Split Hive Problem

Curtammy · May 06, 2011, 01:47:08 PM

I split one of our hives 2 days ago. The hive was just packed full of bees. I had brood and 2 supers on it and every box was covered through all the frames. New hive has 1 brood and 1 super on it ans i screened off the entrance to get the new hive used to it. The problem we now have is you cant even go outside without being attacked. never had this happen before, as i have split my other hives. Any ideas or suggestions? Its actually really bad. the bees go for us , the kids and the dogs, as soon as we go out.

Kathyp · May 06, 2011, 01:53:32 PM

any chance you screened your queen into that new hive and the bees are mad because they can't get to her?

Curtammy · May 06, 2011, 02:17:11 PM

Thanks for the response Kathyp. I just told my wife that you are pretty helpful on these forums and we were saying that i couldn't tell if the queen was in the new hive and 4 minutes later you respond with the same thing. Funny stuff. I guess the question is, is it a bad thing? The old hive is left with 1 super and 2 brood boxes full basically. Should i leave them alone and see what happens? and hopefully old hive makes their new queen? I mean the way the old hive is doing they should have no problem requeening themselves. Our concern is how very aggressive they are now. Im not joking when i say they attack within a few minutes of us going out the door.
My wife texted me yesterday on my way home saying how angry the bees were. I thought she was over reacting. till i got there. man was she correct and she got to laugh at me when i took off running and screaming like a little girl... btw, she made me tell u about that.

VolunteerK9 · May 06, 2011, 02:22:40 PM

Newly queenless hives do tend to be a lot more pissy until they start their preparations on making queen cells. (Usually within a few hours Ive noticed)

I wouldnt enclose any of your splits. You will lose the foragers back to the parent colony but will retain the nurse bees. If it looks light, pull a frame of brood from the parent colony and shake the adhering bees into your nuc.

Kathyp · May 06, 2011, 02:44:14 PM

ditto K9. it's fine if you moved the queen and the old hive has eggs. the screening of the new hives is probably your problem. try pulling the screens and see how they are in 24 hours and also check for robbing. there may be something bothering the hives that you have not observed. raccoons, yellowjackets, etc. can make a hive really mad.

VolunteerK9 · May 06, 2011, 02:59:25 PM

Quote from: kathyp on May 06, 2011, 02:44:14 PM
ditto K9.

I sincerely hope that in my giving advice that Im not coming across as 'that guy' or that Im 'a know it all', but being a newbee myself, most of the things that have came across the boards from even newer newbees, are things that I have personally train wrecked myself and from recent experiences. It makes me feel good when some of the most experienced beeks on this board agrees with me. My education usually comes best with either pain or wallet depletion. Thank you.

Curtammy · May 06, 2011, 03:10:56 PM

haha, no not at all. I have been around bees for a long time and helped other family members. i just never had a hive be this pissy. I take everyones opinion into consideration. the time that you know it all is when you cant learn anything. Thanks for your input

Michael Bush · May 07, 2011, 12:58:56 AM

>i screened off the entrance to get the new hive used to it.

You are confining them? Of course they are unhappy if you are. I'm not exactly clear. But if you resolve all the issues (not queenless, not confined etc.) and they remain "hot" I would requeen.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesrequeeninghot.htm

joebrown · May 07, 2011, 04:35:04 AM

I had a hive of Russians like that and I requeened them. It was the meanest hive I have ever had. You could not put a jar of sugar water on that hive without a veil!

Curtammy · May 07, 2011, 08:51:00 AM

Michael,
Yeah i normally put a small screen in place after i split a hive, just to ensure the new hives bees stay put and start working on a new queen. My problem(come to find out) was this. I went out today again to see what was going on and there were a few hundred bees on the outside of the new hive trying to get in. AH HA!! I accidently got the queen somehow in the new hive when i meant to leave her in the old one. That explained to me why they were so mad...Yeah I messed that one up, i admit. I took the screen off and 6 hours later we were walking around our yard again without being attacked. Guess the old hive needs to make a queen not the new one lol. The screening the entrance has always worked for me. And it seemed to force the hive to stay in and get the new queen generated alot quicker then letting them out. I only leave it on for 2-3 days.
Anyways thnx for the input all.