When to check on newspaper

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Joined
Feb 23, 2015
Messages
822
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Location
Louth, Ireland
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
9
I put a nuc's contents into a brood box on top of a Q- hive with newspaper between on Saturday. How soon should I check the hive (and presumably do a frame shuffle)?
 
The last one I did was 3 days....weather dependent.
However, newspaper was under the OMF in the morning after the evening unite.
 
Wait until you see bits of shredded newspaper being pulled out of the entrance.
 
Helpful question

Thank you for posting the question and the answers people gave. I combined 4 swarms into 2 yesterday and wondered the same myself. As i've currently, before yesterday, got 10 hives/ swarms/ cardboard box of bees in my garden, my husband's about to lose the plot ! His tolerance level is holding with the promise of out apiarying and giving away !
I registered as a swarm collector and it's gone swarm crazy here in Cambridgeshire as i hear it also is in Norfolk and Suffolk. Ive run out of equipment and know that other collectors in the area also have.
What's it been like in other area's ?
 
Should be a good year for hive sales then..
 
... it's gone swarm crazy here in Cambridgeshire as i hear it also is in Norfolk and Suffolk. Ive run out of equipment and know that other collectors in the area also have.
What's it been like in other area's ?

Very busy, too busy really. Could have done with more swarm collectors during the past month.

Getting into bumble bee season now, with people saying that they must be a swarm because they've made their home in a bird box.
 
Hi Queen bee, there's some consternation going on in the local bed keeping face book page now. Somebody is advertising for £80 as a swarm collector, but isn't on the swarm collector register so doesn't go against any local guidance regarding payment. I'm not surprised as it can take over your whole life and costs money, which we have to earn somehow,to have /buy equipment to keep them all in.
It does give you good experience and I can see the benefit of being a volunteer collector for this reason as well as increasing your own and other bee keepers, or help it be easier for potential new keepers. But, I can also see the attraction in charging !
 
I did two combines and found newspaper after 1 day on one of them and after 4 days on the other.
 
How long does the swarm season go on for then ? It's the first year I've done it, I've been out to 2 bubble bee nests so far and spotted a couple of others on the phone.
 
I also did a combine on Saturday. Caged the queen, just in case as last time I did this, the queen was killed. 2 sheets of newspaper between. Made 2 small pinprick holes.

Just checked, and they've ignored the newspaper. Still intact, no sign of interest in it. So made a slightly larger hole. Still small though ... just enough for a bee to get a toe in it. Queen was ok in cage with attendants.

Maybe my bees aren't that adventurous.
 
Put one box on top of another at 10pm last night.
7am newspaper on the floor.
Will sort the frames out tomorrow
 

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