Hi I need some held.We aquired a old hive from a bee keeper because I was interested in getting into bee keeping. Upon my inpection I realize that it was no good (Moths, mold). We discarded it in the yard while doing some research where to get a new hive and supplies. Yesterday to my suprise that old moldy hive has been occupies by a colony. They seems very busy. I just ordered a starter kit from Brushy Mountain Bee Farm but how will I get them to occupy the new hive once it arrives?????
I would place the new hive kit in the same location of the old hive (move old out and new in). Then move what brood you can along with the queen into the bottom center of the new kit. Place a new frame in the middle and when they draw it out and it has brood, place another next to it and slowly move the old frames to the outside. Once they are to the outside and have no more brood, you can remove them.
:)thanks! Will any of that bad stuff mess up the new hive? :)
If anything I'd think they'd clean it out. Bees like to nest in boxes that have been occupied by old hives. It's also likely the people you got it from had used the box with for catching wild swarms before. Alcohol or Lemon Grass Oil, I've never used it but it sounds like good stuff (if I spelled the name right).
Quote from: Atti on March 18, 2007, 01:31:26 PM
:)thanks! Will any of that bad stuff mess up the new hive? :)
They will have cleaned any area that they are raising brood in. This would be the only area I would more to your new equiptment. If there is no brood in it, don't take it. The less you take the less you'll have to rotate out. If there are frames with nectar or honey, just let them rob it out (set them out in the open).
Thanks! I am really excited to start my bee keeping. I have always loved all kinds of bugs. I am a real nature person, my husband says he is going to put my bed outside!!! That would be fine with me if it wasn't for the mosquitos. Well that is one bug I hate because it makes me go inside. Do you guys have any pointers that would help me on my new bee keeping adventure?
Bees love old hives and old equipment the older the better leave in there they will do fine
kirk-o
But the old hive is so nasty.
Your bees are the best maid service for the hive you will ever need.
You bees will clean up the equipment as they need to.
Don't worry your bees know what they are doing.
Listen to what Robo said about moving them.
Sincerely,
Brendhan
thanks to all. I will take your advice.
You may want to read here:
http://www.beemaster.com/honeybee/beehome.htm
and here
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesnewbees.htm
Great reading at both places!
Good luck and Happy Beekeeping :lol:
look at the bright side....you now have 2 colonies to start with and one is free! if the other colony is bad natured you could always order a queen and requeen the hive. its a good idea to start out beekeeping with at least 2 colonies in case one fails you have a back up. goodluck with your beekeeping!
I'd leave them alone. They've found a good home.
Hi guys I am back. I finally got my start up kit and my bee gear. So I suited up and went to check on that old hive. I have never done this before so I was kind of nervous as I puffed smoke and lifted the lid. Well tried to lift the lid. The lid has a huge comb hanging from it. Great! I placed that super heavy thing on a crate next to me and watched as the bees buzzed around me. They were being very good considering I had just taken out a huge amount of bees with that comb. the bees seem happy and productive. There is a queen and new brood and pollen and honey! But this old hive has only one super. The bees are using a hole in the super instead of the entrance to coming in and out. I do not see how I can work a hive in this condition. Help!!!!
thanks Atti
can you put a new super with foundation under the old one? you can gradually get them to move into the new stuff. the next year or later this year, you can put on another new super and move them all the way into the new. you'll probably need a queen excluder later on too....but that's a step that you can get help with later. it may take a couple of season, but that might be the easiest thing to do.
If the comb on the cover is where the queen and brood is, I would cut it to fit into the new frames your bought. Just cut it to fit inside the frame and but a couple of rubberband around the frame to hold the comb in. The bees will attach the comb to the frame and then chew the rubber bands off.
Like I suggested before, I would move what you can into your new equipment and put it in the same spot as the old hive. The sooner you get them out of the old equipment the better off you will be. If you let them continue to build comb haphazardly you'll end up with a bigger mess.
Good Luck.
I think Robo is right on the money. Also there will be less bees to move and to deal with now before they build up later.
