Author Topic: question of strategy (Read 3138 times)

bill · « **on:** May 30, 2005, 02:22:37 pm »

I got stung yesterday because of the inner cover. The hive is a swarm, but up to now they wouldn't sting even if you took the lid off and moved the frames, so I was not prepared to be attacked .what happened I took the cover off, no problem, took the inner cover off as I couldn't see any bewes out in the middle, but as soon as I removed the inner cover" the bees who were crowded against one side crawled out on the edge of the hive body. I thought how am I going to put this back? well I took the edge of the inner cover and thought I would just slide it on pushing the bee off of it in order not to kill bees. well they didn't like that, and I got several stijngs. I am not complaining. but I wonder how a more experienced beekeeper would have handled it. I could avoid it by suiting up or smoking but I already know I will do it again. any good advice?

Horns Pure Honey · « **Reply #1 on:** May 30, 2005, 03:05:15 pm »

Always use your veil, maybe some gloves. :D

Finsky · « **Reply #2 on:** May 30, 2005, 03:59:58 pm »

Quote from: bill

but as soon as I removed the inner cover" the bees who were crowded against one side crawled out on the edge of the hive body. I thought how am I going to put this back? well I took the edge of the inner cover and thought I would just slide it on pushing the bee off of it in order not to kill bees. any good advice?

Looks like you have too small space for bees. They never do that unless hive is too crowdy or you give too much smoke. Or if they are without queen, bees are restless.

Bees go themselves to hive. You neeed not do anything.

1) Look if you have enough space for bees
2) Do they have built combs
3) If they have not build, they perhaps have not queen.
4) Have they larvas / brood / eggs

Jerrymac · « **Reply #3 on:** May 30, 2005, 04:14:56 pm »

My bees have never heard of that Finsky. Every time, on every hive, when I open it up the bees will get up on the edge of the hive. And they are no where near crowded. I always have to sit the cover, or what ever, on one side and slowly slide it pushing bees out of the way with brush. About as fast as I can get some out of the way others will pop up. I have used smoke to run them back down with some success.

bill · « **Reply #4 on:** May 30, 2005, 04:18:34 pm »

well finsky. they have plenty of room, It is a swarm that I got about two weeks ago, but most of their room is foundation. and they have been up against that north wall of the hive since I got them I will inspect them this afternoon and describe what I see on here, but if I remember correctly they had started to draw out comb on the frame next to that wall of the hive. If there is brood in it should I move the brood to the center of the hive? If there is no brood I will combine it with my nuc that I am pretty sure has queen, with the newspaper method. they seem to bee flying normally

Apis629 · « **Reply #5 on:** May 30, 2005, 06:44:07 pm »

Quote

I got stung yesterday because of the inner cover. The hive is a swarm, but up to now they wouldn't sting even if you took the lid off and moved the frames, so I was not prepared to be attacked .what happened I took the cover off, no problem, took the inner cover off as I couldn't see any bewes out in the middle, but as soon as I removed the inner cover" the bees who were crowded against one side crawled out on the edge of the hive body. I thought how am I going to put this back? well I took the edge of the inner cover and thought I would just slide it on pushing the bee off of it in order not to kill bees. well they didn't like that, and I got several stijngs.

I'm luckey enough that I never have this problem with inner covers. What's my solution you ask, its to skip the inner covers. Down here all inner covers do is give SHBs a place to hide. I just went with flat tops. Texas stays reletively warm throught the year right? So if you only have a few hives that isn't it possible to go with flat tops and just elliminate the problem with inner covers? :?

Finsky · « **Reply #6 on:** May 31, 2005, 01:16:05 am »

Quote from: Jerrymac

My bees have never heard of that Finsky. Every time, on every hive, when I open it up the bees will get up on the edge of the hive. .

I can also say, that during my 40 beekeeping years, bees do not rush out from frames. May be at the beginning of beekeeping swarms were quite wild and they must smoke all the time. But during 15 years they stay on frames nicely.

Bees has two distict inherited behaviour: attach and run away. In modern bee those two has eliminated but they come back when bees cross enough.

So, change your queens.

Finsky · « **Reply #7 on:** May 31, 2005, 01:38:04 am »

Quote from: bill

It is a swarm that I got about two weeks ago, but most of their room is foundation. and they have been up against that north wall of the hive since

Sounds like hive is too small to gather honey.

Quote

If there is brood in it should I move the brood to the center of the hive?

When bees take a place in the hive, there is no need to put it another way. They like to try correct situation. I have done that mistake many times.

Quote

If there is no brood I will combine it with my nuc that I am pretty sure has queen, with the newspaper method. they seem to bee flying normally

If you have a nuc, it is better to put them together. It is cruel but really wise. As two hives are not able to gather honey. When you join them now,it developes well and you will get honey this summer. In July you can take a nuc from that big hive.

If hive is under 2 Langstroth boxes, it's development is slow.

Take a swarm queen and kill it. Next day you put together with nuc. For a night put the screen between tohose two hive and they will become same odor. Then just put them together. You can put nuc queen under little age taht nothing harm will happen. When I join two even hives, I do not use any screens or papers. But when queen is valuable, I do not take a risk.

You must get rid of that swarming restless queen. Otherwise you have all the time conflicts with your hive. And it will swarm next year. When I started my beekeeping I buyed tens of swarms and I found that if I put them together that they occupy 2 Langstroth boxes, it will gather 80 lbs honey in 1,5 month. Our summer is shorter than yours.

If I had 10 lbs swarm, it was able to gather 100-120 lbs honey.

4 lbs swarm = 1 langstroth box is too slow to develope. There is no space for brood and honey. Swarms are really eager to gather honey but when box is full of larvas, they are not able to do nothing elese than feed them.

It takes 1,5 month that larvas collect honey as field bees.

I know that most of hobby beekeepers are not able to do trick I mentioned. So they have all the time too smal hives, they collect hive full of honey and they swarm and run away. They never get good yields. They keep they swarming queen daugters and beekeeping is mere challenge. :P

When you have really good hive, you can take from there a couple of nucs in July. Then before autumn you can take a couple brood frames from main hive and give them to nucs. You will have good colonies for winter.

I have passed just now "dead point" in some hives. After winter a couple of hives were coffee cup size. I gived them brood frames in April, and now those are full of brood. Soon I give them another box under brood. They will gather honey normally in July when we have main honey flow.