bees wont go in hive.....

twintrades · July 25, 2011, 04:46:18 PM

i have a swarm that i hived and they wont stay in the hive...... they stay under the outercover and on the front side. its bee 2 days. Normal or are they telling me they dont like it ? Also im not shure if theres a queen or not. When i had them in a bucket the bucketsmelled like lemon grass. so i dunno.

Kathyp · July 25, 2011, 05:11:58 PM

stick a frame of open brood in there. see if that gets them in. if you can find one with eggs they will have the resources to make a queen if they don't have one. make sure you do not transfer the queen from your other hive!

iddee · July 25, 2011, 05:13:46 PM

Put the group, including the queen, in the hive. She's still hanging on the outside, if they have one.

twintrades · July 25, 2011, 07:10:52 PM

I did that last night put everyone in.

I have no brood to give them... any other ways i could persuade them?

Bee-Bop · July 25, 2011, 07:27:23 PM

Is this a actual swarm, or are you the person that placed a bunch of old field bees in a bucket that were left behind ?

Bee-Bop

Kathyp · July 25, 2011, 07:49:48 PM

you could try spraying a couple of the foundations (if you have any) with some sugar water. other than that, i don't know. you may just have to wait and see. if you mess with them to much, i am afraid they will leave.

this is your only hive?

twintrades · July 25, 2011, 07:53:32 PM

Yes thats me but im not shure there all field bees. Whos to say one of the 69 pollination hives did'nt swarm rhight before it got picked up ? Or as they were being picked up? Easy to say there just field bees. ;) The only reason im not agreeing with you is beacuse the bucket in which i brought them home in and had them in overnight smelled like lemongrass. And ive been told thats what a new package bee queen smells like.

SO let me know how to corral them in ? Right now im feeding them outside with a jar that has small holes in the lid. Should i put that inside over the innnercover ? Would that get them to go in ?

And no its not the only hive i have 1 from a cut out 3 weeksago thats still trying to recover.

applebwoi · July 26, 2011, 12:52:52 AM

put them in the hive with a queen excluder on the bottom and feed them. I a week the queen should be settled in and laying and you can then remove the excluder.

JP · July 26, 2011, 09:24:03 AM

How many bees are we talking here? You may not even have enough to sustain a hive, if so you will need to consider combining them with another hive or putting them in a nuc with queen or frame with eggs.

The bucket smells like a package of bees? First time I've heard that one.

...JP

JP · July 26, 2011, 09:32:20 AM

You need to also evaluate the interior of the set up. I just saw your other thread about this bunch of bees. You mentioned you have new equipment and feeding with what sounds like a boardmen feeder.

If the feeder is leaking badly and the internal environment is sticky with feed they have a tendency to abscond, double check your feeder.

Is the new equipment freshly painted? Did you paint the interior as well? Fresh paint will drive them out as well.

...JP

twintrades · July 26, 2011, 04:38:19 PM

nope its all unpainted. I just had 2 boxes sitting around in the shed i havent put the others together yet or painted them. Infact the day i hived the bees i bulit a bottomboard and outer cover. I really wasnt ready for these guys. It was another getem or ill killem tonight.

Also There was quiet a few bees in there i should have taken a pic of the bucket. Think 5 gallon bucet mesh lid 100% of the inside surface area coverd with bees. There going in and out now. They like to come out on the porch and sit durring the day. At night they go inside. eavning i see them going in and in the morning at 630 am i see only 3-4 outside thinking about getting to the feeder. I have a Glass spagettie sauce container. The larger kind. With holes drilled in the lid. It sits outside right next to the hive. About 1 inch away.

Kathyp · July 26, 2011, 06:57:10 PM

give them at least a week then check for eggs....

twintrades · July 26, 2011, 11:02:37 PM

That's what I'm planning n doing. I'm going to open it up on Sunday and see whats going on. I check on it every day just to see what's up and to see if they need more syurp. It seems like there a little on the aggressive side. I'm hoping once they get some comb and brood going thell calm down a little. If no il pinch the queen if there is one.