I was going to put one of the new supers on top of the exsisting hive but I did not know what to do with the lid situation. I do not know if I can cut off the comb. It is large, about the size of a full frame but irregular in size. I do not know if I will be able to manage the cutting stuff. It is full of bees, do I just brush them off. So I should just try to incorruprate the old and new until I can get the queen up in the new super?? I just place the new super on top of the old one. Nothing in between right!!!
Yes brush the bees off and then take a large serrated knife and cut the comb to fit into the open frame. Don't worry about getting it all, if it is big enough cut it to go in 2 frames. If your new super has just foundation, the bees are going to be hesitant to move up, and will probably continue to build haphazardly in the old.
Robo
Okay, I did it but I must admit I was really scared. I opened up the hive and started examining what you had told me to do. There were soooo many bees on that comb. Remember this is only my second day at this. I am thinking to myself cut this in half. Well the bees where not very happy with my project and I lost some larva but I compeleted my task. My kids 5, 6, 10 where off at a distance watching and after some really tense moments the 5, 10 year old girls decided to bail. My son who is 6 called out "mom I am still here." That is my bug loving boy! Well I guess I will check on the hive in a couple of days to see if the bees have started taking interest in the new stuff. Thanks for you advice hope all goes well.
Thanks Atti
Atti good for you, just starting out and didn't even have to order or buy bee's, you should be playing the "Lotto" ;) , well seems like you got about everything going, I wish you luck!!! oh and if you move those bee's to the new hive leave the old back out there and it might catch you another swarm......
Good for you. :-D
You have jump into beekeeping with both feet. Now most manipulations will seem trivial compared to this "first experience". Good luck and let us know how they are doing when you check on them in a few days.
Robo
I have another problem. I just went outside and the bees swarmed. They are all hanging on a branch. I do not think they liked all that messing with them yesterday. I have not checked the hive to see if there are any left. I am suiting up to go outside. What do I do??????
Put them in another hive box if you have one.
Sincerely,
Brendhan
How do I do that, just cut off the branch? Do I use any smoke? this is only my thrid day and there have been difficult issues for a novice.
Spray them with cold water and cut the branch (support it) and gently lower it into a hive box. Put a queen excluder on. Leave in place for about two weeks.
Sincerely,
Brendhan
Spray, as with a spray bottle. How cold? frig cold? I do not have a excluder I just got my beginner kit set up.
Quote from: Atti on March 29, 2007, 12:50:24 PM
Spray, as with a spray bottle. How cold? frig cold? I do not have a excluder I just got my beginner kit set up.
Refrig cold. You can add some ice cubes to the mix if you need to do it fast. No excluder is okay. If you can make a jar of sugar syrup and feed them nothing like free food to encourage them to stay.
Sincerely,
Brendhan
okay cross your fingers I am going out. Why do you think they swarmed because I messed with them too much or they are just too many and wanted to split???
They swarmed because it is in their nature to swarm.
Good luck
Sincerely,
Brendhan
okay I am back. this bee business is complicated. I got the swarm and put it in the new hive. some went back to the old hive. I really need to do alot more reading so that I can understand this better. thanks for the advice. the water worked great!!! When do I remove the branch that went into the box with the hive???
Sounds like all went pretty well.
I would put some frames in tomorrow.
Sincerely,
Brendhan
I will keep you posted. I hope they stay in there new home. I am going to feed they like you said.
thanks again I was freaking out and you really helped.
Check the hive also, there is a difference between swarming and absconding.
If there is still bees and a queen in the hive, then yes they have swarmed. If they absconded (no bee left in the hive) I would put them back in the hive and cage the queen. Feed them like Brendhan suggested and let them settle down a few days.
There are bees now in both hive. The ones I caught I put in the new hive and the ones that were flying around went back to the old one. What do you think might happen? Did they do this because of all the messing around yesterday?
I know this is all new to you and stuff, but did you notice any queen cells (vertical peanut shaped) yesterday? If so, it could very well be a normal swarm.
I checked the old hive before going to address the swarm and the old hive with the new addition was empty. there was just a couple of bees in there. Will they stay in both hives. I put the old one back just like it was except it is now raised off the floor. I set up the new one in other spot because there was
no where to place that one and anyways the old one is not in the best spot. I guess we will see. Any other advice.
So they absconded then.
