Timetable for hiving postswarm ferals

rast · March 22, 2008, 11:25:30 AM

Swarm occured Thursday. How long should I wait to hive comb and remaining bees into a hive. My inclination is to wait until a new queen is established where they are.
They really took a lot of bees when they left. Didn't like my bait hives either.
Thank's, Rick

JP · March 22, 2008, 11:35:46 AM

Quote from: rast on March 22, 2008, 11:25:30 AM
Swarm occured Thursday. How long should I wait to hive comb and remaining bees into a hive. My inclination is to wait until a new queen is established where they are.
They really took a lot of bees when they left. Didn't like my bait hives either.
Thank's, Rick

Where are they, what are they in now? I would move them sooner than later, to save yourself the trouble of doing an involved transfer. Set 'em up good, offer some feed, use an entrance reducer with a stick or grass, to have them in a more accepting housal mode.

Don't know if you used lemongrass in your baithives or not. Too much can be unenticing, a little dab, does it.

...JP

rast · March 22, 2008, 11:51:14 AM

Where are they, what are they in now?
They are under a tree behind my barn in an upside down fiberglass 2 passenger airboat seat. They use the six 1/4" mounting holes for an entrance/exit. Sealed on the bottom from setting in the dirt and leaves.

Don't know if you used lemongrass in your baithives or not. Too much can be unenticing, a little dab, does it
I have a vial of attractant pheremone in each one.

JP · March 22, 2008, 01:44:43 PM

Quote from: rast on March 22, 2008, 11:51:14 AM
Where are they, what are they in now?
They are under a tree behind my barn in an upside down fiberglass 2 passenger airboat seat. They use the six 1/4" mounting holes for an entrance/exit. Sealed on the bottom from setting in the dirt and leaves.

Don't know if you used lemongrass in your baithives or not. Too much can be unenticing, a little dab, does it
I have a vial of attractant pheremone in each one.

It would be nice to see pictures, having a liitle trouble envisioning this. So how long have they been there, by your best guess?

...JP

rast · March 22, 2008, 03:17:14 PM

Been there at least a year. I found when I went to see how a rabbit the dog was chasing made him yelp and go the other way.

rast · March 22, 2008, 08:50:57 PM

The above may or may not go to a picture. Won't know til I Try. If it does work, the entire outside of this seat was almost solid with bees for 2 days before they swarmed.

JP · March 22, 2008, 09:03:12 PM

Quote from: rast on March 22, 2008, 08:50:57 PM

The above may or may not go to a picture. Won't know til I Try. If it does work, the entire outside of this seat was almost solid with bees for 2 days before they swarmed.

Rast, so the colony is living on the underside space between the old seat and the earth? If that's the case, I don't see why you couldn't smoke a little, then gently turn the seat over, thus exposing the hive. Does this sound about right or is there something I'm missing? If not, then you can do a transfer once you're looking at the thing. Should be a piece of cake, let me know.

...JP

rast · March 22, 2008, 09:23:10 PM

Its not the tranferring, it's the when. How soon after they swarmed.

JP · March 22, 2008, 09:59:46 PM

Quote from: rast on March 22, 2008, 09:23:10 PM
Its not the tranferring, it's the when. How soon after they swarmed.

Rast, I did a removal the other day that swarmed out and their cluster was in a tree overhead in the neighbor's yard. They had other swarm cells in the hive, and I got a queen that could be a virgin, but things went well. I don't see why you couldn't perform the transfer now. I also got the swarm outta the tree the following day.

...JP

rast · March 22, 2008, 10:23:47 PM

I liked your answer this AM, the fewer bees to fool with the better :). I just didn't want to disrupt a queen rearing cycle and have them die.
Thank's, Rick

sc-bee · March 23, 2008, 05:27:21 AM

Help me out here! Just for my info because I have no experience with the subject.

A colony of bees close to the ground, in a small cavity, in Florida--- would this not be a suspicious colony to hive? Or do you just hive them and watch for signs?

rast · March 23, 2008, 09:01:09 AM

They are not Africans if that is what you mean. That was my first thought when I found them. I had a beeman come over and look at them. I have stirred em, picked em up, learned what drumming meant by tapping on the side and watching them come up. Their markings and color are just like the banded Italians I have in a hive.

Michael Bush · March 23, 2008, 12:08:26 PM

Coloring is not a indicator of AHB. Most of them look like typical Italians. Demeanor would be a much more accurate indicator.

buzzbee · March 23, 2008, 07:31:41 PM

As in de more ya disturb em ,de meaner day get!!
And much more determined to do you harm.

rast · March 25, 2008, 09:25:35 PM

Quote

Kinda like me when I want to take a nap.
Well, I went out there again (after doubts were put in my mind) and poked, prodded, stirred and beat on it again. No response but go away and leave me alone buzzing around me. Even flapped my hands at some. Probably saving it up for the Sat. hiving attempt.
Rick

rast · April 03, 2008, 08:37:15 PM

Failure!
After everything going OK Saturday as far as hiving them went. I noticed the bee's were geting fewer and fewer. Opened them up today and major wax moth attack. Full of moth larva. Did not like the looks of the comb Sat. No honey, little pollen, some capped bee larva. Tryed anyway. Probably too weak after major swarm (but, what do I know). It did have two open queen cells Sat., but could not find her,. I will freeze the comb just for the satisfaction of killing the moth larva.
Rick