What a mess :(

rgennaro · June 24, 2019, 11:42:13 AM

My hive is in my weekend home (though by next month it will be my primary residence). While I was away this week a swarm took residence in the wall of the barn between the siding and an interior sheet of plywood, accessing it through holes in the siding. I suspect it's a swarm from my hide but I am not 100% sure of it. It was not there the previous weekend and some workers who were doing work in the barn noticed it on Wednesday.

I spent Saturday trying to decide what to do (unfortunately got locked out from these boards because I forgot my password and never received the link to reset it). By the end of the day I decided to let them be. I am a newby, and wasn't sure I was going to be able to move them or that I was still in time).

On Sunday I went to the farmers market where I spoke to the beekeepers who sold me my first hive and they suggested to take them out because there should not be much comb in there to remove. I spoke to another beekeeper who also said I should take it out because it was going to become a major nuisance in the barn.

I prepared a box and took two frames from my other hive. One from the very side with draw comb and a bit of honey, and one from the middle with brrod and honey. I also put the bait that I had in my trap, and set it on the ground under the wall where the bees were coming in and out.

Then I took a couple of boards off the barn siding. The bees did not bother me at all while I was doing that. The comb was up the wall so I had to take many boards off, but unfortunately I was not able to take the last 2 boards where the comb was, so the comb was hidden but easily reachable. I took a bucket and scraped the comb into the bucket and moved everything into the box. At this point the bees were quite angry. I never saw the queen during this process.

After I was done there was still quite a few bees in the exposed wall. I got a few in the bucket and put those in the box too, and then covered the box and left. When I came back two hours later, there were only few bees in the box and a huge ball of bees back where the comb. I swept them back in the bucket and put them back in the box. The bees were really angry now.

I had to leave last night and I will not be back for one month. My husband will be there later this week and can let me know what's going on.

Did I mess it up? If the queen was in the box the first time wouldn't have the bees gone there? What's most likely going to happen now? The old place is not that appealing to them anymore since it's very much exposed now.

One more question: the frame with brood that I took from my original hive had a queen cell in the middle of the frame. Isn't that a supersedure cell? Does it mean there is a problem with the queen in that hive? Also how much did I set back my hive by taking those frames out? I wouldn't want to damage that hive to botch a swarm rescue.

All I all I am pretty despondent. I wish I had somebody helping me out to show me the ropes.

Donovan J · June 24, 2019, 02:18:16 PM

I think the bees still smell the queen pheromone and are going back to the same spot. Chances are you already have the queen but keep an eye out. The bees will either accept or reject the new home you gave them. But because you put brood in I highly doubt they will leave. Once you see bees going in and out of the hive and start working then congrats you have a new colony. Check inside the hive you took the queen cell from. If the queen is there and laying fine then it might be a swarm cell. It wont do too much to the hive you took the frames out of. As long as the queen is laying good and there's a good flow on they can recover very quickly. I'm a first year beekeeper and hope this helps.

Bob Wilson · June 24, 2019, 10:10:21 PM

Rgennaro. Don't worry. I also am a new bee keeper. Half the stuff I do, I wonder if it is right! Lol. You do what you can as a newbee, and learn as you go. That's A-OK. For certain, next year will be filled with opportunities all over again. Besides, I begin to think we underestimate the lowly bee. God made them resilient. They will bounce back one way or the other.

cao · June 25, 2019, 01:20:47 AM

Quote from: rgennaro on June 24, 2019, 11:42:13 AM
Did I mess it up? If the queen was in the box the first time wouldn't have the bees gone there? What's most likely going to happen now? The old place is not that appealing to them anymore since it's very much exposed now.

One more question: the frame with brood that I took from my original hive had a queen cell in the middle of the frame. Isn't that a supersedure cell? Does it mean there is a problem with the queen in that hive? Also how much did I set back my hive by taking those frames out? I wouldn't want to damage that hive to botch a swarm rescue.

I don't think you messed up. You tried. Were you successful? maybe/maybe not. The bees will usually go to were the queen is. If you had gotten the queen in the box the first time then they would have stayed.

Was the queen cell capped, open with brood in it, or an empty cup? An empty cup means nothing. The other two could. Would need to know more about your hive. Taking those frames out would not hurt a healthy hive at all.

Acebird · June 25, 2019, 08:02:17 AM

scraping comb into a bucket? That doesn't sound good if the queen was on the comb.

rgennaro · June 25, 2019, 09:51:18 AM

The queen cell was capped. There were also capped drone cells on the frame.

I think my biggest mistake was not to call the local beekeepers association and have somebody come over and show me how to do it.

ed/La. · June 25, 2019, 11:14:18 AM

While the bees needed to be moved it was not an emergency situation. You could have removed them at your leisure. Next month would have been fine. When in doubt do nothing and give yourself time to think it out and prepare.

rgennaro · June 27, 2019, 08:11:59 PM

Must have been beginners luck but seems like he bees are all in the box and none is left in the barn wall. They are going in and out of the entrance. I am traveling but my husband got to the house today and told me so. I?ll have him send me a picture. Should I ask him to put a frame feeder in the box with syrup? it?s a 10 frame deep so there is space. I am not going to be there until July 20.

ed/La. · June 29, 2019, 09:56:11 AM

If they are bringing in pollen they are planning on staying. A feeder might help them build comb faster. Hopefully the hive you took frame from did not need that queen cell. Have him check that hive for a queen or eggs.

rgennaro · June 29, 2019, 02:10:27 PM

Unfortunately that?s beyond his pay grade... I am nervous about that

ed/La. · June 29, 2019, 07:21:52 PM

Don't be nervous. They are probably fine. Ask him to see if the new bees are bringing in pollen.

rgennaro · June 29, 2019, 07:35:50 PM

Yes I asked to check both hives and see if there is pollen coming in. But pollen alone is not a sign of the hive being queenright correct?

I also asked a friend who has bees to go check. Hopefully he'll be able to.

My hope is that it was one of many swarm cells, since I suspect that the swarm came from my hive.

rgennaro · June 30, 2019, 04:39:01 PM

So the old hive seems to be ok. My friend inspected it and saw open brood

The new one seems pretty busy as well.

Ben Framed · June 30, 2019, 04:44:26 PM

Quote from: rgennaro on June 30, 2019, 04:39:01 PM
So the old hive seems to be ok. My friend inspected it and saw open brood

The new one seems pretty busy as well.

Now I am curious, pollen coming in?

rgennaro · June 30, 2019, 05:07:16 PM

Yes in the old one. Not sure about the new one. I hate this remote management

ed/La. · June 30, 2019, 08:44:48 PM

As long as there is still decent activities at new hive they are probably OK. Anything to rob would have been gone by now. Thumbs up. Update when you get back so we can see outcome.