Hello, just wondering if someone can tell me if it's ok to put stickies in a new hive after capturing a swarm. Caught a swarm last night and didn't have enough foundation frames to put in. I put in 2 frames of brood/honey and 5 frames of new foundation (10 frame box). I am going to get some more new frames today but I do have stickies at home. My friend told me not to as the swarming bees are full of honey and will not be able to clean the stickies very well.
Thanks for your help in advance! Brydie :)
not sure about the stickys but i do suggest a queen excluder in between the hive body and bottom board untill they get established in the new home.
Language question. By sticky do you mean frames that have been extracted buy are sticky with honey left from the process? If so then stickies will work fine. The bees will clean up the sticky frames using it to make wax as needed and store the rest. If sticky means something else please elucidate. English is such a diverse language--In England they call an unbrella a bumpershoot. With Australian I'm still struggling to get past Crikey.
G'Day - Sorry about the jargon barrier! Yes a sticky is frame that has been extracted but is still a bit "sticky" with left over honey. My friend said they are no good for a new swarm as the bees are already full of honey and won't clean the stickies up properly.
By the way....a bumpershoot????? Crikey mate that's a beauty! We call it a "brolly" - thought you might like that! :)
Quote from: brydie on January 24, 2007, 09:57:02 PM
I put in 2 frames of brood/honey and 5 frames of new foundation (10 frame box).
That is enough for one or two days to work.
But take care that you do not get another swarm from main hive after a week when new queens hatch.
They call them 'brolly's' in Ireland as well. . .interesting
Hi Finsky, sorry about the delayed reply...it has been raining heavily here (by that I mean 24 hour rain) since the swarm so the girls have not been getting out much. I have been away with work so as yet have not opened either hive since the swarm. I am hoping to get to them this weekend, will assess the situation then and probably pop another super on top of the new hive.
It is our wet season here in northern Australia at the moment through until about March. Hot and wet! The bees spend time inside doing their housework, come out for some sun when it peeps through the clouds, go off and do some foraging then you see them racing back home, usually followed by a heavy downpour of good old tropical rain.
I am not sure but I think they might be a little delayed on their honey storing at the moment due to the weather.
I really wanted to open the original hive last weekend but it rained and rained (arrggghhh!). I wanted to see if the new queen cells were developing and then keep an eye on it all from there. So far no swarm from the old hive though...hopefully a good thing.