What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Glenviewbee]

Was able to look into my colonies yesterday after 12/14 days since the last inspections (weather was rubbish until 7th May and then I was away 7th til 13th May - typical!) In one colony I came across capped queen cells - my first thought when I saw the 1st one - single, nicely centred on frame and a good size - was 'supercedure'. Wasn't surprised as this is the colony with the queen that I liberally painted when marking her, so maybe she is succumbing to the insult. However a little further into the frames I found a few more capped QC's - probably 4 or so, all capped and all a nice size. I did see HMQ wandering around, so I am a bit surprised that she hasn't gone at the capping of the cells. I ummed and ahhed and have gone with my initial gut feel that they are superceding her - we shall see....

 

[beeno]

Hi,
Maybe your painting skills made her unable to fly? Let us know how you get on.

 

[Brian Bush]

I got soaked today. I had a call to collect a swarm from a village about 7 miles away.
I had to collect a NUC hive from the apiary at the time of torrential rain.
I then picked up the fastest swarm ever. 2 mins. from leaving the car, NUC under swarm 3 ft. off ground. Snip 2 thin branches, lid on, back in car. Another soaking in placing NUC in apiary. When will I ever learn???

 

[thenovice]

snellgrove II AS

well did this 2 days ago...

did the last leg of the method. until now no swarming so that is a relieve. squished QC in AS, found the queen in the parent colony and then put her in the AS. I did not feel comfortable with this so I put the queen in a plunger thingy and put her on top of the frames. many bees came to investigate and seemed to start to tend to her so I released her in the hive. she wondered in between the frames and bees did not attack her. fingers crossed she will do all right.

 

[Cussword]

Heard a Queen piping for the first time!!

 

[beeno]

Heard a Queen piping for the first time!!

Did you hear any quacking answer from a virgin still in a QC. If you did expect a cast if you have a strong hive!

 

[Cussword]

It was a virgin, spent the next 20 minutes looking for another.
However, did have to chase a mini swarm into nearby woodland, it ended in a hole 50 feet up an old tree. Pretty sure that's what she was piping at. We were so sure that only one QC was left after the split. .

 

[jonnybeegood]

Been away fishing today , came home this evening. & i think i may have had a swarm, looks very likely, theres bee poo all over the hives, i will have to check tomorrow, its a monsoon out there at the minute :-(

 

[Moggs]

JBG - bp all over the hives is a measure of something other than the issue of a swarm.


I've had that déjà vu before...

 

[jonnybeegood]

JBG - bp all over the hives is a measure of something other than the issue of a swarm.


I've had that déjà vu before...

Are you meaning Nosema? This wasnt on them yesterday, this evening there are yellow spots over all my hives, what else could it be?

 

[Moggs]

Are you meaning Nosema?

Well, the mention of beepoo certainly brings the possibility of nosema to mind. Flying bees tend to deposit streaks rather than spots. Photo's may help. A liquid consistency would be more to worry about.
What are they feeding on - what's in the hive and what are they bringing in? Not got any fermenting stuff in there for example?


I've had that déjà vu before...

 

[jonnybeegood]

Ok, checked two hives including my best & all ok, checked third to find 4 charges q cells & one capped q cell, queen still there, phew! Ive put the old Q in a nuc with 2 frames of capped brood & pollen stores, one frame of nectar stores, 2 frames of foundation & shook 2 frames of bees in. I closed the entrance with dry grass & moved it away from the hive. I put new foundation in the hive. I tore down the q cells except the capped one. & will check for more cells in a weeks time, is this ok? I will check the last two hives after lunch to see if one has swarmed. I wonder if this one swarmed & came back when the weather quickly turned yesterday?

 

[Tremyfro]

I had a quick look through some of my nucs today. In two of the 14x12 nucs...the queens are emerged....
In the national nuc, which had two queen cells stuck together on the frame....one queen has emerged and killed the second one which hadn't....so I removed the dead cell.
Fingers crossed for early matings.....
I didn't look in the remaining nucs....just thinking that all seems well so far so I will leave them alone, unless anything appears untoward.
Despite dreadful weather here....the bees are going out foraging in the sunny spells.....I think they are all doing flying exercises as they approach the hives crabwise.

