adopting "wild" bees

[lazym]

A swarm of bees appeared in the huge crabapple tree in our orchard yesterday.  We wanted to ensure they would stay in our neighborhood so we called a beekeeper acquaintance.  he brought a ladder and saw and after some difficulties removed the bees as a sleepy cluster (in evening) and transferred them to a couple of boxes with a few frames, still on their branch. He said he would be back in the am to smoke the bees, remove the branch, and install the rest of the frames.  My q is, he had not cleaned any of the frames and they were covered with black crumbs and old stuff--he said no problem because the bees would use old wax as a starter template.  Is this right? I had such an urge to clean off and wash those frames so the bees would stay healthy and the honey be  clean.  I am a total novice, so please set me straight!

Lazy M

[Irwin]

The bees will clean it up just fine and some old wax will help keep them in the hive.

[charmd2]

The old comb is a wonderful resource.   You don't need to clean anything up.  The bees naturally take care of that.  they propolize everything, propolis is a natural antiseptic.   The initial frames would be for raising brood.  These frames that look "dirty"  won't be around honey for your consumption anyway.  The first box, and sometimes two boxes will be their brood area.  After that you start getting supers.   

A brood box is the initial boxes that the bees use to raise their young.   When using deeps most beekeepers use two brood boxes.  When using mediums most would use three. 

A super is the area where the bees would store "extra" honey.  that would be the honey you can take off and eat.

  From starting as a swarm, it will most likely take until next year before you could harvest any honey.   They need a percent to over winter on.  That is location specific information.  And since you haven't posted a location and are still hopelessly lost,  I can't suggest how much you need to leave.  Hopefully your neighborhood beekeeper will assist you in this. 

Basically, don't worry about cleanness in the hive.  the bees will take care of that.  Just general food safe guidelines when harvesting and you'll be fine. 


Read, read, read. :)    and remember ask two beekeepers you'll generally get three different answers.  All of them equally right and wrong. :) 

[Kathyp]

i just loaded up to go after a swarm.  i put in the old cruddy stuff from some hive that didn't make it over the winter.  the bees will clean it fine.  don't worry.

[iddee]

You called the beekeeper because of what he knows. My Father always said, "Don't hire an expert and then tell him how to do the job".

The beek knows the old comb is used to anchor the swarm and keep them from leaving. They will not only clean, but sterilize the whole inside of their home.

[wd]

This is a empty hive with wax moth damage - a top cover that leaked and the bottom entrance was blocked up with winter debris that blew against it on slight tilt back, I didn't notice it right a way, I' have been cleaning brood frames - would you use either?

one honey and one one brood frame

[iddee]

I would use the one on left for bees, the one on right for swarm trap or swarm anchor. I would rotate it out once the swarm was settled.

[wd]

I would use the one on left for bees, the one on right for swarm trap or swarm anchor. I would rotate it out once the swarm was settled.

ok ... thanks! ... I'll try the dark stuff

on a side note, I left this hive sit empty for awhile in its original location hoping a swarm would take up residence, of course nothing happened. It stayed pretty well preserved until I removed it this last winter to go through it which seemed odd to me. the darker of the two were in the brood chambers.