I would put them back in the original hive with the brood. Or rather pull the brood out of the vacant hive and put it in with the bees. I would also confine the queen for a couple days, or they might just take off again, and feed them sugar syrup. Put the hive in the original location.
The bees won't survive in both places without a queen.
i'd put the old hive on top of the new hive in the old spot and wait to see what happens.
Okay I think that the old hive is now empty. I see very little going on by the entrance. I one see a few bees coming in and out maybe robbing honey.
I have put some brood in the new hive. I also put the large entrance reducer. Is that okay? So you think I should move the hive to the spot where the old one is? The new location has a wood fence behind it and partial shade. It gets hit earlier by the sun to wake the bees the original location is very shady and get sun later on in the morning because it is really close to a 10 foot hedge and I always have to work it form the front because there is no rear access because of the hedge. Should I still move it to the spot of the old???
i think we have confused you! :-) if they are happy where you have put them, i'd leave them. did you get most of the brood moved? was there much anyway if they had not been in the old box that long? feed them like everybody said and maybe they'll settle down.
you are getting a heck of an intro to beekeeping! hang in. you are doing great!!
I am super tired. I think I just got a crash course on bee keeping. Sorry to be should a pain with so many questions but you guys have experience and I had just three days so thanks for your input. So what is the census do I move them? do I take off the entrance reducer. :-P
My thought would just leave them be. But then again it was my suggestion that got you into this mess :oops: Just out of curiosity, how close are the 2 hives? If they aren't getting backed up by the entrance reduce like a traffic jam, it won't hurt anything to leave it on.
Well guys after all we have been through my girls left me! I had a feeling yesterday afternoon when I did not see any traffic at the hive door. But I deceided to just let them be. This morning again I see no activity at the new hive. I take a look, everone is gone. I see some bees by the old hive but do not hear humming, not a good sigh. I check in there and just a couple of bees. Man I am so bumbed. Well I sucked it up and went and put the empty new hive next to the old. Maybe another swarm will come back. I tried to fill the old super with some frames for the second super that came with the new hive so there would not be any empty spaces. I guess, easy come easy go. :'( :'( :'( :'(
sounds like they were determined to go. maybe that old hive was just a pit stop :-). i lost the hives i dug out of a barn this winter. a good part of the reason i lost them was my own inexperience. the smaller part was the weather. even so, i learned a lot. you have just learned things that we might never do or see, all in couple of days and before you were even ready to start.
you did good! hiving your package will be a piece of cake now.
Well there may be some hope. I see alot of incoming traffic at the old hive. Its seeems to be too much for robbing. Maybe they are hanging on another branch somewhere in the yard, there is alot of trees here, and are just starting to come back home. Well I'll keep you guys posted.
Okay they are back! I have not looked into the hive but they came back. They are all going into the hive. Thanks God cause I was really sad that they had left. I guess I will give them a couple of days to settle in and then I will take a look. I think I am just going to have to get another super from the friend that gave it to me. To place on top after awhile. They really do not like the new stuff at all. They did not like it when I put the new super on top with some brood. They did not like is when I caught them swarming and put then entirely in the new hive. That really made them upset. I did notice that they had started working on the new frames that I had placed in the old hive. Any insight!
so they moved back into the old hive?
Is there some oder to the new that isn't in the old. Paint? Where they were stored? Stuff like that?
They moved into the old hive. I am going to ask the friend that gave it to me if they use any type of attractant on the hive. the new one is well, new!! I have not even painted it. May be they used something on it that they just love. I don't know but it would be very good to find out. Well the new hive is sitting next to the old and they do not even peak in and there is a frame with stuff for the old hive that they built. I will let you guys know.
ok. here is my take on it. you should know that i am on the bottom of the food chain around here, but i am a priestess of KISS. :-)
i would get some essential oil of lemmongrass. put a little drop of it inside the new hive. put the new hive with foundation (wax, i hope?) under the old hive. put syrup on. walk away. check again in a week or so.
or....leave them alone for a few weeks and then do above. the goal is to get them on some new foundation that you can eventually work. i wouldn't be in to big a rush to do that, but you do have to get started before them make a royal mess of what they are in.