vermillion
New Bee
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2012
- Messages
- 41
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Hawaii, USA
- Hive Type
- Langstroth
- Number of Hives
- 8
WOW!!!
Three months ago, I started with my lovely simple, humble Langstroth full deep "Hive A" with nice bees and a marked Italian Queen.
They bubbled over and I added a deep super about a month ago, no excluder.
Swarm cells burst forth, so I split that one just a week or so ago, pulling the swarm cells and a few frames into one box and moving it nearby...now called Hive B...
BUT back to Hive A....
This weekend Hive A swarmed TWICE right under my nose, as i was gardening nearby.
Saturday I actually caught them in a swarm trap and put them in a Top Bar Hive, but they waved to me and blew kisses as they went back into Hive A over the course of the afternoon.
Sunday morning, they again swarmed overhead (impressive!!) as i was gardening, waved again, and went back in as we watched, after only about 20 minutes. They pretended nothing had happened, and we all went about our business.
Sunday afternoon I inspected the hive hoping to find the marked queen that came with the hive, and hoping also to figure out what was happening. Three frames in I was up to 8 supercedure cells, several of which were capped, zero swarm cells...
and then suddenly....
I heard piping!!! Clear as a (tiny) bell. Twice. It was amazing!
I closed them up and thought they should be left to handle it themselves, clearly, they have read more books than I.
Monday morning, today, I put my ear to the box and heard two if not three distinct pipings, overlapping; I could also make out a big scuffle on the bottom screen board.
I did some chores and headed down to get my swarm trap up.
And ran smack into a cloud of bees pouring out again!!! POURING OUT.
Those bees laughed at my swarm trap, had some fun circling over my neighbors yard where 5 children were playing, toyed with the idea of settling on my patio, terrified the horses, and then kindly settled on the ground and in a bush at the corner of the riding arena not 20 m from their original hive.
Bless them for that.
I gave up on the top bar hive idea, and quickly made a "faux" deep out of two medium Langstroth boxes, and put two frames of nectar in from the deep box that is Hive A, their former home.
I shook the main ball into the box, put a top on it, made a ramp for the stragglers on the ground and hoped for the best. I did not have the energy to chase them again.
It was marvelous watching ALL the stragglers march across the ramp into the box.
By evening, I am happy to report, finally, they are apparently settled. I saw foragers return with pollen at dusk. I think they must have a queen with them this time....
And Hive A still has a piping queen, at least one. I did not hear any answer though.
I am exhausted.
Three months ago, I started with my lovely simple, humble Langstroth full deep "Hive A" with nice bees and a marked Italian Queen.
They bubbled over and I added a deep super about a month ago, no excluder.
Swarm cells burst forth, so I split that one just a week or so ago, pulling the swarm cells and a few frames into one box and moving it nearby...now called Hive B...
BUT back to Hive A....
This weekend Hive A swarmed TWICE right under my nose, as i was gardening nearby.
Saturday I actually caught them in a swarm trap and put them in a Top Bar Hive, but they waved to me and blew kisses as they went back into Hive A over the course of the afternoon.
Sunday morning, they again swarmed overhead (impressive!!) as i was gardening, waved again, and went back in as we watched, after only about 20 minutes. They pretended nothing had happened, and we all went about our business.
Sunday afternoon I inspected the hive hoping to find the marked queen that came with the hive, and hoping also to figure out what was happening. Three frames in I was up to 8 supercedure cells, several of which were capped, zero swarm cells...
and then suddenly....
I heard piping!!! Clear as a (tiny) bell. Twice. It was amazing!
I closed them up and thought they should be left to handle it themselves, clearly, they have read more books than I.
Monday morning, today, I put my ear to the box and heard two if not three distinct pipings, overlapping; I could also make out a big scuffle on the bottom screen board.
I did some chores and headed down to get my swarm trap up.
And ran smack into a cloud of bees pouring out again!!! POURING OUT.
Those bees laughed at my swarm trap, had some fun circling over my neighbors yard where 5 children were playing, toyed with the idea of settling on my patio, terrified the horses, and then kindly settled on the ground and in a bush at the corner of the riding arena not 20 m from their original hive.
Bless them for that.
I gave up on the top bar hive idea, and quickly made a "faux" deep out of two medium Langstroth boxes, and put two frames of nectar in from the deep box that is Hive A, their former home.
I shook the main ball into the box, put a top on it, made a ramp for the stragglers on the ground and hoped for the best. I did not have the energy to chase them again.
It was marvelous watching ALL the stragglers march across the ramp into the box.
By evening, I am happy to report, finally, they are apparently settled. I saw foragers return with pollen at dusk. I think they must have a queen with them this time....
And Hive A still has a piping queen, at least one. I did not hear any answer though.
I am exhausted.
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