as far as they're concerned. Fortunately I've never thought to wear my (red) welding gloves whilst working on my hives

Then again, when I did my beginner's course a long time back, at least one of the instructors claimed that bees really didn't like denim, yet I've seen loads of people inspecting colonies wearing a smock type beekeeping top and jeans.

James

 

[Will Kevans]

Some people say that colour and/or texture of clothing can be a trigger for bees to become more aggressive. I can't say I'm desperately interested in experimenting to find out how true that is, but it is claimed that they don't like black gloves for instance. They have very little, if any, visual sensitivity at the red end of the spectrum too, so red may appear black as far as they're concerned. Fortunately I've never thought to wear my (red) welding gloves whilst working on my hives

Then again, when I did my beginner's course a long time back, at least one of the instructors claimed that bees really didn't like denim, yet I've seen loads of people inspecting colonies wearing a smock type beekeeping top and jeans.

James

Funnily enough I do actually have a full on bee costume, maybe that would be more pleasing to them...thus far I have an all in one hood and jacket white and leather gloves yellow with linen cuffs and a set of ww2 army trousers heavy duty.

 

[JamezF]

I prefer to wear shorts and a t-shirt when working on the hives for most of the year, so I'm too chicken to wear anything but the full costume

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

If you must wear leather gloves at least put nitriles on top
That way you'll keep them clean. Dirty leather gloves are a magnet for more stings

 

[Newbeeneil]

I have been keeping bees for about 15 years but have never had any luck finding an unmarked queen. My eyes just aren't up to it. Does anyone have any tips? I have been getting by but procedures requiring location of the queen are closed to me.

I have always been pretty successful in finding queens and recently tried to explain to someone how it did it.
When I thought about it I realised I didn't inspect the bees but the whole comb and look for different types of movement. Drones and Queens move differently from workers as they walk across the frame and I find I'm drawn to that difference. Once you pick up on that finding queens becomes much easier. I find queens sashay across the comb, drones seem to plod whereas workers scurry.
Just my interpretation It works for me......