bee advice PLEASE

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bee advice PLEASE
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lottie

Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 07 5:47 pm Post subject: bee advice PLEASE

Went out for some fresh air and discovered a huge swarm of bees on a fence post---don't think they are mine---taken swarms on my own when it's a knock off a branch job but usually done these cling on jobs with my hubby[whose 140 miles away]---one holding box over top of post one gently smoking them up---these are more awkward cos post half under a tree---anyway tried everything I know to get em in a box---total failure---swarming bees are usually o.k. but these are nasty---must have been stung a dozen times through gloves/ suit arms. I had a bait hive out up the field with some drawn out comb in---not so much as a scout in it---so I have put a broodbox by the swarm with some drawn out comb in scooped some bees in it to give them an idea[ not wot you're supposed to do ] and left them to settle for a bit.
If anyone has any ideas let me know please---they are a big swarm I'd really like to get

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 07 5:49 pm Post subject:
We had a swarm on a post once, I think we put a bin over the post and they shifted into that after a while. Sounds like you may need to call in re-inforcements if they are being stroppy though

mochyn

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

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 07 5:50 pm Post subject: Re: bee advice PLEASE
[quote="lottie"]these are nasty---must have been stung a dozen times through gloves/ suit arms. If they're nasty little b**s, so you really want them?

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 07 5:51 pm Post subject: Re: bee advice PLEASE

[quote="mochyn"]

lottie wrote:

these are nasty---must have been stung a dozen times through gloves/ suit arms.

If they're nasty little b**s, so you really want them?

very good point

mochyn

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

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 07 5:54 pm Post subject:
The two swarms I've had from Ches are nice natured little souls. I know I'd steer clear of stroppy bees!

lottie

Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 07 5:55 pm Post subject:

sally_in_wales wrote:

We had a swarm on a post once, I think we put a bin over the post and they shifted into that after a while. Sounds like you may need to call in re-inforcements if they are being stroppy though

thats the problem with trying to balance the box---there is wire on the fence posts and the farmer won't be happy if i cut it----perhaps i could cut slits in a plastic bim.

chez

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

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 07 5:56 pm Post subject:

They might be extra narky if it's as thundery with you as it is with us?
Also, I understand that if they've been there long enough to start making comb (as with one of our recent 'tree full of bees' scenarios), they're no longer a swarm, but are classed as a colony and therefore will be narky because you're disturbing them.

Can you actually smoke 'em up in to tree itself, wait for the swarm to re-hang themselves, hopefully in a slightly more accessible position (maybe tomorrow) and then knock them down?

Or if you smoke them apart sufficiently, can you pick out the queen manually and pop her in the nuc box with a few workers and hope everyone else follows?

Or, scoop most of them on to a white sheet with the nuc box on, put a few in the box and hope everyone else follows?

Let us know what happens.

lottie

Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 07 6:04 pm Post subject:

Very close here which makes them twitchy---run my bees down for the move so i'm keen to get a big colony---thats how i've left them chez---brood box with drawn out comb in next to postand a ramp with awhite sheet and scooped some bees in box and on ramp----going to look in 5 mins when they've settled. 90% are on the postwith a few on the top wire like a t---it's quite awkward---the problem is i think the queen is in the thicker bit in the grass at the bottom so it's awkward to get up. I'll check for any more advice and go back out----thanks for your help

chez

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

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 07 6:07 pm Post subject:
I let our fifth swarm fly and felt awful about it - as if I was 'wasting' bees. Good luck!

lottie

Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 07 7:13 pm Post subject:

BEES 1 FAT OLD LADY 0
got 90% of bees into box just sweeping them with an ultra soft brush off the post into pan and putting them in box--but couldn't reach thru fence enough to get the last few[ bees on both sides] and that was obviously where the queen was---why couldn't it have happened when my o.h. was here at the weekend---my days of climbing over a stockfence with a top strand of barbed wire are over with my knee---it's a b****r getting old. Anyway I've left them to it---they might go in---put some pheromone in out of freezer but i'm not sure it works---and theres always a chance they'll go in the bait hive at the end of the field. I know they were a bit feisty but in my limited experience it was the biggest swarm I've ever seen and I would have liked them---they've got a choice of 2 boxes and they are still there so far so fingers crossed for tomorrow. thanks for support Lottie.

arvo

Joined: 04 Dec 2006
Posts: 3321
Location: Somerset

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 07 8:15 pm Post subject:
Where exactly are you? I am busy tomorrow but I'm around on Thursday if a) you're not too far away and b) they're still there. And also if c) I can still do the suit up, but I think I can, just about. Edit: Bugger, this is Chez, posting from Arvo's account. Sorry! He DOESN'T have a bump .

lottie

Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 07 9:00 pm Post subject:

thanks for the offer it's very much appreciated ---but I'm sure they'll be gone---think they may have been there a bit ---not in an obvious place I'd have spotted ---may explain their crankiness.believe me---you'd get my spare beesuit zipped up

Just spoken to my o.h. on phone---he says if they are there tommorow morning give it one last go then call it quits if they are so umpty---I'm just a stubborn cus who hates to be beaten

chez

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

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 07 9:17 pm Post subject:
Exactly - I would be taking it personally, too . And I keep thinking that five frames cost �120 if you buy them from from Thornes! Here's hoping that they walk in to your box tomorrow morning.

Cathryn

Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 19856
Location: Ceredigion

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 07 9:22 pm Post subject:
Lottie - I can come over in the morning and give you a hand (before work but i can be flexible )

lottie

Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 07 11:08 am Post subject:
Yipee!! I got em---just hope they stay in hive--feel really pleased in spite of several stings---my left hands like a tight sausage---not too worried they are narky bees as even if I have to get them right by buying a docile queen to swop with this one it's alot cheaper than buying a colony this size.

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