boosting population

[rgy]

I have two hives that went queenless.  ( 5 out of 5 nucs I bought this spring have all gone queenless)  the nucs seemed awfull weak from the start so I think I will find a new suplier next time.  Any way I have two new queens arriving tomorrow and I also want to try to boost the population so I was thinking of ordering a couple 3 lb. packages without queens and doing a newspaper combine of the package and the requeended hive..  think that is an idea that will work?  I want to maintain the hive count I have so I don't want to do a combine unless I absolutely have to.

If it is OK.  would you just put the news print down then the 3 lb box and an empty super over that.  No frames in the super witht the 3 lb.

[caticind]

Might not need the newspaper, since the package is in "swarm mode"...on the other hand, it's not uncommon to have a queen, either virgin or laying, mixed in with the package.

[Finski]

.
Good start is 4 lbs bees which fill one langstroth box.
Then the hive should be kept warm , a proper ventilation,
no screened bottom, insulation up and so on.

No feeding that syrup does not fill valuable brood combs.

When you inspect the hive start in edge, where are less bees.

Dont lift first frames which has most bees. The queen is propably there and it may become violated.


l

[L Daxon]

Why don't you get on some swarm lists and get some "free bees" instead of paying for packages?  I use swarms to bolster my weaker hives and/or build up populations just ahead of the flow.

Linda D

[T Beek]

rgy;  I didn't know you could get packaged bees this late sent to your part of the world.  Where are they coming from?

thomas

[rgy]

not sure I can get the packages I was going to call the spplier of the nucss and see.

[uglyfrozenfish]

rgy,  where did you get your nucs from?  I got mine from a supplier in sw michigan and have ad two of three go queenless.  Just curious if we got them from the same guy?  Hope it works out.

[rgy]

supplier out of Ga..  I wish I would have just got packages as I had pulled comb from a winter die out.  I bought three and two more for a friend and all have gone queenless.  we ended up combining my friends two.  they just seemed real weak from the start.  i will probably end up combining one or two of mine.   Going to set a swarm trap now.

[Finski]

.
Are these package buyers expecting somethig which does not exist?

First the weakening?

A package is like a swarm. It has nothing with it.
3 lbs package occupyes perhaps 7 frames. It does not draw more combs more than it covers.
That size hive is weak. It takes lots of time to grow.

It takes 4 weeks before new bees start to emerge and bee number rises.
Before that the number of bee will be half because bees die naturally in work.
If you get a nuc, its bee number rises from very begining.

With my experience 8 lbs swarm/packge is an optimum because it is able to make 10-14 frames brood and may gather honey over 80 lbs.
It occupyes 2 langstroth boxes.

Why hives go queenless? Impossible to say.

.

[thegolfpsycho]

I find it interesting the number of people that are suffering queen loses.  I'm having a different problem with a couple of the packages I got this year.  I direct released the queens onto drawn comb, with some capped honey and frames of pollen.  I checked after a week or so, no problems, eggs observed.  It was a very cold wet spring here, so I felt we were about 4 to 6 weeks behind normal.  In any case, I noticed the new colonys seemed not to be growing, so I checked them out.  Several frames of eggs, and very young larvae, no capped brood.  hmmmm.  I looked back a few days ago, and again, no capped brood, but there were several frames with eggs and young larvae.  No carcasses dragged out, plenty of stores, and still no capped brood.  The queens are large and healthy looking.  Not really sure what is going on with these two colonys, but they are 12 weeks along and the fade is accelerating.   I'm changing out some wax and waiting another week before giving last rites.

[jaseemtp]

rgy, I would get on a swarm list and set out traps asap.  As long as you are comfortable catching and removing bees that is.  Who knows you may find some good groups of bees out there in the wild.  Good luck

[rgy]

set out a trap yesterday.  I used an old honey super with old (I mean real old) frames of half crumbled wax and one frame of last falls goldenrod honey.  I put a Qtip dunked in lemongrass oil in it.  I put it in a tree about 12 feet up.  how's that sound?

on oanother note one of the queenless hives has got to be african.  these things come out and bump like crazy.  couple weeks ago they got me and I ended up in the ER.  haven't been concered about swelling after a sting but this one it started to go into my lips and that was close enough to the air way for me.  now have an epi pen.

[jaseemtp]

that queenless hive does not have to be africanized just because they are mean.  Bees need a queen, they know this and so do we, when they do not have a queen they can get very very very cranky. Stay clear of them until you get them a new queen and you may be suprised at how fast they calm down.

[Brian D. Bray]

One of the most frequent causes of a queenless hive is the result of actions by the beekeeper.
1. Cutting out queen cells.
2. Clumsy manipulation of frames.
3. Accidently stepping on a queen that has fallen from a frame being inspected.
4. Over medicated/treated hives that result in substandard queens being reared.
5. Overfeeding which can lead to supercedure of queen.

Some of the ways to avoid going queenless is:
1. Never cut out queen cells unless they are being grafted to other frames for hive increases.
2. Move slowly but confidently while manipulation frames.
3. Inspect hive with a minimum amount of movement, stay in one place.
4. If medication/treatment of hives is deemed necessary or mandated, do such before and after honey or bee production, nevern during.
5. Feed bees only when necessary and to correct a specific problem such as for spanning a forage dearth or upon 1st hiving a swarm or package until they have the frames they occupy drawn out.