What a cock up?

[beenovice]

I collected a swarm on Tuesday from my own hives.
I placed it in a new brood box, placed a QE underneath and a crown board (with two holes) on top followed by an empty super and a feeder.
I wanted to remove the QE today, conscious that the queen may have to go on a mating flight. As I lifted the lid of, I stood there looking at a large cluster of bees in the super. They had come through the second feeder hole and taken residence in the super. Wait - it gets worse! As I was looking, I heard a thump, and a large ball of bees that must have been clinging to the lid had fallen to the floor.
I moved all the bees in the super down into the brood. I picked up what I could off the floor, and I closed them up.
I have no idea if the queen is amongst them. If she isn't, will the hive be empty in the morning.
As I was walking away, cursing at my stupidity, I realised I still hadn't moved the bloomin QE

 

[enrico]

If the QE is in place and the queen is outside she won't be going in! Wherever the queen is, your bees will be in the morning, however with the QE there she can't make up home in the hive even if she wants to if she is outside! Let's hope she is inside! Good learning experience! Some of us have been there and never done it again!
E

 

[HM Honey]

If she's a virgin queen, she may well be able to fit through the QE anyway... If it was a prime swarm, she wont need to get mated as it will probably be one of your older queens and not a virgin....

 

[Moggett]

Personally I never QE under the BB when hiving swarms. I also don't fill the BB with foundation frames until they have settled, as I find this increases the chance of them absconding. I used to leave space either side of about three or four foundation frames and wait a week before putting more in. The last one I hived, I filled it completely with foundation less frames and had no problems.

 

[Chrisfnvs]

If you should fine yourself in a similar position again, just place the brood box with a crown board with holes covered, over the bees which have fallen to the ground leaving a gap underneath for them to gain access and leave for half an hour and they will crawl up into the box, then just place box onto the floor and stand, job done, let the bees do the job for you saves a lot of stress for both parties Chris

 

[drstitson]

another good reason for solid crown boards or ones with single feeder holes!

BTW was the feeder empty or did you feed on day of collection?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

another good reason for solid crown boards or ones with single feeder holes!

 

[oliver90owner]

Gaping holes in crownboards. How many times .....

Some may get by with them but they cannot be considered as necessary. (Ever, IMO).

 

[Ely]

If you block it up, can't see a problem.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

If the bees have been there for 2 or 3 days, then there's little chance of them absconding.
A small error or two but not disasterous. Mistakes you won't do again.
There's plenty more to make in beekeeping!

 

[oliver90owner]

If you block it up, can't see a problem

Question: When is a hole not a hole?

Answer: When it is filled in, blocked off or just not there any longer.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Gaping holes in crownboards. How many times .....

Some may get by with them but they cannot be considered as necessary. (Ever, IMO).

o90o; is there any height of stack at which you'd open some top ventilation?

 

[oliver90owner]

Read my post - carefully. There is a clue there.

 

[Ely]

Don't mean to be pedantic but if you are going to correct someone in the language used then you need to be correct. You usually are correct but not this time. A gaping whole in a cover board is very necessary if you wish to use it for either feeding or if it is a porter hole for porter bee escapes. The hole is still there whether covered or not.

 

[jd101k2000]

I think that you are going to discover that boards with holes in are feeding boards ;-)

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Read my post - carefully. There is a clue there.

"Ever". OK. Thanks.