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Author Topic: Newly placed hives...pic added + part 2  (Read 9704 times)

Offline Harpo

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Newly placed hives...pic added + part 2
« on: January 23, 2012, 11:58:32 pm »
hi Guys,

I just bought home 2 8 frame hives which are made up of 2 brood boxes, an excluder then 2 supers...

We moved them 80kms - originally in shade of pine trees they are now in full sun....

The loading had a few dramas as the bottom boxes were a little damaged so quite a few escaped - much duct tape was needed...

Unloading was more fun with 100's of angry bees having pushed their way out!!! Got them off the trailer and into postion... 5 hours have passed and both of these hives are heavily bearded...

Are they adjusting to the full sun position? resetting their GPS? my other hives aren't bearding - just a few out front and the fields coming and going???

Any input greatly appreciated  :)



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« Last Edit: January 26, 2012, 02:26:55 am by Harpo »

Offline Harpo

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Re: Newly placed hives...pic added
« Reply #1 on: January 24, 2012, 02:53:06 am »
Well it's starting drizzling here and the bees are refusing to go in - walked out and was 60m away and got bombed...  :evil:

How long will it take for them to settle? I hope they settle!!!!

Should I go over and give them a good smoking???

Offline OzBuzz

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Re: Newly placed hives...pic added
« Reply #2 on: January 24, 2012, 04:06:03 am »
Just let them settle over night - they will figure it out

Offline Harpo

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Re: Newly placed hives...pic added
« Reply #3 on: January 24, 2012, 05:52:10 am »
I hope they do!!!

They're still out, it's cold and drizzly still - don't want my new babies to get head colds  ;)

Offline Johnny253

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Re: Newly placed hives...pic added
« Reply #4 on: January 24, 2012, 09:14:22 am »
You have a massive hive with what appears to be a massive number of bees. Isn't all this hard to handle? Why not split them into 4 hives with a single brood box and single super?

Offline iddee

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Re: Newly placed hives...pic added
« Reply #5 on: January 24, 2012, 10:05:32 am »
Is that metal they are setting on? If so, in full sun, isn't that like setting them on the stove and turning the burner on?

I would also check to be sure they had empty space, and not honey bound. If not, add another super.
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

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Online BeeMaster2

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Re: Newly placed hives...pic added
« Reply #6 on: January 24, 2012, 12:52:18 pm »
Is that metal they are setting on? If so, in full sun, isn't that like setting them on the stove and turning the burner on?

I would also check to be sure they had empty space, and not honey bound. If not, add another super.

Looks like expanded metal to me. That should not be a problem like a flat piece of metal would be.
Looks to me like they over heated during the trip and are out of the hive to let it cool.
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 Harpo

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Re: Newly placed hives...pic added
« Reply #7 on: January 24, 2012, 06:21:32 pm »
You have a massive hive with what appears to be a massive number of bees. Isn't all this hard to handle? Why not split them into 4 hives with a single brood box and single super?

Hi Johnny253 - yes they are impressive aren't they  :)

I would love to do that!!!! My other hives are 3 x 10 frame doubles ( brood/super ) and an 8 frame double... so with these 2 I now have 6....

I'm only on 1/2 an acre and as such I'm only allowed to have 8 hives  :(

I'm going to reduce them to doubles??? and on top of that I'm sure one of my doubles will need splitting -I'm new to all of this so it's a constant learning curve  :lol:

Offline ShaneJ

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Re: Newly placed hives...pic added
« Reply #8 on: January 24, 2012, 06:23:16 pm »
Harpo do you get many beetles around your area?

I would replace those telescopic lids with migratory lids. The telescopic lids allow the beetles to hide between the lid and the top edge of supers. Also the migratory lids give a tad extra room in the hive.

I'm also with Iddee, I would at least put some timbers under the hives so they are not directly sitting on that grid/mesh stuff. In the heat would you sit your bare bum on it?
Shane

Offline Harpo

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Re: Newly placed hives...pic added
« Reply #9 on: January 24, 2012, 07:48:04 pm »
Hi ShaneJ,

don't really have a problem with SHB here and my original hives are nice and strong an seem to be fending them off - have only found the odd beetle in my AJ traps...

I was a little miffed when I pulled the duct tape off the new ones as there were so many - the man who owned them died and the property owner wanted them gone... fair enough. He had them in FULL shade under a stand of pines and from what I understand hadn't been touched since September??? Despite being cranky from the move I opened one up to check the super and it's full with honey - I'm guessing the one below is also full?? ... he had used a piece of corflute? ( real estate signage ) as a trap but the bees had sealed the little openings... will fit some AJ's and maybe buy some new metal bottoms with built in beetle traps from Hornsby bee keeping supplies... a little expensive but set and check without opening it up.... as the bottom boxes were sitting on a layer of pine needles which held moisture and some of the bottom has deteriorated  :(

Unfortunately my hives are all over the place - I had 3 swarms land in my orchard and when I caught them I left the hives where they'd landed.... my hubby hates bee ( have now won him over - he moved the quads  :-* ) and feels like he's playing Russian roulette when he mows...

Hence the bee deck!!! Now I wanted marine ply or timber decking !!!! He decided to be thrifty and said he'd extend in out on both sides for the other hives... I'm not happy as firstly - it'll look UGLY and secondly, as you pointed out it WILL get hot.... he said it won't because of the air flow???

