Ok I'm looking for some advice. I've done 10+ cutouts so far and one thing I've noticed is the will of the bees. I've done normal EHB and AHB before but one thing is the same once you start cutting comb and vacuuming bees there is a point in which the bees spirit or will breaks. The attack is over and the bees just festoon on a wall. I did a cut out yesterday and I filled 5 deep frames with brood but the bees wouldn't move into the hive. I didn't find the queen. I tried dumping the bees on the frames like a packages. I left the hive there until dark and instead of being in the hive they just want to sit on the outside I revaced the bees, moved to my yard, and installed again at dark. I left the hive entrance screened until morning and then put brush in front of the entrance so hopefully they reorient. I'm leaving out of town so hopefully they do well. I really liked this colony they were super gentle I could have worked without a veil most of the time.
Aw that's so sad. I hope they're get back to things ok.
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It is typical. It may bee that you have removed all of the guard bees, which is what I like to do before removing the comb. It does make them calmer. They may not go into the hive because there are too many in there working hard and creating a lot of heat.
I do know from watching the Observation Hive that for the next 3 days the bees will ignore the SHB and the beetles know it and will come from long ways off to infest that hive.
It you have a SBB (Screen Bottom Boards) with an oil tray, on the 3rd day you will start to see lots of larva and beetles being removed from the hive.
If you have a STB, (Screen Top Boards) you can remove the cover and kill 20 to 30 SHB every 24 hours on top of the window screen for the next week. They are beetle magnets even after the beetles start reacting to them.
Jim
Pretty typical if they are queenless. Generally if they are queenright they come out of it after a few days and get to work. Still seems like it sets them back a month.
Helps if you add a frame of open brood a week for 3 weeks, starting on day 3 after the cutout regardless if they are queenright or not.
If you have SHB only save the brood comb and not much more, you don't want to give them any more comb than they can cover.
Don
I filled about 5 deep frames. I gave the homeowner about 3-4 frames of honey. I noticed they had quite a bit of SHB.
On previous cutouts I've found the queen and still couldn't get them to move in.
I had a hive wreaked by raccoons. They ate all the brood and knocked over the KTBH and nothing was left. Poor girls were huddled on a nearby branch. I split that hive 2 times this year so I know they can bounce back.
I just wanted to make sure that it was normal and if there is any tips to help them snap out of it.
Cut outs have provided some of the lowest points in my experience with bees. It is truly sad to see them just give up. With a little luck they'll turn it around in a few days. Me, I'd leave them alone for some time, just monitoring the entrance activity. At least they'll get some nurturing now.
One of my first hives was a cut out. They ended up making a small crop that fall. The next spring I re-queened and the resulting colony still holds my personal all time producing record.
When temps heat up bees lose their urgency to cluster, could be as simple as that
Give them a frame of brood with eggs when you get back or a queen if you didn't get her
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