Hi, and thanks in advance for any advice.
I live in the Rocky mountains. A bear got into my new hive a few nights ago. Got all of my brood- but as it was a warm night, many of my bees survived. It was a chilly but not frosty morning when I put my hive back together, put the balls of bees back in, and one by one picked up about 300 chilly gals from the grass and got them in too. My plan was to move the hive down to town (away from bear country) until I fenced a yard. Well, I didn't get it moved soon enough. The very next night the bear was back--and this time the night was cold and wet. Got the hive back together again, got the smaller balls of bees back in, and again picked up all the survivors I could find from the grass (all in torpor). I warmed them in my hand and put them with the warmer ball of bees. It rained all day and I doubt any more bees made it back to the hive.
To the point now---I'm left with what seems to me a very small number of bees. If I put them together in a ball I'd estimate they'd be the size of a baseball. I don't think the queen is with them as they're not all clustering
together--but rather are in many small clusters. Right now I've got them sealed into their hive and inside my garage ready for transport tomorrow morning.
There is almost no drawn out comb left in the hive, and no brood, or food stores (I can feed though). Could I requeen and add a single frame of brood from another hive? Would this be enough to start? I only have two other hives, both new this season, both downtown, and both doing very well--I've just put on my second hive bodies. I'd rather not disturb these hives if the prospects for saving this hive aren't very good. On the other hand, we're having a terrific season this year. Very wet and sunny for my region--a great nectar flow. So my other hives should keep pumping right along.
Is there any hope for this hive? What should I do?
If there's not hope for this hive, what should I do with my remaining bees? Could I introduce them into my existing hives in some way?
Thanks for your advice.
I think pending another bear attack they could be saved. Though you have far to few bees to ever dream of starting again. You'll need to boost them with a frame of capped workers and either another of eggs or replace the queen.
One of my first splits I ever did was with two drawn out frames. By the time they reared a queen and the first workers emerged most of the workers had died. I remember inspecting it and seeing just the queen and 30 workers walking about 2 full frames of capped brood. They were attacked by wax moths of course but I was quick to remove them all. After that there was a dramatic change in population and they became very successful in only a month. Mind you one cold night could have killed the hive.
I would consider merging it with one of the existing hives. You can always split it at a later date.I recently combined 2 hives by lifting off the cover, placing a sheet of newspaperon top of the hive and putting on a super with the other bees in it. they should eat through the newspaper in a shorttime and live as one big happy family. Or, just add the new bees to the old colony and spray everyone with some sugar water, by the time they finish cleaning themselves they''ll all be too intimate to fightl
I agree with Sean's idea.
I'd vote to combine your remaining bees with one of your other hives. It will boost the population of the new hive a bit and that will be good for them. You have shorter summers and colder winters so I would think the chances of winter survival for a very small hive with a late start like this aren't so good. The newspaper method worked just fine for us when we combined a small swarm with a new package. We just made sure the bees on top of the newspaper had access to the feeder until they ate their way through the paper.
Hope for a swarm somewhere near soon. :)