Tiny cluster of bees

[simonwig]

Just been sent this photo by a honey customer. Tiny cluster of bees hanging off a single rose flower.
Any thoughts, absconded mating nuc maybe?


Simon

 

[pargyle]

Or possibly the last of several consecutive swarms from a hive ....

 

[Sutty]

Just as a challenge I'd want to see if I could get them to viable colony size! Ultra insulated & fed

 

[simonwig]

Just as a challenge I'd want to see if I could get them to viable colony size! Ultra insulated & fed

If they are still there tomorrow that's my plan, any tips welcome. Thinking Apidea, maybe extra insulation.
Simon

 

[Sutty]

The obvious thing would be extra young or emerging bees, but the challenge would be to see if they can survive as is, given suitable accommodation and some food.
Maybe a mating nuc with feed & extra insulation, though I doubt it's feasible to get them big enough to get through winter, especially if the queen (assuming there is one) isn't mated!

 

[Erichalfbee]

If they are still there tomorrow that's my plan, any tips welcome. Thinking Apidea, maybe extra insulation.
Simon

I did one. I thought really hard about the best outcome. What are you trying to save? The queen. So I made them up a nuc and introduced the queen in a cage. The rest of the bees were accepted walking up a board in front of the new nuc.

 

[simonwig]

Well I've popped them in a mating nucleus, will add a few more bees, then wait and see if there's a queen and if so is she mated, will she get mated?
Simon

 

[John stockburn]

Well I've popped them in a mating nucleus, will add a few more bees, then wait and see if there's a queen and if so is she mated, will she get mated?
Simon

You have more chance of learning to whistle dixy backwards in Arabic than you have with those few bees especially if the queen is a virgin

 

[Hebeegeebee]

I have gotten Swibine mini nucs through a mild winter. So you can have a go for a bit of fun. Assuming the queen isn't mated, she should mate in good weather in the next couple of weeks - it's not to late in the season. You might then be able to add some more young bees (the ones left after a couple of shakes of a brood frame are the ones you want). If you have an apidea, you can add a couple of frames to make it a 5 frame hive and add an apidea feeder on top to increase the size. You might be wasting your money though, as the chances of success are not huge. Your choice, best of luck!

 

[simonwig]

So you can have a go for a bit of fun.

Thanks, that's my plan
Already got 5 frames and top feeder for my Apidea so no cost and more interesting than learning to whistle dixy in Arabic backwards.
Simon

 

[Swarm]

Just think what they will mean to you 'when' you get them through Winter and they prove to be the finest bees you've ever had

 

[simonwig]

They were found by the young (5ish) granddaughter of our customer, so my (wishful) hope would be to give her some honey from them (well their sisters) next year!
Simon

 

[Sutty]

Always interesting to poke around at the limits of the possible!

 

[Swarm]

They were found by the young (5ish) granddaughter of our customer, so my (wishful) hope would be to give her some honey from them (well their sisters) next year!
Simon

Let us know how they do, Simon.

 

[Sutty]

If you learn dixy backwards in Arabic we want it recorded!

 

[pargyle]

...and more interesting than learning to whistle dixy in Arabic backwards.
Simon

Probably comes a close second though !

 

[simonwig]

Let us know how they do, Simon.

Brief update, quick look today and there's a laying queen in there, now the journey really starts!
Simon