What are they up to???

[aberreef]

I went to look into one of the nucs I made up a few weeks ago from a colony that was being AS'd. This one is 5 frames with a total of 2 QCs in a full size hive, the rest being made up of new foundation.

The hive was almost empty, just a few dozen bees left and only the one empty QC. Then I noticed they were all clustered outside the hive on the one side that I hadn't looked at I gently closed the hive back up and took the photograph below.

I've made plenty of new colonies this way in the past but never seen this before. I was thinking maybe the queen is out on her mating flight but they are pretty tightly clustered?

Any ideas please

 

[enrico]

I reckon the queen is under that clump!!!
E

 

[aberreef]

I think so too but for what reason?

The little blighters are plotting

 

[enrico]

No reason, she's just crawled out and that's where she has ended up

 

[aberreef]

Thanks Enrico. It was a nice day for a stroll I suppose I'm figuring she'll find her own way back indoors but will the weather's changed today. I'll have a quick check on them later and re-hive if they're still there.

 

[Eyeman]

I've had this happen a few times.
If the queen is out they didn't go back in after a few days so I put the them all back into a different nuc but added a frame of stores from another hive to tempt them to stay.
Alec

 

[Arfermo]

Thanks Enrico. It was a nice day for a stroll I suppose I'm figuring she'll find her own way back indoors but will the weather's changed today. I'll have a quick check on them later and re-hive if they're still there.

Best to grab the cluster and shake back into box, stuff entrance with grass (they will chew it away in their own time) and give them at least one frame of stores (and eggs just in case the queen isn't in there) to keep them going. Put box out of full sun.

 

[aberreef]

I had a quick look in the hive before sorting the cluster and there was almost the same number in as there were out. Because of this I put the cluster into a 5 frame nuc (scabby old box but will do for now) with a frame of brood/stores. I haven't seen a queen in the hive but figured I may have missed one.