Moved the bee's last night

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Moved the bee's last night - scary

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joanne

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 7100
Location: Morecambe, Lancashire

Posted: Thu Jun 21, 07 9:49 am Post subject: Moved the bee's last night - scary

I was a bit worried about my bee's behaviour yesterday as I moved them out of the nucleus into their new hive.

Every single time I've been into bee hives before (don't forget - major newbie here!!!) - they've been very very calm and happily sitting on the frame - yesterday however they were decidedly ratty.

I don't know whether it was my sheer incompetence and nervousness about doing the move or that they really really needed to be moved - all five frames had brood on them and very little stores or that we'd had a major storm the night before and I moved them quite late in the afternoon as my OH was making me some dummy boards and I had to wait for him to finish work so they could be finished off - Or just a combination of everything but they were really very upset - running around the frames rather than just sitting there - however they seemed to have calmed down quite a bit this morning - it didn't help that I didn't see the queen but then again I was more concerned with getting them into the hive than checking for eggs etc.

I put some food on for them last night and when I checked this morning there were a couple of bees inside the rapid feeder - so at least they've found that and as I was putting the hive back together yesterday I noticed that there was loads of bee's hanging onto the new foundation - hopefully they will be drawing it out like crazy so they can expand the brood nest - Fingers crossed

Although having said all that - My OH was stood approximately 3 feet away taking pictures without any protection on at all and was fine and my next door neighbour stood watching over the fence without any problems either - Maybe it was just me

jamanda
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35095
Location: Devon

Posted: Thu Jun 21, 07 10:36 am Post subject:
Sounds like you did a great job. Are you going to share those photos?

joanne

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 7100
Location: Morecambe, Lancashire

Posted: Thu Jun 21, 07 10:39 am Post subject:
I will - didn't have time to upload them last night but will do over the weekend

dougal

Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent

Posted: Thu Jun 21, 07 10:41 am Post subject:
I'm not even a newbie, just a "wanna-bee"... ... so I too would be delighted if the photos could be shared. Don't bees pick up on their handler's nervousness, making the problem worse? Since they are pheromone driven, I've presumed that they'd pick up pretty well on the handler's adrenaline level... just my supposition, though.

FiddlesticksTim

Joined: 28 Dec 2004
Posts: 104
Location: West Oxfordshire

Posted: Thu Jun 21, 07 12:03 pm Post subject:

Jo,

I don't think that the bees would have picked up on your nerves!

If they were a bit agitated, it's more likely to be the weather conditions. Apparently they're quite sensitive to thunderstorm static and get quite unpleasant about it! Given the weather that we've had over the last few days, I think their behaviour is much more likely to be governed by that than anything you did!

Looking forward to the photos when you get a chance.

Tim

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Thu Jun 21, 07 12:07 pm Post subject:

My mum is staying for a couple of days and we went through three of our hives yesterday and three this morning - yesterday's were fine and today one hive was REALLY agitated and cross. Ma reckoned it's because today is muggier and closer than yesterday rather than because we'd done anything terrible to upset them.

Apparently they don't like perfume or sweat very much - by the time we'd got to the last one this morning we were both a little ripe ... so I guess that could have been something to do with it too

.

And another vote for pictures, please!

hedgewitch

Joined: 26 Nov 2005
Posts: 5834
Location: Daft wench GHQ

Posted: Thu Jun 21, 07 12:08 pm Post subject:

dougal wrote:

I'm not even a newbie, just a"wanna-bee"

I love that term Dougal - me too

I'd be very interested in pix, Jo.

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Thu Jun 21, 07 12:10 pm Post subject:
Still on for this afternoon, Chez?

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Thu Jun 21, 07 12:20 pm Post subject:

mochyn wrote:

Still on for this afternoon, Chez?

Definitely - have made fatless fruit-cake, mother snoozing on sofa before leaving "at the ABSOLUTE LATEST AT 2 o'clock dear".

Long story - fill you in later!

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