Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => TOP BAR HIVES - WARRE HIVES - LONG HIVES => Topic started by: nietssemaj on May 05, 2013, 06:58:09 pm

Title: Nipiing swarming in the bud...
Post by: nietssemaj on May 05, 2013, 06:58:09 pm
I've got 2 TBH's this year installed from packages. They were originally placed into the same hive body on either end. Last week I moved one colony to a new hive body. As I expected there was alot of drift back to the old hive body. I was not able to get a look inside until today due to weather when I was available to look in.

There were lots of bees hanging around outdoors all week so I was a bit nervous and rightly so. Not only were there bees all over the the outside but literally covering the sides, bottom of the hive. The girls had 18 bars all but 3 of them are fully drawn. I found about 10 acorn cells and at least 4 queen cells with larvae in them. Mostly on 1 frame.

The queen is laying great in fact she doesn't appear to have slimmed down to swarm at all. I took 3 frames out of the colony and placed them over on the other side were I am still having bees return from the other colony. One of those frames I moved has 3 maybe 4 queen cells nearly ready to be capped.  I removed 1 queen cell from another frame and don't think there was larvae in any of the other acorns. I also added 3 more empty bars into the brood nest, between 1-2 frames of brood. Though to be frank there is only 1 maybe 2 combs in there that seem to be only honey every other comb has at least 50% brood on it.2 more bars, one on each end of the colony.

This is the frame with the 3 maybe 4 queen cells.

(http://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg634/nietssemaj/Bees/Wolf%20Creek%20Bees/Hive%201/0d86622d-dd63-43ca-a396-68632c72455e.jpg) (http://s1247.photobucket.com/user/nietssemaj/media/Bees/Wolf%20Creek%20Bees/Hive%201/0d86622d-dd63-43ca-a396-68632c72455e.jpg.html)

 I know once the bees get it into their mind to swarm its pretty much a done deal but I am really hoping to at least delay the inevitable as I will be out of town when the queen cells should be 'hatching'. Is it reasonable to assume that the queen will likely go ahead and lay in the other acorn cells?

I need to quickly.... build some Nucs this week. I'm just afraid the main colony will swarm while I am out of town.

Here is a pic of the queen. Doesn't look like she'd be likely to fly anytime soon to me but what do I know?

(http://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg634/nietssemaj/Bees/Wolf%20Creek%20Bees/Hive%201/IMG_38752.jpg) (http://s1247.photobucket.com/user/nietssemaj/media/Bees/Wolf%20Creek%20Bees/Hive%201/IMG_38752.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Nipiing swarming in the bud...
Post by: Jim134 on May 05, 2013, 07:41:17 pm
I've got 2 TBH's this year installed from packages. They were originally placed into the same hive body on either end. Last week I moved one colony to a new hive body. As I expected there was alot of drift back to the old hive body. I was not able to get a look inside until today due to weather when I was available to look in.

There were lots of bees hanging around outdoors all week so I was a bit nervous and rightly so. Not only were there bees all over the the outside but literally covering the sides, bottom of the hive. The girls had 18 bars all but 3 of them are fully drawn. I found about 10 acorn cells and at least 4 queen cells with larvae in them. . Mostly on 1 frame.
The queen is laying great in fact she doesn't appear to have slimmed down to swarm at all. I took 3 frames out of the colony and placed them over on the other side were I am still having bees return from the other colony. One of those frames I moved has 3 maybe 4 queen cells nearly ready to be capped.  I removed 1 queen cell from another frame and don't think there was larvae in any of the other acorns. I also added 3 more empty bars into the brood nest, between 1-2 frames of brood. Though to be frank there is only 1 maybe 2 combs in there that seem to be only honey every other comb has at least 50% brood on it.2 more bars, one on each end of the colony.

This is the frame with the 3 maybe 4 queen cells.

(http://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg634/nietssemaj/Bees/Wolf%20Creek%20Bees/Hive%201/0d86622d-dd63-43ca-a396-68632c72455e.jpg) (http://s1247.photobucket.com/user/nietssemaj/media/Bees/Wolf%20Creek%20Bees/Hive%201/0d86622d-dd63-43ca-a396-68632c72455e.jpg.html)

 I know once the bees get it into their mind to swarm its pretty much a done deal but I am really hoping to at least delay the inevitable as I will be out of town when the queen cells should be 'hatching'. Is it reasonable to assume that the queen will likely go ahead and lay in the other acorn cells?

