Tiny Colony From Split

[gwt_uk]

Well my split yesterday didn’t go as planned (double brood split) Returned today and there are only a few handfuls of bees in the hive. Removed them form the BB and put them in a Nuc box with the new purchased queen. I will go back later tonight and give them a feeder. Any other advice?

 

[Erichalfbee]

So what’s in the nuc box? A couple of hundred bees a new queen in a cage?
Brood? What sort?
Is this the double brood you split?
If you left the queen in the original site all the bees have gone back there.
You should have moved her box away. All the nurse bees are with the open brood.

 

[gwt_uk]

Yes some bees, capped brood only on 5 frames. No eggs larvae etc. I released the queen.

 

[gwt_uk]

So what’s in the nuc box? A couple of hundred bees a new queen in a cage?
Brood? What sort?
Is this the double brood you split?
If you left the queen in the original site all the bees have gone back there.
You should have moved her box away. All the nurse bees are with the open brood.

Sorry meant to add. Yes this is from the double brood I split. On advice was keeping the original queen in original location.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Well the brood will die if there are not enough bees to cover it.
I would be over there re caging the queen and shaking loads more nurse bees in then moving the whole lot away from the apiary but somebody else has likely a better solution

 

[Ian123]

Ok it doesn’t sound great and I think whatever you do now is just digging yourself out of a hole.
First remove the feeder new nucs made up in the apiary just need a frame of stores from the parent colony feeding when flying bees are returning to the parent hive is just ringing the dinner bell. You may get away with it atm if there’s plenty of forage but it’s best avoided.
Nucs need only a couple of frames of sealed/emerging brood not five, sealed brood is more robust but they’ll still die if they get cold.

You say you released the queen….Why?..You don’t release her the bees do in good time! If you released her straight away there’s a good chance she’ll be killed, perhaps if there’s no older bees in the nuc there’s a chance she’s ok but you’ll be lucky if this is the case.

Without actually seeing this nuc or the numbers of bees I’m imagining 5 frames of brood with a couple of handfuls of bees?
If this is the case in the morning inspect very gently and with minimal smoke to find the queen. You’ll need to find her and if possible re cage her. If she’s there the minimal bees and the brood are likely not viable as a unit!
If she’s found/caged I’d remake the nuc. Keep 2 frames of brood with emerging bees if possible find yourself a frame of food. Give the remaining frames back to the parent colony, shaking off every single bee on them before as they’ll likely stay in the nuc.
Finding the queen in the original hive and make sure she’s safe you’ll then need to shake or brush in more frames of bees. If you are moving the nuc I’d shake in say 3 or four frames, if the nucs staying in the same apiary probably a couple more.
Your queen should have come in a cage with a candy block. The tab on the cage should be removed exposing the candy and slide the cage between the frames of brood, allowing the bees to eat the candy and release the queen over time.
Once you’ve introduced a queen allow several days before going back in.
There’s advice given freely here if your not sure just ask, but I might suggest a little research or limiting what your doing to your level of experience.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Any other advice?

Have I understood this correctly?
1 Old queen + brood + flying bees in the original location
2 Nuc + caged queen + 5 frames of brood in new location

You have an imbalance in colony strengths: flying bees have returned to the original location and weakened the split. Another unexpected outcome is that the old colony is now so strong that soon it may choose to swarm.

As Dani suggested, more bees are needed in the split; just make sure that you know where the queen is when you shake bees from the old colony into the new. If in doubt, use bees from supers, provided that you have in use a QX.

I would prefer to keep the split in the same apiary, to allow the older flying bees to return to the old site on the next flying day, because it's these bees that will be less likely to accept your new queen.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Thank you guys. I was a bit lost on this one.
I presume the OP simply took the top box off his double brood and moved it away. As all the brood in the top box was capped there are few nurse bees there so most of them simply flew home.

 

[gwt_uk]

Ok it doesn’t sound great and I think whatever you do now is just digging yourself out of a hole.
First remove the feeder new nucs made up in the apiary just need a frame of stores from the parent colony feeding when flying bees are returning to the parent hive is just ringing the dinner bell. You may get away with it atm if there’s plenty of forage but it’s best avoided.
Nucs need only a couple of frames of sealed/emerging brood not five, sealed brood is more robust but they’ll still die if they get cold.

You say you released the queen….Why?..You don’t release her the bees do in good time! If you released her straight away there’s a good chance she’ll be killed, perhaps if there’s no older bees in the nuc there’s a chance she’s ok but you’ll be lucky if this is the case.

Without actually seeing this nuc or the numbers of bees I’m imagining 5 frames of brood with a couple of handfuls of bees?
If this is the case in the morning inspect very gently and with minimal smoke to find the queen. You’ll need to find her and if possible re cage her. If she’s there the minimal bees and the brood are likely not viable as a unit!
If she’s found/caged I’d remake the nuc. Keep 2 frames of brood with emerging bees if possible find yourself a frame of food. Give the remaining frames back to the parent colony, shaking off every single bee on them before as they’ll likely stay in the nuc.
Finding the queen in the original hive and make sure she’s safe you’ll then need to shake or brush in more frames of bees. If you are moving the nuc I’d shake in say 3 or four frames, if the nucs staying in the same apiary probably a couple more.
Your queen should have come in a cage with a candy block. The tab on the cage should be removed exposing the candy and slide the cage between the frames of brood, allowing the bees to eat the candy and release the queen over time.
Once you’ve introduced a queen allow several days before going back in.
There’s advice given freely here if your not sure just ask, but I might suggest a little research or limiting what your doing to your level of experience.

Update on this. I hadn’t had time to go back and follow your instructions. I inspected today and fully expected to find an empty Nuc box. Instead I found that the population had increased significantly (due to emerging brood) and the queen I released was alive and laying well. I have been very lucky. Lessons learnt.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Update on this. I hadn’t had time to go back and follow your instructions. I inspected today and fully expected to find an empty Nuc box. Instead I found that the population had increased significantly (due to emerging brood) and the queen I released was alive and laying well. I have been very lucky. Lessons learnt.

Phew lucky man. I must admit I thought they were doomed. Bees never fail to surprise us, eh?
Look after her. She’s a gem.

 

[gwt_uk]

Phew lucky man. I must admit I thought they were doomed. Bees never fail to surprise us, eh?
Look after her. She’s a gem.

Yes very lucky. Will keep a good eye on her!