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Author Topic: How to fix a package?  (Read 4149 times)

Offline ORoedel

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How to fix a package?
« on: January 17, 2012, 06:49:56 pm »
My packet bees arrives and I have e serious problem: they doesn't want to stay in the hive.
I let them closed for 3 days, they took sugar sirup but no comb, no eggs, nothing. They want only leave the hive!?
Some ideas?
I have only the packages, no other bees.

Offline backyard warrior

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Re: How to fix a package?
« Reply #1 on: January 17, 2012, 07:11:18 pm »
Make sure the queen is alive and inside the queen cage.  Make sure you give them sugar syrup.  The bees will not leave with the queen inside the hive.  Bees will want to leave the hive to find forage and food thats what they do  Chris  worse case scenario you can put the queen excluder on top of the bottom board till the queen starts laying eggs then it can be removed

Offline Kathyp

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Re: How to fix a package?
« Reply #2 on: January 17, 2012, 08:43:51 pm »
what did you do with the queen.  did you leave her caged, or turn her loose?  if she's caged, you can leave her caged for a few days until they settle.  you don't want to keep them locked up because they need to get out and scout the area. 
Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline AllenF

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Re: How to fix a package?
« Reply #3 on: January 17, 2012, 09:33:58 pm »
I hope they were shipped with a queen in a cage.

Offline ORoedel

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Re: How to fix a package?
« Reply #4 on: January 19, 2012, 08:01:46 pm »
I opened the queen cages and they are still free. Very free  :-x
Today i put the queen excluders on top of the bottom board. Will see what happened now.
Sugar sirup, all of them have.

All my informations were to open the cage imeadiately, this wasn't OK, i think.
This packages are the first packages of Brazil, never had this here. It's an experiment.
I can't understand why the swarms want to leave the hives  :?

I captured hundreds of swarms in nature or buildings, but there you have some combs with eggs and stuff...
Tomorrow we will see what will happend, until now there is no bee returning with polen.

Offline sc-bee

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Re: How to fix a package?
« Reply #5 on: January 19, 2012, 08:40:13 pm »
All my informations were to open the cage imeadiately, this wasn't OK, i think.
This packages are the first packages of Brazil, never had this here. It's an experiment.
I can't understand why the swarms want to leave the hives  :

Depends on how long the queens had been with the packages.
John 3:16

Offline AllenF

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Re: How to fix a package?
« Reply #6 on: January 19, 2012, 10:44:12 pm »
I wonder if they are building comb or just hanging out there.   Also, is the queen alive?

Offline ORoedel

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Re: How to fix a package?
« Reply #7 on: January 20, 2012, 01:34:23 pm »
All my informations were to open the cage imeadiately, this wasn't OK, i think.
This packages are the first packages of Brazil, never had this here. It's an experiment.
I can't understand why the swarms want to leave the hives  :

Depends on how long the queens had been with the packages.

I guess the queens were kept prison for 16-24 hours together with the bees.
You think it needs more time?

Offline ORoedel

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Re: How to fix a package?
« Reply #8 on: January 20, 2012, 01:40:34 pm »
I wonder if they are building comb or just hanging out there.   Also, is the queen alive?

I think so, without queen the swarm will not leave the hive.
I put the queen excluders and at the evening one swarm wanted to leave, but he returns  :-D
I guess cause of the queen who couldn't left the hive.

Offline Rich V

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Re: How to fix a package?
« Reply #9 on: January 20, 2012, 04:59:12 pm »
Are they leaving the hive and gathering on a branch or bush then going back to the hive? Are they staying in front of the hive?

Offline yockey5

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Re: How to fix a package?
« Reply #10 on: January 20, 2012, 05:21:15 pm »
I am thinking the queen is dead.

Offline Poppi

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Re: How to fix a package?
« Reply #11 on: January 20, 2012, 06:41:45 pm »
Sounds like the first thing you need to do is make sure the queen is still in the hive... 

Offline ORoedel

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Re: How to fix a package?
« Reply #12 on: January 20, 2012, 08:19:39 pm »
The first swarms left the hive and stopped in trees (i get them back, lost only one).
Later, with queen excluder, they stayed on the entrance and some minutes later went back.

I remembered i had still 3 hives on the field (couldn't take back to stock, cause african bees had reeinvaded). "Robbed" some combs, the african bees stil died (i had closed the entrance), and this way i could introduce some combs (without honey and eggs).
But it seems to be fixed, the bees are working on the combs now. Will see they will like also the "used" african combs.

Thanks for your help, will keep you informed!

Offline rdy-b

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Re: How to fix a package?
« Reply #13 on: January 20, 2012, 08:26:33 pm »
 can you tell me about the bees --where they came from --what kind are they---?

 when we install package bees it is close to dark --immediate queen release is ok if queen is with bees 3 days-
   :)  I had similar problem once with nukes that where made up -and we used virgin queens-installad with cage
  after they ate the candy out of cage plug they flew intill depopulated --RDY-B
« Last Edit: January 20, 2012, 08:40:59 pm by rdy-b »

Offline ORoedel

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Re: How to fix a package?
« Reply #14 on: February 10, 2012, 04:22:53 pm »
Opened the "packages" today, after many problems, it´s great to see up to four combs of breed! Wow!

The bees are Ligustica NAVEIRO tribe. One of the real pure tribes in world. Even italian beekeepers buy them, cause don´t exist pure italian bees in Italy.
In Argentina is it http://www.reinasdeprieto.com.ar/ and in Brasil www.apiariocosmos.com.br (where i bought).

The queens were tested of there laying capacity. And they lay really  :-D
Don´t forget here is middle summer, not the best time for packages. Even the criator told me after january is no way to get them.
They "drink" 600ml sugar syrup every day now! And carry pollen like crazy. What a wonderful bee!
African bees: never again!

Offline Alessandro

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Re: How to fix a package?
« Reply #15 on: January 14, 2013, 04:35:32 pm »
Hi,
I put a comb of larvas and bees with the queen in the hive, the evening late, when the bees don't fly anymore I put the package of bees (we don't use hormone) above the hive, so that the bees can go down passing from the hole for the nutrition. I have never had problems
Regards
Alessandro

 

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