I need to quickly.... build some Nucs this week. I'm just afraid the main colony will swarm while I am out of town.

Here is a pic of the queen. Doesn't look like she'd be likely to fly anytime soon to me but what do I know?

(http://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg634/nietssemaj/Bees/Wolf%20Creek%20Bees/Hive%201/IMG_38752.jpg) (http://s1247.photobucket.com/user/nietssemaj/media/Bees/Wolf%20Creek%20Bees/Hive%201/IMG_38752.jpg.html)


 X:X X:X X:X X:X X:X X:X X:X X:X

   Looks like Queen cups to me I do not see any eggs or laves in the caps so NOT a Queen cell until this happens and it looks like you did seen some.
 
But what do I know ??? After keeping bees for 50 years  :roll:


                           BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
Title: Re: Nipiing swarming in the bud...
Post by: Kathyp on May 05, 2013, 07:45:21 pm
won't hurt to take the old queen out and make a nuc with her.  be sure to leave eggs in the old hive.  don't mess with the queen cells/cups. 

you get a new nuc and maybe save the hive from swarming.  be sure to take to old queen out, not the queen cells.  by taking her out, the hive (hopefully) thinks it has swarmed.
Title: Re: Nipiing swarming in the bud...
Post by: asprince on May 05, 2013, 07:54:52 pm
Good advice from Kathy. Exactly what I would do. BTW.........nice pictures.


Steve
Title: Re: Nipiing swarming in the bud...
Post by: nietssemaj on May 05, 2013, 09:16:32 pm

 X:X X:X X:X X:X X:X X:X X:X X:X

   Looks like Queen cups to me I do not see any eggs or laves in the caps so NOT a Queen cell until this happens and it looks like you did seen some.
 
But what do I know ??? After keeping bees for 50 years  :roll:


                           BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

There is larvae in the 2 cups side by side in the middle. I also pulled one apart that was capped. The other 2 cups in that frame I didn't get a good look into. I normally wouldn't mess with the queen cells but I didn't want her to emerge before I had a nuc ready. (Which will be ready tomorrow or tuesday). I'll put the other frames back when I 'nuc' the queen.
Title: Re: Nipiing swarming in the bud...
Post by: Michael Bush on May 06, 2013, 10:06:19 am
I see some larvae... I would do a split.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesswarmcontrol.htm (http://www.bushfarms.com/beesswarmcontrol.htm)
Title: Re: Nipiing swarming in the bud...
Post by: nietssemaj on May 06, 2013, 11:02:48 am
I see some larvae... I would do a split.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesswarmcontrol.htm (http://www.bushfarms.com/beesswarmcontrol.htm)

Yeah I did that, though I did it backwards not thinking. I pulled the frame with the cells out into its own section and left the queen. I got 90% of a nuc built last night and will finish it tomorrow then move the queen into that and put those cells back in the main hive. The real question I've got is how many splits to make. If I decide to only do 1, I should still leave all the Q-cells and let them fight it out right?
Title: Re: Nipiing swarming in the bud...
Post by: asprince on May 06, 2013, 09:32:35 pm
yes
Title: Re: Nipiing swarming in the bud...
Post by: nietssemaj on May 08, 2013, 03:22:12 pm
Well I wasn't quick enough, the main hive swarmed yesterday. They didn't stick around long as I couldn't find them anywhere near my yard.

The 'split' with the cells I could see larvae in is doing good. Building new comb and the 3 cells, 2 I could see and the 3rd I suspected are now drawn and capped.
Title: Re: Nipiing swarming in the bud...
Post by: Kathyp on May 08, 2013, 03:44:20 pm
a learning experience...and sometimes to go no matter what. 
Title: Re: Nipiing swarming in the bud...
Post by: nietssemaj on May 08, 2013, 04:32:45 pm
As an aside, the state bee inspector was out today and he said I've got the nicest looking top bar comb he's seen in a while. Not sure how many top bars he see's.