feral vs my hive

Started by rgennaro, April 13, 2020, 12:15:32 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Print
Go Down Pages1
User actions

rgennaro

April 13, 2020, 12:15:32 PM
Hi everybody
haven't posted in a while, because well it was Winter :) Anyway my bees seem to have survived the winter. Two years in a row, I am happy. I don't take any particular credit for it, except for having chosen the right board to ask for advice :) I haven't opened the hive yet so I don't know in what state they are, but there has been a fair amount of activity on warm days and I have seen them bringing back pollen (a very light yellow pollen). I put a top feeder with syrup and a patty. The sugar and patty I had put in the winter was mostly there.

Anyway Saturday was sunny and in the mid-40s, I went for a walk with my family and we went to check a property nearby that a friend of mine has just bought. In the barn I noticed a lot of bees coming in and out from a crack in the siding. My husband told me he had seen this feral hive there last year when he had come to see the property. In spite of the low temperature and the opening being on the north side of the barn, so in the shade, there was a LOT of activity, tons of bees coming in and out. The bees look slightly bigger than mine also.

In comparison my hive was very quiet. No bees were coming in and out (and my hive is in full sun and still wrapped in black tar paper so inside should have been warmer than the feral hive). I normally don't see any activity in my hive unless is substantially above 50.

I was puzzled by this very noticeable difference between the two hives. I assume that my hive has a smaller colony than the feral one (if you recall I had troubles last summer with it) so maybe they all stay inside to keep warm? While the other one can spare workers to send out? But I was under the impression that honeybees don't fly unless it's above 50?

Any insight?

Thanks
Rosario

van from Arkansas

#1
April 13, 2020, 01:03:58 PM
Ms. Rosario, my Italian hives have different cold temperature tolerance.  A couple of my hives fly at 43F whereas most of my hives fly at 47F.  All hives are in sun as my trees are not leafed out.  Also there are different species of honeybees that are know for tolerance to cold.  Five degrees Fahrenheit can make a difference regarding entrance activities from hive to hive depending on the bees.
I have been around bees a long time, since birth.  I am a hobbyist so my answers often reflect this fact.  I concentrate on genetics, raise my own queens by wet graft, nicot, with natural or II breeding.  I do not sell queens, I will give queens  for free but no shipping.

rgennaro

#2
April 13, 2020, 01:17:55 PM
Thanks Van. Good to know. It makes sense if they are feral that they evolved to have better cold tolerance in this region.

I am eyeing that colony. I wouldn't mind moving it to my house. But I wonder if that'd be in their best interest. They seem to be doing well where they are and I don't think my friend minds them.

BeeMaster2

#3
April 13, 2020, 01:20:57 PM
What Van said x2.
Jim Altmiller
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

CoolBees

#4
April 13, 2020, 02:33:06 PM
Quote from: rgennaro on April 13, 2020, 01:17:55 PM
... I am eyeing that colony. I wouldn't mind moving it to my house. But I wonder if that'd be in their best interest. They seem to be doing well where they are and I don't think my friend minds them.

Maybe set out a swarm trap or 2, and see if you can get a swarm from them. Rather than disturbing them directly.
You cannot permanently help men by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves - Abraham Lincoln

rgennaro

#5
April 13, 2020, 03:58:54 PM
that's a "cool" idea Coolbees :) I told my friend to let me know if he ever wants to get rid of them, but I think I'll ask him if he's ok with me setting up a swarm trap in his property. Thanks

TheHoneyPump

#6
April 13, 2020, 05:18:58 PM
That swarm trap sounds like a great plan.  When the barn bees swarm, not if they do - when they do, there may be a good chance you are able to catch the mother queen into your box as she swarms away.  Catching her that way would be better than digging her out of the walls.
Unless of course the land owner wants to be rid of them altogether.
For consideration.
When the lid goes back on, the bees will spend the next 3 days undoing most of what the beekeeper just did to them.

Ben Framed

#7
April 13, 2020, 05:30:58 PM
Adding to all the above. Hopefully you will catch the swarm. If you leave the barn bees alone hopefully they are survivors, and you may be able to catch the swarm year after year. Food for thought.

Phillip Hall

rgennaro

#8
April 13, 2020, 08:01:20 PM
I just spoke to the owner. He said he's interested in getting into beekeeping and wants me to share my knowledge  :cheesy:

He said he wants to remove them (the barn has not been used for a while but he's going to put cattle in there I think).
I have reported the collective wisdom I received on this board. I told him that if he wants to remove them just to get into beekeping, to set up a swarm trap instead. If he wants them out for some other reason then we'll get to work.

After my cut-out experience from last year, I think we'll get some more experienced beekeeper to come help us :)

CoolBees

#9
April 13, 2020, 09:07:52 PM
If/when you do catch the swarm - there's people here that would love to have the prodigy of that queen. Food for thought ...

Good luck!
You cannot permanently help men by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves - Abraham Lincoln

TheHoneyPump

#10
April 14, 2020, 01:00:57 AM
Fyi.  If you do go with the cut-out the bees cannot stay at that site.  They will have to be moved  3 to 5 miles away.  Or else the bees will just fly back to the location of the barn hive.  A cut out would be moved away for a month then can be brought back. (After all the old bees died off).
A caught swarm can be setup wherever wanted nearly immediately. 
Maybe you do both.  Setup and wait for a swarm to be caught.  Once the swarm is caught, then go for the cut out and take the cutout away to another site. 

Just some thoughts. 
When the lid goes back on, the bees will spend the next 3 days undoing most of what the beekeeper just did to them.

Bob Wilson

#11
April 14, 2020, 08:28:49 AM
Being active and early, could we asume this is a larger colony, and if so, could a cut out of a large colony immediately be split into two or more hives, if there is sufficient brood and resources, before being moved away to other sites?

Seeb

#12
April 14, 2020, 09:05:43 AM
 could a cut out of a large colony immediately be split into two or more hives

I think you could Bob, but would introducing a queen not raised by the feral hive interfere with the value of the hive? Does that question make sense?

Ben Framed

#13
April 14, 2020, 12:58:29 PM
Bobs theory would work if you make sure to have comb with new eggs and larva of all stages, as well as capped brood for quick build up in this second set up, they can make their own queen. As long as you are certain the first set up has the queen during the cutout process. As Mr HP stated cutouts would have to be moved. Moving is taking a chance of chill brood unless you are WELL prepared and the timing is right. I would think it would be better to keep the cutout all together, assuming the cut out is done properly, making for a strong new colony.  Later if you really want to make a split from this new set up, would be a better time. In my opinion. But yes Bob it can be done.

Phillip Hall
Print
Go Up Pages1
User actions