Wrecked hive full of Bees What next !

[dryar]

Took a call today to examine a disused and abandoned hive in a local privately owned wood. On arrival I was confronted by a disaster. The hive was overgrown and rotten having obviously been left untouched for many a year.

I watched the hive for 10 minutes and confirmed a steady flow of bees carrying pollen into this monstrosity.

I suited up and removed the roof to be confronted by a super with frames and comb which crumbled away as I progressed. Beneath the super was a heavily furrred galvanised queen excluder. Looking into the brood I saw an obvious colony existing amongst frames in the same state as the those that I had dusted in the super .I went no further. And replaced the roof.

I want to save this colony and rehouse in a new hive. I propose a shook swarm approach . I know if I progress into the brood to remove the bees I will create a pile of wood shavings and dust.

Any thoughts very gratefully received. Brood comb is so messy that I doubt it highly unlikely it would be capable of being removed in any form whatsoever.

thanks

 

[wightbees]

I would be very intetested on the varroa levels
Of this hive.

 

[MuswellMetro]

assuming you can remove the old zinc excluder i would try a bailey change into a new brood box above the main brood, less messy

i have seen similar done by building a wooden frames to hold a brood and roof over an old water butt that had a colony in it,

The old frames will never come out

 

[Poly Hive]

Just put a good brood box on top, use a plywood sheet support it if needed with legs of some sort, make a hole to suit the brood box, remember a CB and roof (lol) and the jobs a good un.

PH

 

[oliver90owner]

I agree with MM. KISS principle.

 

[thurrock bees]

these problems are a great chance to watch the colony progress, i would love the chance. i would remove as much as poss. until u reach the brood and then place a hive on top an wait until they move up. Good Luck

 

[susbees]

Four beekeepers agree. Mellow ...

...me too

 

[johncorne]

I did this a few years ago - an abandoned hive rotting away inside. I put a box on top and the queen eventually moved up - it took a long time mind.

I'm glad I saved them - most of my colonies are the decendants of this!

Jc

 

[dryar]

Jobs a good un!

 

[REDWOOD]

Four beekeepers agree. Mellow ...

...me too

+ feed to get them going if the weight can take it

 

[Silly Bee]

Four beekeepers agree. Mellow ...

...me too

An historical day in the lives of beekeepers.

 

[iand]

I agree with all the previous comments.
To help speed things up a bit/drawing out the foundation, a frame feeder maybe just to maintain a flow of food now it has turned cold again. Even a comb frame just to help get things started, then hopefully in a month, brood will be established in the new top box. Once they get going in the top box & you see the Q. Insert an excluder underneath to isolate the Q upstairs & allow all the brood below to emerge.
Then you are away, good luck.
Ian

 

[Chris Luck]

Just to spoil the party, when I have this type of situation I treat them as a cut out and simply take the colony apart and re house with some wired in frames of brood, very easy at this time of year. In my case I also let them take their stores into their new home as well by placing the comb in plastic boxes in front of the hive. The comb in the main brood area will not fall apart.

Ahhhh, I hear the screams and groans already from the paranoid, but it works. The honey comb if placed a couple of metres in front of the hive will be 95%+ taken by the bees from that colony and "the risks" to other bees are no more than when robbing takes place from any other failed colony.

Chris

 

[susbees]

Just to spoil the party, when I have this type of situation I treat them as a cut out and simply take the colony apart and re house with some wired in frames of brood, very easy at this time of year. In my case I also let them take their stores into their new home as well by placing the comb in plastic boxes in front of the hive. The comb in the main brood area will not fall apart.

Ahhhh, I hear the screams and groans already from the paranoid, but it works. The honey comb if placed a couple of metres in front of the hive will be 95%+ taken by the bees from that colony and "the risks" to other bees are no more than when robbing takes place from any other failed colony.

Chris

KISS principle has already been applied. OP happy. That's what we're here for .

Nothing to do with paranoia - we don't adopt the open feeding methods so used in the US. Why's that?

Also, how can you know 95% goes to the original hive? Can robbing be a learned behaviour as well as a genetic one (in which case this would encourage it)?

 

[Chris Luck]

KISS principle has already been applied. OP happy. That's what we're here for

But I am allowed different methods of doing things, or is this a religious circle? I don't remember signing up to obey a creed.

Nothing to do with paranoia - we don't adopt the open feeding methods so used in the US. Why's that?

WE, WE? Who is this WE? Not everyone that's for sure and open feeding works just fine for me, so perhaps you should tell me why YOU and SOME OTHERS don't open feed?

Also, how can you know 95% goes to the original hive? Can robbing be a learned behaviour as well as a genetic one (in which case this would encourage it)?

Two questions here; I can be fairly sure from experience. I weigh the honey and comb and place within two metres of the hive front. I weigh the hive. All "stores" will be gone in three days. The rest is simple arithmetic.

I'm as sure as I can be that "robbing" is instinctive, genetic or whatever you want to call it, bees simply home in on a scent and take whatever is available and undefended, of course this may "be learnt" by natural selection over the years.

Chris

 

[wightbees]

Efb afb
Would be my main thoughts on open feeding.
Can it spread this way I ask .

 

[Chris Luck]

Efb afb
Would be my main thoughts on open feeding.
Can it spread this way I ask .

Yes of course it can although at present AFB isn't anywhere near me and EFB is also extremely rare, (also not near me). Personally I'm not over concerned with EFB.

Both should be obvious when dismantling the existing colony and it would make no difference in this situation because in all methods you are keeping the colony, only difference with "cutting it out" is that you get to examine the contents.

Chris

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Personally I'm not over concerned with EFB.

Chris

'WE' over here in general tend to be a bit worried about it (I'm sure FERA is too

 

[Chris Luck]

Hmm, a bit worried, that's not exactly even very concerned, in fact nearer to being not over concerned.

Still, saying WE as if that is everyone is like saying everyone AGREES or there is ONLY ONE WAY, arrogant in the extreme, something some on this forum are expert in.

Chris

 

[MuswellMetro]

'WE' over here in general tend to be a bit worried about it (I'm sure FERA is too

Are they?, thought the NBU/FERA were debating whether to stop making EFB a notifiable disease....on cost cutting grounds and sack half of the SBIs

We are i think the only EU country were it a statutory notifiable disease

it also came up several years ago but was rejected, i expect as the cut backs bite, it will stop being notifiable, and be just a recommendation to impose your own standstill and shook swarm

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