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Author Topic: Bees building new hive from back to front  (Read 4035 times)

Offline duryeafarms

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Bees building new hive from back to front
« on: April 19, 2013, 07:37:16 pm »
I hived bees in my new TBH on Saturday evening and opened the hive up this afternoon to check for my queen and see how things were going. First, I found my queen which was a relief...didn't know if she was dead or alive...another story.

I picked up the bar nearest the entrance and there wasn't a thing on it.  Same with the next...and the next.  So I went to the last available bar (started by allocating 8 before the follower) and sure enough, there was comb...not a lot but a piece about as big as my hand.  Then I noticed they're drawing comb on the following board.  As I went forward, it was obvious they had started as far back in the hive as possible.

I fed them dry sugar when they were hived, put it at the back against the following board. Could that be why they started there?  Should I just let them build forward?  I wasn't able to spot any eggs or open brood and the queen was on the third bar from the back. There were open nectar stores in the first and second comb so I'm guessing that will be brood comb. What about the following board? The only problem I anticipate is if they use that comb for brood, it won't stay in the center of the cluster as it's moved back.

Thanks!

Offline Joe D

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Re: Bees building new hive from back to front
« Reply #1 on: April 20, 2013, 01:16:18 am »
Last year when I ran out of supers I put a swarm in my TBH.  I used an entrance feeder to give them sugar syrup.  They started on the first bar.  My hive has a screen bottom,#8 hardwire, so no dry sugar.  It has been lest than a week since you hive them.  That's why they don't have much comb yet and maybe why you don't see brood.  Are you still feeding them, I would if they will take it.  If I remember correctly they can use sugar syrup easier than dry.  They will probably have brood where they want it and how fast they can build comb.  Good luck



Joe

Offline nietssemaj

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Re: Bees building new hive from back to front
« Reply #2 on: April 20, 2013, 06:22:49 pm »
I just hived 2 packages this spring and both of them also started all the way in the back. I wouldn't worry. And yeah a week isn't that long, I think 1 week in I had a sand dollar sized bit of drawn comb.

Just went in both hives again today and they have 5 full bars, 1 almost full and 3 others in varying stages of comb. Give them a chance to get organized and they'll build out for you.

Offline buzzbee

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Re: Bees building new hive from back to front
« Reply #3 on: April 20, 2013, 07:35:48 pm »
Dry sugar requires more processing.I would feed 1:1 syrup to more simulate a natural nectar flow.It will prompt them to more quickly build comb.

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Bees building new hive from back to front
« Reply #4 on: April 21, 2013, 11:11:15 am »
You always need to make sure you make the bees read the book you are using.  They get confused sometimes otherwise... ;)
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Offline Joe D

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Re: Bees building new hive from back to front
« Reply #5 on: April 22, 2013, 01:55:42 am »
That is for sure.  I had some that seemed not to be on the same page.  I knew that they only had the one book.  Should have seen the Optometrists when I carried them in to get their eyes checked.  Yeap, they needed glasses.




Joe


Offline duryeafarms

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Re: Bees building new hive from back to front
« Reply #6 on: April 22, 2013, 01:59:26 pm »
Thanks for all the responses.

There were a couple of reasons I chose to feed dry sugar. It's not as big of a mess, and I don't want to have to keep track of "syrup honey".  They are eating all of it, that's for sure.  Since syrup is just sugar and water (and there is a ready supply of both), why would dry sugar require more processing?  Speaking of water, I have set up a large ceramic saucer like you would put under potted plants, and put rocks in it so they have something to lite on.  This is sitting on the ground about 12 feet from the hive. So far, I haven't seen a single bee using it, none are drowned either.  Any ideas why they aren't drinking out of it?  There are a couple of swimming pools pretty close by, but I'd think this would be preferable.