Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => TOP BAR HIVES - WARRE HIVES - LONG HIVES => Topic started by: Stone on August 17, 2009, 08:54:17 pm

Title: My bees need GPS!
Post by: Stone on August 17, 2009, 08:54:17 pm
I transferred the bees from one of my two hives (#1) to another TBH of §¤«£¿æ's design (UK)- 48" long. This because the population was becoming rather large and would likely have outgrown their habitation before long. I also have a viewing window in this new one.

I set up this new hive about 3 feet away with the entrance facing in the same direction - although not the same height from the ground since it's on legs. I have another TBH (#2) on the other side about 3 feet away - the same height from the ground. I finished this process at about noon. I came back at 5 p.m. and it seems a good 30% of the population of hive #1 went over to hive #2, instead of their own home! There is an enormous number of bees hanging out now on the front board of the #2 colony entrance and it never happened before - at least not to this degree. (I recently learned from very knowlegeable people on the §¤«£¿æ forum that through this procedure I succeeded in cutting down on the foraging population of this colony and lost a good many of the flying bees in this colony! ) 

I'm worried about this - especially at this time of the season. #1 has been thriving all along and now.

As I was doing this transfer, I found just swarm cells pretty far up in the front brood area - 3 bars in - two on the BOTTOM of the comb and one that I could see on the side. (I'm going to look this colony over more closely tomorrow to see if I can find others.)  I can't figure this out because I've given this colony plenty of bars to expand upon and also I place an empty bar in the brood area from time to time to prevent swarming.

So another question I have: Is it advisable to do an artificial swarm split this late in the season? What procedure would you recommend if I did?    This is my first season of beekeeping.

Title: Re: My bees need GPS!
Post by: asprince on August 17, 2009, 09:50:19 pm
It depends upon your location. Please fill out your profile.

Steve
Title: Re: My bees need GPS!
Post by: beemaster on August 18, 2009, 05:07:56 pm
Stone:

Welcome to the forum, as Steve suggested, please fill out your profile, especially the location part.Profile is located just to the right of the big SHOUTBOX link on any page.

Soon you can post links, but as a new member, you cannot yet - any questions, please read the only post in the forums FIRST category - BILAWS which should explain everything to you.

Here is the 2009 Bilaws link: http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,19652.0.html

P.S. if you received a message while posting this first post in RED LETTERS, I suggest you read it carefully - again, please read the forum bilaws, they are for all members to read and follow, I'm sure you will understand better once you have read them.