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Author Topic: most of the bees from my cut out left  (Read 2780 times)

Offline gdog

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most of the bees from my cut out left
« on: July 17, 2013, 10:52:30 am »
I did a cut out over the week end and noticed most of the bees have left. I have them in a large super with comb I saved from their hive.  It seems only a few workers and not very many foragers are left. Would it be OK if I took bees from my other hives and added them to this hive? I am unsure if the queen is in the box. The bees are very calm which tells me the queen may be in there. Am I right or wrong on that?

Or would I be better off just adding the super to another hive?

Offline WarPonyFarms

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Re: most of the bees from my cut out left
« Reply #1 on: July 17, 2013, 12:44:32 pm »
Without knowing more, any answer is speculation. 

How old was the hive cut out?  Was their young enough brood in the comb saved to make a new queen if something happened to the old queen?  How far away from the old hive location is the new hive located?  Many variables.

When I've had bees disappear as described, the hive was queenless.  Either she wasn't obtained in the cut out process, was damaged or killed during the process, or didn't appreciate the new home provided and absconded.  If it was a young hive, it may have been headed by a virgin and there may not have been any brood in the comb saved.  Sometimes the bees follow her when she attempts to make her mating flight.

If there wasn't any young brood or eggs in the comb saved, and the queen is MIA, then sometimes the foragers will simply find a neighboring hive to put their efforts into. 

Any time I do a cut out on a young hive I add a frame of young brood to anchor them to the new box and assure they have something to work with if something happens to the queen.

Calm bees don't mean they are queen rite. 

Depending on the numbers of whats left, you may be better off merging them with one of your current hives.  If they're calm and few, a queen search should be fairly easy before the final decision is made. 

Is whats left worth the time required to save it this time of year.  Can they be built up enough to survive your winter??  How much brood and bees can my other hives spare to assist without effecting my fall honey flow?

These are questions you will have to decide for your operation.

For us, the question I would ask is "Can what's left over make a decent queen if I provide them a frame of young brood?"  Otherwise I would merge them so they can be an asset to another hive.


Good luck

Offline gdog

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Re: most of the bees from my cut out left
« Reply #2 on: July 17, 2013, 02:04:24 pm »
I have to do a check for the queen i have 9 frames of brood/larva I rubber banded into frames from the old hive. The cut out was from a old established hive my guess in the house eave for two or more years.

If I don't find the queen i will do a combine with another hive. hopefully the brood will hatch out the temps here have been in the 90's hope they did not die off in the last few days. It is a little late in the year for a new queen to build up a strong hive for winter. Are winters have been irregular the past few years, temps up and down, never consistant, not good for the bees.

If the brood does hatch, the numbers will be good for the entire hive.

Offline gdog

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Re: most of the bees from my cut out left
« Reply #3 on: July 17, 2013, 04:01:04 pm »
Cutout photos