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Author Topic: Bee Smackdown!  (Read 2895 times)

Offline tlynn

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Bee Smackdown!
« on: April 29, 2009, 08:19:32 pm »
I did a 3 way split yesterday and queened them a few minutes ago.  One hive (queenless) was low on bees so I shook some from super frames of the queenright hive into it.  I figured they were all together yesterday so would think they are all family.  After shaking in about 5 frames worth I finished up and stopped to watch the hives for a minute.  I began seeing a steady stream of bee pairs in a stranglehold rolling down the landing board, slugging each other.  This was truly the "Thrilla in Manilla"!  Are those bees all just getting kicked out?  And does the hive take on a unique phermone odor that quickly, even without a queen?

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Bee Smackdown!
« Reply #1 on: April 29, 2009, 08:41:40 pm »
That's why you want a smoker handy.  A few puffs would have straightened all that out.
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Offline tlynn

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Re: Bee Smackdown!
« Reply #2 on: April 29, 2009, 09:03:40 pm »
They are still fighting after an hour.  Should I go smoke them?

Offline doak

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Re: Bee Smackdown!
« Reply #3 on: April 29, 2009, 10:22:53 pm »
You should shake the bees in when you do the split, right then.
It doesn't take long for them to recognize any new comers as strangers.
Smoke-um, doak

Offline Bee-Bop

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Re: Bee Smackdown!
« Reply #4 on: April 29, 2009, 10:56:49 pm »
Haven't tried it my self, but a neighbor has a spray bottle of water & vanilla flavoring, he sprays both old & new bees, claims they all get along fine.

Any body else tried this ?

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Offline doak

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Re: Bee Smackdown!
« Reply #5 on: April 29, 2009, 11:40:22 pm »
Haven't used Vanilla, but have used plain sugar water.doak

Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: Bee Smackdown!
« Reply #6 on: April 30, 2009, 01:44:05 am »
Haven't tried it my self, but a neighbor has a spray bottle of water & vanilla flavoring, he sprays both old & new bees, claims they all get along fine.

Any body else tried this ?

Bee-Bop

This is true when combining bees from 2 different hives.  Even combining races of bees can cause a knock down drag out so a masking agent helps.  Vanilla is a very good one.

You can mix brood frames from several hives together when making splits without incident but when it is limited to 2 hives and you shake bees from one into the other or togethe into a split the bees will fight unless a masking agent, a strong one, which vanilla is, is used.
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Offline tlynn

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Re: Bee Smackdown!
« Reply #7 on: April 30, 2009, 08:40:28 am »
Haven't tried it my self, but a neighbor has a spray bottle of water & vanilla flavoring, he sprays both old & new bees, claims they all get along fine.

Any body else tried this ?

Bee-Bop

This is true when combining bees from 2 different hives.  Even combining races of bees can cause a knock down drag out so a masking agent helps.  Vanilla is a very good one.

You can mix brood frames from several hives together when making splits without incident but when it is limited to 2 hives and you shake bees from one into the other or togethe into a split the bees will fight unless a masking agent, a strong one, which vanilla is, is used.

Thanks folks.  Good to know.  I probably will relocate some more bees this weekend when I check queens if this morning's traffic is any indication of out of balance proportions and will try the vanilla.  How much vanilla?  And just mist them a bit right on the frame I pull?

Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: Bee Smackdown!
« Reply #8 on: May 01, 2009, 12:28:31 am »
Vanilla extract is potent stuff I use about 1/4 of a teaspoon in a quart of 1:1 syrup when I spray the bees.  I still use the smoker too.
Life is a school.  What have you learned?   :brian:      The greatest danger to our society is apathy, vote in every election!

 

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