Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => TOP BAR HIVES - WARRE HIVES - LONG HIVES => Topic started by: walking.plow on June 12, 2009, 05:00:55 pm
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OOOPS. Was that suppose to happen?
My son and I recently built a top bar hive and installed a 3# package of bees. After checking them about thee days later, I find they started building two very nice size combs on the comb in the middle of the hive, I assumed the bees would start there brood comb in the front, near the entrance hole. ? Oh well.
Q1 should I do anything about the comb they started in the middle of the hive?
Also as I started to remove the queen box that the queen was hanging in, at the same time a rather good size comb fell off a top bar to the floor of the hive trapping the queen box under it.
Apparently they built there first comb around the queen box and as i held the white tab and removed the top bar to extract the box the comb fell...with the box as it slipped from my fingers. The queen box went down with the comb and now lays under the comb. Resting on the floor of the hive. the comb was white, brand new and half full of honey. Seeing I had caused enough damage for one day I slowly closed up the hive and left them alone.
Q2 Should I try to tie the fallen comb up to a top bar?
Q3 I cannot confirm nor deny the health of the queen.
WOW What a NUBE !! :roll:
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you need to go back and make sure the queen is not in that box. also, it's a good idea to clean up little messes as you go. the bees have a tendency to turn a little mess into a big one! you can take that piece of comb and set it out for the bees to clean up unless you feel confident about tying it back in. if you just want a quick in and out, get the queen cage, get the dropped comb, close it up.
we all make mistakes and messes. we sometimes do everything right and it still all goes wrong. it's all part of learning :-D
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ok I recovered the fallen comb tied it to a top bar. :-D The bees are very gentle. I also recovered the queen box.
When I originally installed the box a few days ago, I noticed three bees in the queen box. This being my first go round I figured they had already ate through the candy and the workers were just looking around the box. The box was surrounded by bees :bee: :bee: so I did not look close. I was satisfied by seeing the three bees in the box assuming the workers had recovered the queen .
:? Today I see there was cork in both holes not candy in one hole. There was now two worker bees and one dead bee in the box.
Q1 How can someone put workers in with a queen? Is that normal? :-\
Q2 I assume here I need to purchase another queen? :(
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is the queen still alive? if so, release her into the hive now. the easiest way, if the box is one of the wooden ones with the screen, is to peel back the screen while holding the box low in the hive and next to comb. she should just crawl out onto the comb. or you can peel back the screen and lay the box on the bottom for a few min. keep the box low so that you don't lose her.
if she's dead. you'll need a new one.
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huh Today I see there was cork in both holes not candy in one hole. There was now two worker bees and one dead bee in the box.
Yes, this is standard. The cork on one end is to put the queen in and also for emergency release, while the cork at the other end prevents the bees from removing the queen while in transit and still in the package you get from your bee supplier. Normally, when you install the queen into a hive, you remove the cork exposing the candy. Some queen cages do not have candy in them. With those cages you must remove the cork and mash a marshmellow in it's place.
Q1 How can someone put workers in with a queen? Is that normal? :-\
Yes, those are her attendants. I've never not had worker bees in the queen cage.
Q2 I assume here I need to purchase another queen? :(
If she's not dead, I do not see a reason to purchase a new queen, just release her as Kathy has said.
Jeremy
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http://www.bushfarms.com/beespackages.htm
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so, what happened?? :)
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:-D
Good news
The Queen is alive and well.
So… We cleaned the fallen comb off the bottom of the hive, tied the broken comb to a top bar. Freed the queen. She seemed very happy to be out of her cage. All in all, it was an interesting lesson learned.
Thank you all for your help. Also thank you for not poking fun at a new comer. :yippiechick:
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no matter how long you do this, new things will come up.
glad it has worked out ok!
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I'm so glad that worked out well for you! I'm a newcomer, too, and thrilled when the girls do okay despite all my bumbling. :-P