I'll get some of those migratory lids too BUT will then add some clips.... I have thoughts of them being knocked somehow and falling over resulting in 10's of 1000's of angry of bees which go on the rampage  :-P

It's pouring down here now and they've finally decided to go in... YAY!!! Think they did overheat as Jim suggested... AND as soon as the weather clears I'll get in and rob the honey as they may well be honey bound as iddee said....

 
  
« Last Edit: January 24, 2012, 07:59:38 pm by Harpo »

Offline ShaneJ

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Re: Newly placed hives...pic added
« Reply #10 on: January 25, 2012, 02:50:20 am »
No worries Harpo.

Re the migratory lids, don't buy any expensive clips or anything like that. Either use one of those ratchet straps like in your picture above or just sit a brick on top. The bees glue the lid down pretty quick so you don't need to worry about it coming off easily.
Shane

Offline yockey5

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Re: Newly placed hives...pic added
« Reply #11 on: January 25, 2012, 04:24:09 pm »
I am envious.  ;) Nice looking colonies.

Offline Harpo

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Re: Newly placed hives...pic added
« Reply #12 on: January 25, 2012, 06:09:20 pm »
Thanks yockey5!

The farmer was going to spray them  :-x

As a farmer I thought he'd be more eco friendly AND considering he had lots of fruit trees which they would have pollinated I was stunned! Such is the ignorance of some folk...

his loss is my gain  :-D

Offline Harpo

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Re: Newly placed hives...pic added + part 2
« Reply #13 on: January 26, 2012, 02:32:19 am »


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Okay as you can see it's been a few days and one of the hives is still refusing to settle??  :?

It's been raining heavily so if they're honey bound my hands are tied....  :(

should I try and smoke them in??? don't want to irritate them any more  :-\

also there a more than a few dead bees lying below? Have some from the neighbouring hive gotten confused and tried to enter by mistake?/?

Any thoughts shared would be most appreciated!!!

Offline bernsad

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Re: Newly placed hives...pic added + part 2
« Reply #14 on: January 26, 2012, 04:38:45 am »
I wouldn't bother smoking them in, I figure they will get there when they want to if there is enough room. It's possible the dead ones got killed when you moved the hives and the bees are busy cleaning house.

Offline yantabulla

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Re: Newly placed hives...pic added + part 2
« Reply #15 on: January 26, 2012, 05:12:43 am »
Harpo,

I just think they are angry off about the 80 k road trip.  The dead bees are probably due to the move but if they continue you should look for another cause.

Smoking them won't help!

Give them a week or so to sort themselves out.

I really don't think the steel base is an issue in our conditions.  The ground temperature would be the same as the steel on a hot day.

My bees are in need of floaties here on the Mid North Coast

Yanta

Offline yockey5

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Re: Newly placed hives...pic added + part 2
« Reply #16 on: January 26, 2012, 03:37:56 pm »
I am betting they need room, yesterday!  ;)From all appearances, these colonies are very strong.

Offline iddee

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Re: Newly placed hives...pic added + part 2
« Reply #17 on: January 26, 2012, 04:13:09 pm »
It doesn't look like it was raining very hard when you took that photo. It wouldn't take any longer to lift the lid, slide a super on, and replace the lid than it took to snap the pic. They are outside to let the inside cool. Smoke them in and they will over heat.
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

*Shel Silverstein*

Offline Harpo

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Re: Newly placed hives...pic added + part 2
« Reply #18 on: January 26, 2012, 06:06:31 pm »
It doesn't look like it was raining very hard when you took that photo. It wouldn't take any longer to lift the lid, slide a super on, and replace the lid than it took to snap the pic. They are outside to let the inside cool. Smoke them in and they will over heat.

Well it's coming in bursts - we've had MAJOR FLOODING along the coast of Eastern Oz - as poor Yantabulla would testify too..

Now I have 2 brood boxes, then an excluder and then 2 honey supers which probably need emptying...

Where do you want me to put the box? empty box? or one full of foundation?

OH!!! Pic was also taken with a tele-lense from 60m away  :-P

Offline Harpo

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Re: Newly placed hives...pic added + part 2
« Reply #19 on: January 26, 2012, 06:14:38 pm »
I am betting they need room, yesterday!  ;)From all appearances, these colonies are very strong.

Forgive me iddee - was thinking more space means more room for brood which inturn leads to more bees compounding the problem???

If honey bound etc would they know I've added the extra super? some beeks say the bees can get lazy and not travel up through the excluder to get to a single super, let alone second and third.... maybe lift the 2 supers off and place new one above excluder?

Offline iddee

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Re: Newly placed hives...pic added + part 2
« Reply #20 on: January 26, 2012, 07:41:14 pm »
If you place a queen excluder just under a new box of foundation, they see it as a ceiling where the real ceiling has always been, and don't try to go past it.

If they are already using the excluder, they will go through it as if it doesn't exist. One, two, three, or more supers, they don't care once they have adapted to using the excluder.

Having said that, the nearer the brood you can get the new super, the better. If you can get it under one or more of the existing supers, it will be better, but for now, any empty space will help. Maybe slip it on top in the rain, then harvest a lower super or move it down when the weather clears.

No forgiveness needed. Ask anything any time you want. Glad to help.
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

*Shel Silverstein*

Offline yockey5

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Re: Newly placed hives...pic added + part 2
« Reply #21 on: January 26, 2012, 09:22:55 pm »
I have had bees close off queen excluders, I took it as they don't see it as a way up. I agree with Iddee.

Offline yockey5

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Re: Newly placed hives...pic added + part 2
« Reply #22 on: January 26, 2012, 09:23:53 pm »
BTW, I answered the PM as best I could. ;)