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Author Topic: Can this swarm survive?  (Read 5170 times)

Offline annette

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Can this swarm survive?
« on: September 12, 2012, 08:43:31 pm »
My friend Joanne caught a tiny swarm that covers only 2 medium frames. Lo and behold there was a queen with them and she has been laying eggs.

So I gave her my little medium nuc box (5 frames) to over winter them in. We also gave them 1 frame of capped brood and a frame of capped honey. She is feeding them of course.

So the question we have is:

How do we help this little tiny swarm along so they can make it through the winter. Can they live in that 5 frame nuc box all winter?? Don't forget this is a medium nuc.

Any replies would be helpful

Thank you very much
Annette

Offline AllenF

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Re: Can this swarm survive?
« Reply #1 on: September 12, 2012, 09:23:30 pm »
Keep adding frames of food and brood slowly to help build them. 

Offline JP

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Re: Can this swarm survive?
« Reply #2 on: September 12, 2012, 10:20:26 pm »
I have overwintered med nucs down here Annette but your winters are more severe. I think you could do it. Just make sure they have enough feed and be prepared to emergency feed if necessary. I would suggest as Allen did fattening them up and weighing the hive before winter. If need be you can weigh them later on into winter to gauge whether they need feed or not. If you have the means, freeze a few frames of honey as a stand by if they need it.


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Offline yelnifok

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Re: Can this swarm survive?
« Reply #3 on: September 13, 2012, 01:59:18 am »
Annette, you might consider placing the nuc on top of a double screen inner cover on top of a strong hive- the heat from the strong hive rises into the nuc and saves them a lot of work keeping warm. I've done this here and it worked- did have to feed the nuc to get it ready for winter.
   lee...

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Can this swarm survive?
« Reply #4 on: September 13, 2012, 01:15:06 pm »
Last year I removed a Q and the remaining bees from a SHB infested NUC that had ben a swarm and placed her in my OB hive. She survived with a fist full of bees. In the spring, I gave her some brood. She recovered nicely and I later added her to a split. She was a good producer.
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Offline annette

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Re: Can this swarm survive?
« Reply #5 on: September 14, 2012, 12:07:37 am »
Thanks for all the replies. I will pass these on to my friend Joanne.

It sounds encouraging. It truly is a sweet sight to see a small cluster of bees with a queen trying to make it work.

Offline Robo

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Re: Can this swarm survive?
« Reply #6 on: September 14, 2012, 10:24:22 am »
The best chance is in a polystyrene nuc with a small bottom entrance.   Heat retention is the biggest concern.   Get them in it ASAP and feed them a gallon of 2:1 syrup and then don't open.  This gives them time to seal any air leaks.    I have good success overwintering small nucs this way.   The retained heat now will let them raise the most bees to prepare for winter.  You could even up there population with excess bees from booming colonies.   If they keep warm, there will be no condensation issues.

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Offline annette

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Re: Can this swarm survive?
« Reply #7 on: September 15, 2012, 02:39:49 pm »
The best chance is in a polystyrene nuc with a small bottom entrance.   Heat retention is the biggest concern.   Get them in it ASAP and feed them a gallon of 2:1 syrup and then don't open.  This gives them time to seal any air leaks.    I have good success overwintering small nucs this way.   The retained heat now will let them raise the most bees to prepare for winter.  You could even up there population with excess bees from booming colonies.   If they keep warm, there will be no condensation issues.



We are still having high 90's so no issues right now with heat retention, but I know this will be the most important thing. Joanne plans on getting some hay stacks to place close around them to keep them warm. She also moved them to a warmer location.

By the way did you read my post on the laying worker that accepted the queen using your introduction frame?

Offline Finski

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Re: Can this swarm survive?
« Reply #8 on: September 17, 2012, 12:48:37 am »
Keep adding frames of food and brood slowly to help build them. 

the the value of swarm   has only the value of queen. And what is the value of that queen.

So you sacrifice the brood frames  4-5 pieces for that unknown queen.
That means that you make a split. The swarm is same size what I use as mating nucs.

Just now I have 15 extra queen. Lots of mating nucs.

I join hives before winter andnever split.

But Anette, your winter is not real and perhaps your bee summer continues there.




 
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Offline Finski

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Re: Can this swarm survive?
« Reply #9 on: September 17, 2012, 12:54:48 am »
.
If it were a summer and I get a one frame langstroth swarm.
What I do!
Nothing. That swarm is mere nuisance. I join it to a mating nuc.

.
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Offline annette

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Re: Can this swarm survive?
« Reply #10 on: September 17, 2012, 10:14:48 pm »
The beekeeper who caught this swarm only has 2 other hives and really wants to make an effort to save this hive. Also this is sort of an experiment. If she ends up a mated queen, then it is good to try and save them rather than killing the queen in order to combine.

Annette

Offline Finski

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Re: Can this swarm survive?
« Reply #11 on: September 18, 2012, 02:29:37 pm »
The beekeeper who caught this swarm only has 2 other hives and really wants to make an effort to save this hive. Also this is sort of an experiment. If she ends up a mated queen, then it is good to try and save them rather than killing the queen in order to combine.

Annette

holy holy

just like our neighbour  100 yards away.

He had 10 mother cats and 50 puppies and he was not able to kill not a single one.
Then animal protection society  came and cleaned the situation.

And the next neighbour had horses and 20  dogs. Authorities has taken her 3 children away because mother liked more horses and dogs.

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Offline JP

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Re: Can this swarm survive?
« Reply #12 on: September 18, 2012, 10:21:03 pm »
 :pop: :pop: :pop:


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Offline annette

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Re: Can this swarm survive?
« Reply #13 on: September 18, 2012, 10:22:22 pm »
All I can say Finski is  :roll: :roll: :roll:

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Can this swarm survive?
« Reply #14 on: September 19, 2012, 12:33:01 pm »
JP,
Would you pass me a bucket?
Thanks.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline duck

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Re: Can this swarm survive?
« Reply #15 on: September 20, 2012, 12:55:28 am »
hey Annette, I think Finski is trying to warn your friend to not become a bee hoarder!  Or else the gubment is gunna take away her family to the gulag!  :police:

 

anything