 

[jonnybeegood]

Well, the mention of beepoo certainly brings the possibility of nosema to mind. Flying bees tend to deposit streaks rather than spots. Photo's may help. A liquid consistency would be more to worry about.
What are they feeding on - what's in the hive and what are they bringing in? Not got any fermenting stuff in there for example?


I've had that déjà vu before...

I think it may have been a practice swarm yesterday, possibly the hive with the sealed Q cell? All the poo has washed off the hives with the rain last night. Something definetly happened yesterday but all my Queens are accounted for. Had a busy day sorting them all out. They have been on rape, dandylions & allsorts, poo was bright yellow, streaks & spots everywhere, but none today. I'm sure someone will know what happened. I had a swarm last year which i caught, there was poo everywhere then too.

 

[Moggs]

Bees don't need to practice swarming. When they're good to go they find that they are well up to the task. Perhaps your queen isn't a good flyer. Is she clipped? Your bee digestive problems can be investigated - sample of 30 flyers to a microscopist can easily diagnose Nosema., as you probably know. Any staining on frames? If nosema is absent you might think about forage - lots of indigestible matter? Syrup feed past it sell by date? Probably a case for a separate thread...


I've had that déjà vu before...

 

[jonnybeegood]

Bees don't need to practice swarming. When they're good to go they find that they are well up to the task. Perhaps your queen isn't a good flyer. Is she clipped? Your bee digestive problems can be investigated - sample of 30 flyers to a microscopist can easily diagnose Nosema., as you probably know. Any staining on frames? If nosema is absent you might think about forage - lots of indigestible matter? Syrup feed past it sell by date? Probably a case for a separate thread...


I've had that déjà vu before...

Ok i'll ask

 

[JWF]

Collected a prime swarm from about 12 feet up a tree at lunchtime. They are now safely in a national, though it took two attempts, after they returned to the nuc box on the first attempt.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Ok, checked two hives including my best & all ok, checked third to find 4 charges q cells & one capped q cell, queen still there, phew! Ive put the old Q in a nuc with 2 frames of capped brood & pollen stores, one frame of nectar stores, 2 frames of foundation & shook 2 frames of bees in. I closed the entrance with dry grass & moved it away from the hive. I put new foundation in the hive. I tore down the q cells except the capped one. & will check for more cells in a weeks time, is this ok? View attachment 11777

Short answer - no

You should have kept one open QC with a good larvae in and taken down the rest (never just keep one if you can't see what's inside, and always keep an open one if you can)
You didn't need (in fact definitely don't want) to close the entrance with grass to help the workers reorientate - the emphasis on any A/S manoeuvre which involves moving the queen away from the brood (rather than moving the brood and nurse bees to a new location) is to also separate the foraging bees from the queen - foragers are the swarm instigators and you have now stuffed them and the queen into a pokey little box - they will want to swarm again.

 

[TOBY-3652]

Short answer - no

You should have kept one open QC with a good larvae in and taken down the res - foragers are the swarm instigators and you have now stuffed them and the queen into a pokey little box - they will want to swarm again.

I do this and if they do swarm they can only take a few bees with them. the main lot stays with the new queen when it hatches.. but I only leave ONE CELL

 

[jonnybeegood]

Short answer - no

You should have kept one open QC with a good larvae in and taken down the rest (never just keep one if you can't see what's inside, and always keep an open one if you can)
You didn't need (in fact definitely don't want) to close the entrance with grass to help the workers reorientate - the emphasis on any A/S manoeuvre which involves moving the queen away from the brood (rather than moving the brood and nurse bees to a new location) is to also separate the foraging bees from the queen - foragers are the swarm instigators and you have now stuffed them and the queen into a pokey little box - they will want to swarm again.

I thought i would follow the procedure in the Bee haynes manual for the nucleus method. I chose a large sealed Qc as i thought if i choose an unsealed one it may not develop as well or as big as the one i found.