What to do with new bees

[Charlie19]

I'm completely new to bee keeping, what happened is my dad bought a hive but didn't get round to buying a nuc this year, he noticed a few bees that looked interested in the hive and they kept coming back day after day until one morning a swarm had settled near the hive. My got them in using the white cloth on ramp method. Anyway, it's been a couple of days and there still in there, we have a chicken drinker with sugar solution in just beside the entrance, there's always lots of activity there. How long will the sugar solution need to be there for? Are there any other things that need to be done for new bees? Any tips welcomed

Thanks

 

[Cazza]

Hi Charlie19

How lucky, free bees.

You need to quickly change the chicken feeder to something only your bees can access (Look on a beekeeping supplies website for choices.) Having an open feeder spreads diseases and encourages robbing.
At a push you can use something like an upturned honey jar filled with syrup (1:1 sugar and water dissolved mix) covered with cling film with some small holes in it placed over the coverboard hole.
Feed them until they have drawn out comb and have some stores of there own. (Depends on number of bees, forage and weather.)

Cazza

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Yes that's thing one or you'll cause no end of trouble. Already will have caused some but it'll be fine. Thing two is join your local BKA and do whatever course you can get on. Try and find a mentor; most people are very pleased to be asked. Thing three is read a book, almost any book on bees. Thing four is relax and enjoy; they're not going anywhere but you have three months to learn all about varroa. Thing five is look at Michael Palmer's stuff on Youtube. I'd say good luck, but you have that already :- )

 

[MartinL]

we have a chicken drinker with sugar solution in just beside the entrance, there's always lots of activity there. How long will the sugar solution need to be there for? . . . .Any tips welcomed

Thanks

Get rid of the chicken drinker!



It's more than just a source of food for your bees. Vespas in all their glory will be on to in just as quickly, the complete range of em too!!!!!

 

[ratcatcher]

add your location, rather than just "london" as you may have someone on your doorstep that can give you hands on help

 

[Charlie19]

I've removed the drinker, and managed to find the feeder that came with the beehive, the upside down bucket thing with the wire mesh. It's quite large so I've put it in the super by taking a few frames out. Is that a suitable place?

 

[ratcatcher]

I've removed the drinker, and managed to find the feeder that came with the beehive, the upside down bucket thing with the wire mesh. It's quite large so I've put it in the super by taking a few frames out. Is that a suitable place?

you would normally add another super box without frames in it, so the feeder was sitting inside that, then the roof, just re read your first post, if you have a brood box with a super on top, place your crown board on the brood box, remove all the super frames and put the empty super box on, then the lid

 

[Charlie19]

Thanks for the replies, ive emptied the super and put the crown board on the brood box.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Sounds like you're off to a good start. Now for that book...

 

[Charlie19]

Yes, I'll have to get reading. Regarding varroa mite.......is it a given that they'll enter a hive or is it just by chance. I used to keep chickens and a blood sucking mite called red mite is a horrible pest. Once they're in the coop they are nearly impossible to completely eradicate. Which is why I stopped keeping chickens. Are varroa the same, once infested, can they be eradicated?

 

[Davelin]

Get reading......

Varroa are endemic, you will have them, If not now then soon. They can't be eradicated but they can be controlled.

Look on the FERA website and download their Managing Varroa booklet as a start.

 

[enrico]

A good and easy book to start with is 'bees at the bottom of the garden'.
E

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

On varroa, to follow up on davelin, they can be controlled without acaricides. Your call, but a no-brainer for me. I used thymol and oxalic acid, which are both natural chemicals. I would wait a bit before using no chemicals at all.

 

[Charlie19]

Thanks for the tips.

 

[SireeDubs]

This is what I read as an initial guide to varroa. V helpful, but it you're just starting out, some of the info may require you to read that book first before you can understand completely!

Best of luck.

https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/downloadDocument.cfm?id=16

 

[DulwichGnome]

http://www.kentbee.com/bromley/ is the other side of the palace, first and third Sunday of the month, 11.30.

Mike.

and as to what to do with the bees, enjoy.

 

[Quisquis]

Have a look on YouTube, lots of videos there

 

[Charlie19]

Yes, there is some really informative stuff on youtube that ive been going through. Ive read that bees need pollen for proteins, lipids, vitamins etc. the bees seem be foraging well however i havent noticed a single bee carrying pollen behind their legs. Is this normal for newly settled bees? When will they start collecting the pollen?

Thanks

 

[ratcatcher]

Yes, there is some really informative stuff on youtube that ive been going through. Ive read that bees need pollen for proteins, lipids, vitamins etc. the bees seem be foraging well however i havent noticed a single bee carrying pollen behind their legs. Is this normal for newly settled bees? When will they start collecting the pollen?

Thanks

bright yellow is easy to spot, but there's lots of colours, I tend to either get the camera set up with a 300mm lens, or video camera on zoom, and get pictures, as bees entering that I thought were empty handed, are actually carrying loads

 

[Charlie19]

I've been observing quite a bit. Still haven't managed to notice any carrying pollen. Hopefully I'll see it soon.