What's happening here?

[Swarm]

Can't inspect to find out what happened to her? What did they look like when he found them queenless? Are they really queenless? Could it have been a simple brood break?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Hi Dani, Shocking behaviour from a beekeeper in that particular case

There’s good and bad in all walks of life. What sort of beekeepers steal hives from others?

 

[Gunzo]

That sounds cruel sealing up a hive with live bees in...why wouldn’t you want those bees to join other hives, unless there’s evidence of disease? Or if badly diseased wouldn’t it be better to dispatch the bees with a humane method? Even if they are insects they should be treated kindly in my view.

Sorry didn’t think that sealing up a live colony was even something anyone with an once of remorse would consider. Thanks @Erichalfbee for at least the attempt to explain my poorly written comment. I shan’t be assuming anything In future.

 

[Gunzo]

Firstly, it's not varroa (It's Australia, they don't have them)
It's not laying workers (note the queen)
And are you honestly telling the OP to seal up the hive with live bees in there!
That must rate with one of the poorest bits of 'advice' I have seen on here for some considerable time.

Can you please share with me where the “advice“ in this comment as this only applies to my situation. Shame that there still people on here that feel the need to jump on people that express a Personal choice.
Beekeeping is very speculative depending on a number of factors. chastising someone, by assuming the worst because a word was missing is very big of you.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Can you please share with me where the “advice“ in this comment

Personally I would not shake this out....................... I would vape it to see how bad the drop is and close it up

Regardless of what you think, even though you used 'personally' at the beginning of the sentence,, I, and others on here saw this as you telling the OP what he should to to the colony.
the statement to vape then close up makes no reference to killing the bees before sealing up led many (not just me) to believe you were speaking of seling up with live bees inside. (before you quickly deleted the whole post - rather than clarifying what you meant)

 

[Gunzo]

Regardless of what you think, even though you used 'personally' at the beginning of the sentence,, I, and others on here saw this as you telling the OP what he should to to the colony.
the statement to vape then close up makes no reference to killing the bees before sealing up led many (not just me) to believe you were speaking of seling up with live bees inside. (before you quickly deleted the whole post - rather than clarifying what you meant)

totally disagree as this was what I would do and no Suggestion that others should follow suit.

It was deleted out of shear amazement that someone of yours and others experience would really require a further explanation on something so barbaric as you suggested.

I was completely taken back as I never even thought someone would contemplate such a thing.

to give you an Insight into my moral compass. I pick up chilled bees daily, off the grass in front of my landing boards and hold them in my hand to warm up and recoup so they can fly back to the hives If possible.

 

[GuyNir]

totally disagree as this was what I would do and no Suggestion that others should follow suit.

It was deleted out of shear amazement that someone of yours and others experience would really require a further explanation on something so barbaric as you suggested.

I was completely taken back as I never even thought someone would contemplate such a thing.

to give you an Insight into my moral compass. I pick up chilled bees daily, off the grass in front of my landing boards and hold them in my hand to warm up and recoup so they can fly back to the hives If possible.

Thanks for clarifying - that’s good enough for me

 

[beeno]

I'm still mystified as to why the main colony would depart leaving such a small cluster and I'm not sure why the queen's wings are torn off at the ends. I've never seen a queen pile up eggs in cells like that but it makes sense as to why. I think I took too much brood from them in spring to make splits and boost other colonies and they superseded the queen, but why they all departed after doing that still remains a mystery as well.

I have heard that colonies may abscond if disturbed too much. I did notice the queen's wings, but was not sure if it was the camera angle or not. Her tattered wings suggest that she has been balled at some stage maybe an escapee from a direct queen introduction, who has set up a new home in the abandoned hive? Do cage her when you introduce her into the split. Good luck.

 

[elainemary]

Sorry didn’t think that sealing up a live colony was even something anyone with an once of remorse would consider. Thanks @Erichalfbee for at least the attempt to explain my poorly written comment. I shan’t be assuming anything In future.

Thanks for clarifying & relieved you wouldn’t do that to a colony

 

[BeeWitch]

Antipodes, would you permit me to use your original photo for training purposes? There's a lot going on in it and it would be a very useful.

 

[madasafish]

Sorry didn’t think that sealing up a live colony was even something anyone with an once of remorse would consider. Thanks @Erichalfbee for at least the attempt to explain my poorly written comment. I shan’t be assuming anything In future.

I did it to six and added petrol to kill them all.
AFB.

Not fun.

 

[Antipodes]

Antipodes, would you permit me to use your original photo for training purposes? There's a lot going on in it and it would be a very useful.

Yes, of course. A good idea....

 

[Antipodes]

Just as a follow up now. I smoked the bees in the pocket sized poly hive with nicotine. That killed the braula. I added some bees to it for a couple of days then added the queen to a small queenless colony in a cage with a candy plug and added brood and young bees from another stronger colony.
Here is the queen happily on the comb with her new more numerous supporters. The second photo shows some of the eggs she has laid. Single ones in the cells now! If anyone can spot any disease, please let me know.
It's a still sunny morning, and I could see she was more interested in laying eggs than anything else, so I managed a couple of videos of that too!

 

[Antipodes]

Here she is laying an egg (singular!)
View attachment VID_20201229_073616449.mp4

 

[BeeWitch]

Yes, of course. A good idea....

Thank you; it will be a valuable talking point.

Pleased to see the queen is usefully occupied now.

What process do you use for nicotine smoking braula?

 

[Antipodes]

Thank you; it will be a valuable talking point.

Pleased to see the queen is usefully occupied now.

What process do you use for nicotine smoking braula?

Not a very sophisticated method. Because I had the few bees that there were in the poly pocket hive, I was able to slide the plastic drawer out that slots in underneath and then get a pinch of tobacco between two sticks and light it and hold it under the opening. The smoke went up into the little hive for 10 seconds or so and that was enough to kill the lot. If I did it again I would use my long tweezers to hold the tobacco or even twist it up in the end of a piece of wire. Never been good with chopsticks.

 

[Antipodes]

These are multiple eggs from another queen in another colony. I've had her for about a month. The most I can see is 11 in one cell. Can anyone see more in a cell? Some eggs on the side of cells, eggs on top of larva and even multiple larvae and eggs in the same cell.

 

[Michael ECB's]

Just as a follow up now. I smoked the bees in the pocket sized poly hive with nicotine. That killed the braula. I added some bees to it for a couple of days then added the queen to a small queenless colony in a cage with a candy plug and added brood and young bees from another stronger colony.
Here is the queen happily on the comb with her new more numerous supporters. The second photo shows some of the eggs she has laid. Single ones in the cells now! If anyone can spot any disease, please let me know.
It's a still sunny morning, and I could see she was more interested in laying eggs than anything else, so I managed a couple of videos of that too!

Happy that it worked out for both you and the bees,,,,, and well done!
You put a lot of effort into this....
I hope they grow into a top performing colony for you...

 

[beeno]

These are multiple eggs from another queen in another colony. I've had her for about a month. The most I can see is 11 in one cell. Can anyone see more in a cell? Some eggs on the side of cells, eggs on top of larva and even multiple larvae and eggs in the same cell.

Is she still there?

 

[Antipodes]

Is she still there?

Hi Beeno,

Yes, still there. Do you have any theories on this one please?