This is four 8 frame medium boxes.
If you think they are just hot, I put some shims up under the lid in the front today... they just covered that as well now.
(http://i68.tinypic.com/167054z.jpg)
It is swarm season. It looks to me that its time to split. Or you could add another 4 boxes. :wink:
If it was me I'd split them. What's the sheet for?
LOL I left out a tid bit of info... the sheet was the clue.
This is a "swarm" I captured about a week and a half ago... I'm pretty sure it was an abscond.
The queen seemed to be a virgin (very small, but still a lot of fuss over her). I just released her last week. I haven't broken down boxes to see if she's laying down there yet... too many bees. LOL
Here it is when I got the call:
(https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwdPJ7c6eSh6ZTFMY2ttMFlFZ1U)
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwdPJ7c6eSh6ZTFMY2ttMFlFZ1U
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwdPJ7c6eSh6VlhQbjRXdXdkYlk
So, I figure in about 3 weeks I'm gonna have a LOT of bees hatching out.
I really don't know what to do.
Looks to me like a hot humid night and a solid bottom board too....if I forget and leave the ipm boards under my screens on hot muggy windless nights here in the Keys my larger hives look something like that.
If it were me I would add a few more boxes and judge actual population density once you get the majority of them inside then maybe proceed with splits of some sort.
I would not bee surprised if you find that there are very few bees in the box. If it is full, that was one very large swarm. Did you put a lot of LGO in it. It may bee keeping them out.
I once had a large swarm cover the entrance and bottom of a trap. I thought it was really a very large swarm. It turned out they were only on the outside of the trap and had already started building comb under the box. It was just a good swarm.
Jim
Hey Jim... It's been a while.
This wasn't a swarm trap, it was a swarm call. I shook onto the sheet and they climbed "mostly" in the double box + vacuum bottom and top. Bundle them up and brought them home.
Tore down that box and set them up in the permanent setup. So no lgo or anything in this.
I did give them 16 frames of comb from an abscond (8 honey, 2 pollen and the rest drawn random comb). When adding the 3rd box (immediately), I mixed up some of the honey above again... Basically adding 8 frames of plasticell/1/3 plasticell/foundationless. When I added the fourth box about a week ago I added four frames of drawn from last year and four 1/3 plasticell.
I popped the top on them the other day and it's pretty full. They aren't really drawing or even festooning on the empty spaces and barely drawing on the plastic 1/3rds. They are filling the drawn with nectar though.
Maybe they just some country bees and like to be outside.
Maybe I need more boxes?
Just pop the top and put a 3/4 stick in it and that will tell you if the hive needs ventilation.
Quote from: Acebird on May 26, 2016, 05:25:29 PM
Just pop the top and put a 3/4 stick in it and that will tell you if the hive needs ventilation.
That's what you are looking at right now. LOL
They are already sealing it up... one side is already half sealed and the other is 1/3rd sealed.
Well then what is stoppling you from putting a couple of boxes on?
Well, they haven't drawn out the top box really... not drawing wax hardly at all actually.
Gilligan,
Try using a sprinkler to get them to move in, once they are in they may stay and get to work. Let us know if it works.
Jim
Quote from: sawdstmakr on May 27, 2016, 12:16:35 PM
Gilligan,
Try using a sprinkler to get them to move in, once they are in they may stay and get to work. Let us know if it works.
Jim
I think it rained today... it's rained a few times though.
Is there anything that would keep them out of the box? Did you treat them? Mouse take up residence on the bottom board and it still smells bad?
Strange that they are storing nectar but not building comb. The queen is there and laying?
Quote from: OldMech on May 27, 2016, 06:57:10 PM
Is there anything that would keep them out of the box? Did you treat them? Mouse take up residence on the bottom board and it still smells bad?
Strange that they are storing nectar but not building comb. The queen is there and laying?
Clean equipment, bottom board was basically new.
They actually got in there for the most part this afternoon with the cool spell we had. Still bearding up but you can actually see wood in there somewhere. ;)
I'm pretty sure it was a virgin queen (I caged her and released her over a week ago)... so she MAY be laying... I haven't broken down the hive to see how she's doing yet though. Giving her time to get settled.
Gilligan
Leaving her alone is the best thing you can do for a virgin queen.
Keep us updated on any changes.
Jim