Workers carrying pollen into an empty hive

[AndrewT]

After being bee-less for a few seasons, I managed to get a swarm this spring and I'm back in business.  In going through my stuff, I found some frames that still had a bit of honey from several years ago, and since they had wax moths in them I didn't want to give those to my new bees.

I set up a bottom board, and stacked several boxes with frames on that, and added a cover, thinking that the bees would clean out the honey and then I could re-evaluate the frames.  I set this up in a spot well over a hundred yards from my colony, and with the clover in full bloom, I haven't seen any robbers at the colony.

But, here's the thing.  That empty hive has been there for a little over two weeks now, and I check on it periodically.  This morning, I was watching the bees going in and out, and I saw that some of the workers are going in with pollen.  I don't think I've ever seen workers carrying pollen into an empty hive like that, and I've done this many times in past years.  I plan to check when I get a chance, but I've always thought that if workers were taking pollen into a hive, it was a sure sign that they were feeding brood.

[little john]

Unless you've got some very weird bees in your locality, my guess is that you'll be in for a very pleasant surprise when you open-up that box.
LJ

[GSF]

agreed.

[AndrewT]

OK, the suspense was killing me, so I lit up the smoker and went in for a look.

It was a stack of five mediums, some with frames that I had cut comb honey from in 2012, and some with funky misshapen brood combs, and other frames were partially drawn comb.  The box, third from the top has a hole in the front, and that's where the bees were coming and going.

The first thing I noticed when I took off the top was a big mouse nest in the corner that took up the three outer frames.  I took those all out together so I didn't drop debris down inside.  Then I saw that the top box didn't have many bees, but the second one had a lot, so I pulled off the top box and pulled out one of the frames covered with bees, and Bingo, fresh, new eggs.  I didn't see the queen, but didn't really look.  I just pulled out the bad comb and left enough good comb for them to get a start with and closed them up.

In 25 years of keeping bees, this is the first time that a swarm has moved in to one of my hives (that I know of).

I'm gonna have to move it to an empty hive stand in the back, but I think I'll wait for cooler weather, maybe a rainy spell.

[Psparr]

Lucky

[AndrewT]

I know, right?

Funny thing was, the swarm that went in my bait hive was a small swarm with a virgin queen, and the swarm that days later went in to my empty hive was much bigger, and with a laying queen.

I bet both swarms are from the same hive, and maybe the first swarm left the hive with the old queen and lit in a tree, and then the smaller swarm took off with one of the virgin queens when she emerged and they got into the bait hive first, leaving the bigger swarm hanging until I set up the empty hive.

Not only did I end up with two good swarms, but I didn't have to leave the yard for either one and they didn't cost me a dime or more than a few minutes work.

God must love me.

[cao]

Gotta love free bees.