What Was in my Hive???

GeorgiaBeeKeeper · May 30, 2020, 04:10:32 PM

I was doing hive maintenance today (I have my first 2 hives I started in April as packages)
I recently expanded both hives to 2 hive bodies each.

Today, I saw at the bottom of one hive that on the bottom board to one side was chewed up thin brown paper (kind of like that cheap thin brown paper towel paper....it wasn't all chewed up but quite a bit of it looked completely tiny chewed (not big animal chewed...tiny animal chewed). It was wadded up and kind of like 6" long x 2.4" wide and a little bit poofied up.

There was no animal poop around it or anything. I pulled it out of the hive with the hive tool.

What was that?

.30WCF · May 30, 2020, 04:15:11 PM

Some foundations come with paper in between them when they ship to keep them from sticking to each other. Did you forget one?
The bees could have chewed it to get it off the foundation.

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GeorgiaBeeKeeper · May 30, 2020, 05:42:56 PM

I'm a dummy - I think you're right! I just added the additional hive body and there was probably a piece of paper stuck in between that I didn't notice.

Dangit!!!!
LOL thanks!

.30WCF · May 30, 2020, 09:17:59 PM

I really can?t imagine it being stuck like that, but that was my first thought.

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van from Arkansas · May 31, 2020, 06:00:53 PM

Paper; I did a standard newspaper combine the other day with langstrof deep hive bodies. So after two days, I went back to remove what is left of the newspaper.... Nothing, all gone except for the outside that was hanging over the edge. Those bees removed every shred of paper in 2 days. I have seen newspaper combine after two days that had small opening made by the bees with 95 percent of the newspaper intact whereas other times there is no trace of the newspaper remaining. Bees do a good job of keeping me guessing.

Ben Framed · May 31, 2020, 08:30:06 PM

Quote from: van from Arkansas on May 31, 2020, 06:00:53 PM
Paper; I did a standard newspaper combine the other day with langstrof deep hive bodies. So after two days, I went back to remove what is left of the newspaper.... Nothing, all gone except for the outside that was hanging over the edge. Those bees removed every shred of paper in 2 days. I have seen newspaper combine after two days that had small opening made by the bees with 95 percent of the newspaper intact whereas other times there is no trace of the newspaper remaining. Bees do a good job of keeping me guessing.

I did a couple combines also last year Mr Van. I did notice some shreds outside the hive entrance but not enough to explain what happened to the rest. Do they fly away with it? Eat it or some other answer? Thanks.

Ben Framed · June 01, 2020, 12:09:20 AM

Mr Bumble Bee picked the wrong hive today.

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The15thMember · June 01, 2020, 12:13:05 AM

Quote from: Ben Framed on May 31, 2020, 08:30:06 PM
I did a couple combines also last year Mr Van. I did notice some shreds outside the hive entrance but not enough to explain what happened to the rest. Do they fly away with it? Eat it or some other answer? Thanks.

I believe the workers will carry trash far away from the hive if they are able, i.e. if the item they are carrying isn't too heavy.

Quote from: Ben Framed on June 01, 2020, 12:09:20 AM
Mr Bumble Bee picked the wrong hive today.

[attachment=0]

Ben Framed · June 01, 2020, 12:15:13 AM

Member I added two more pictures while you were posting. I looked down a wondered "what is that"? Looking closely I could see it was a bumble bee, so I took pictures. And thanks for your answer.

BeeMaster2 · June 01, 2020, 08:01:41 AM

Georgia,
Welcome to Beemaster.
I have screen bottom boards with dry oil trays under most oF my hives. When I do a combine, after a couple of days, the oil tray will be full of this very fine paper duff. They shred it so fine that it falls through the number 8 wire cloth. It is usually one inch deep.
Jim Altmiller