First Cut Out ~ Any Advice?

[Acebird]

Look at this sketch.

http://www.beemaster.com/forum/index.php?topic=27380.new#new

That is what I am talking about.

[Psparr]

Eggs can Last a while. Young larvae will be ok a couple hours at 80? or so. Anything under that and they need bees for warmth.

[mtnb]

Look at this sketch.

http://www.beemaster.com/forum/index.php?topic=27380.new#new

That is what I am talking about.

There's a video? I missed that. I'll have my weekend coming up and will take a closer look. It's been crazy busy around here. I meant to tell you, I had taken a fish fillet knife and used that to cut the comb. That link about the frame is very cool. At first I thought it was two regular frames until I realized it was one, split in half. That is a really great idea actually. I like it. And it'd be easy enough to just staple it together. Thanks for showing me that.

I'll have to look at that comb grapper thing you're talking about. I'd be afraid it could fall apart as you're holding it. I guess it would depend on the temp too though. And you'd have to hold it on the bottom right, so you'd be flipping the direction of the comb when putting it in or else it would be very awkward putting it into the frames. Unless you had one of those flip open frames I guess. I would cut a piece of comb off of most attached places, and when I knew it was ready to come off fully, I kinda let it fall onto my flat hand. I'm not sure how you're "supposed" to do it. lol I don't think I killed many bees that way at all. I think more bees got killed just drowning in all the honey that was everywhere. On the walls, the ground, the ceiling, the vacuum tube, my little table. Honey everywhere. Seriously. lol

Eggs can Last a while. Young larvae will be ok a couple hours at 80? or so. Anything under that and they need bees for warmth.

Thank you!

[iddee]

I used the sandwich frames, "as we call them" for years. They work well during the removal. I quit using them and went back to the rubber bands because of the "after" work. The bees will attach the comb to the frames and cut the rubber bands. Then you just remove them. The sandwich frames have to be moved to the outside and removed when broodless. "Takes months". Then they are full of honey, which has to be taken care of. Overall, the rubber bands are much less work.

[Dallasbeek]

A friend staples chicken wire to one side of a frame and has another section of chicken wire cut and ready for the other side.  When he cuts comb off, he lays it in the prepared frame and staples chicken wire to the other side. After the bees have fastened the comb to the frame, he removes the wire from both sides.  I have not tried it, but he says it works well.

[Acebird]

I quit using them and went back to the rubber bands because of the "after" work.

For me I am more interested in reducing the beginning work not the after work.  Get in and get out with the least amount of mess and time.  It might also be an advantage to me if I didn't have to suck all the bees off the comb because it might transfer the queen by accident.  I doubt if I could find her anyway.  I do agree there would be after work to retrieve the frames for another cut out.

[divemaster1963]

when you make the robo vac. I would recommend that you make multiple bottoms. I made multiple bottoms and started leaving theem on the hives. the bees seem to like that the entrance is round and are able to defend the entrance better. I even made disc like the ones for nucs. I can turn the disc to have a qween excluder for when I first bring the hive home. then a robber diverter, and even a moving screen.  this ramped base also serves a use if I don't get the hive positioned just right to to keep driving rain from filling the bottom. the bees will reduce the hole to the size they like. I now just make robo vac bases for most of my hives and I now use the calorado vac setup.


john

[mtnb]

Holy crap, guys! I've been having the bees clean out my wax inside their hives from when I crushed and strained so I was exchanging that out just now. I just drove up to this liquor store hive that I had cut out, and my queen was right on the ground in front of the entry of the hive! They're on a concrete slap so she was on the concrete. She was surrounded by about 10 attendants who were cleaning her. She was just sitting there. Definitely alive. I picked her up gently with my hive tool and put her on the top bars of her hive. She sat there for a few minutes getting cleaned and then slowly meandered down between the frames. WHAT THE HECK DOES THAT MEAN? Lol I'm a little freaked out right now.

[BeeMaster2]

It means you are really lucky. 

[mtnb]

It doesn't mean anything bad like they want to replace her or that she wants to swarm?

[BeeMaster2]

I do not recall if you found her and put her in the box.
If you did then you may have had multiple queens. Not uncommon, They say about 20% of the hives have multiple queens, usually due to supersedures.

[mtnb]

Yes, I had found her and put her in the box. Hopefully it's just what you suggest. I thought though that queens don't leave the hive after they've been mated?

[Psparr]

Yes, I had found her and put her in the box. Hopefully it's just what you suggest. I thought though that queens don't leave the hive after they've been mated?

Remember. Bees can't read.

[BeeMaster2]

Only to swarm. They will sometimes fly off the frames during an inspection but they usually go back to the hive. It is possible that she was only oriented to the old hive and took off while you were working on the hive. She would go back to the old location if it was close by.
Jim

[mtnb]

That is true psparr. I guess I shouldn't believe everything I read. lol

Very good point Jim. I never thought of how she was orientated to the old hive. That one is a good 5 miles away. I did look into the hive yesterday to see how things are going and I did not see her. I saw all my other queens but she was the only one I couldn't see. Maybe she took off during inspection like you say and got lost and her attendants led her back to the front door and I happened to come upon her and them and showed her the way back in? Ok. Yeah. I'm going with that. ;) lol I AM very lucky today! lol Thank you! I feel a lot better now!

[BeeMaster2]

5 miles is a long way for a queen to find her way back to the old hive.
Jim

[mtnb]

Yeah that's what I meant when I said she got lost and they led her back to my hive. Lol I'm glad it's far. I'd hate to do all that again! For free. lol Who knows I guess. Main thing is, she's home and now I know she's home.

[GSF]

Worse case scenario;

She's on her mating fling. The drone congregational area is half way between locations. You moved her before she was fully mated. She flies around in circles during the mating event. She returns home the only way she knows. Home has been moved.

I'm calling the police..,

Honestly, Jim's probably hit the nail on the head. Multiple queens.

Do a hive inspection, locate the queens. Observe their behavior for about 30 minutes. If you see one of them grooming a drone then that's the one that isn't mated - get rid of her!

you didn't believe that did you?

[BeeMaster2]

Do a hive inspection, locate the queens. Observe their behavior for about 30 minutes. If you see one of them grooming a drone then that's the one that isn't mated - get rid of her!

you didn't believe that did you?

[mtnb]

Here's my update. I finally got to look in today and did not see one queen. Not even two queens. lol What I did see was a capped queen cell. I suspect I injured her with the vacuum and they're replacing her. Maybe she was outside of the hive enjoying her last sunny day? I did see uncapped larvae and lots of brood. I'm just going to let them bee. I'm sure they can figure it out. They're looking good though otherwise. Definitely building and growing.