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Author Topic: relunctantly decided to stay  (Read 3544 times)

Offline bill

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relunctantly decided to stay
« on: June 20, 2005, 07:20:49 pm »
I got a small swarm out of a wisteria covered backyard trellis. Got them home and set them up in a medium, but in the transfer about half of them got away. they stopped in a mesquite and nothing would do but to lop the branch, carefully trimmed around them leaving a handle at the base to carry them by. the last lop was easier than I thought it would be and they ended up on the ground. well I had a bunch in the hive trapped behind a screened entrance. I was hoping I had the queen inside and carrying a bunch of them all different way I got most of them close to the entrance and the flying ones started landing there so I thought I must have the queen, so they will go in, so I took the screen away, but there were not interested in going in at alll. I had to go out for fathers day and it was getting late so I thought if the queen is not in there they will fly away. an I have lost enough swarms lately so I thought it will soon be dark and they won't go anywhere at night so I decided to spray them real good with sugar syrup so at least a lot of them would have to stay.  It worked in the morning they were all in the hive and are still there . hopefully with a queen. I still can't spot a queen. I guess if she wasn't there they would have gone looking for here or would they?
billiet

Offline Apis629

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relunctantly decided to stay
« Reply #1 on: June 21, 2005, 01:03:36 am »
If she wasn't there they probably would have left by this afternoon.

Offline bill

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relunctantly decided to stay
« Reply #2 on: June 21, 2005, 12:42:14 pm »
my joy was short lived this morning they were gone. I guess I need to get better prepared
billiet

Offline Finsky

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relunctantly decided to stay
« Reply #3 on: June 21, 2005, 01:06:27 pm »
I lost my swarm with two mistakes.

I got it very easy to the hive. But I start to feed it with syrup and it was very hot place. They had drawn upp combs already during night, but at afternoon they were left.  

They got too hot feeling and they thought that it is better change place.

Now I red that there is no reason to feed or sray bees with sugar because they have 3 days food with them.

Offline fuzzybeekeeper

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relunctantly decided to stay
« Reply #4 on: June 21, 2005, 07:14:32 pm »
Face it:  We don't think like bees and they don't think like us.

I had a swarm trap that had been occupied for about a week (WAY TOO LONG!) and it had 6 large combs the size of dinner plates in it with capped brood and honey.  I cut the comb into pieces that would fit in a medium frame and used rubber bands to hold them in place, making sure that I had them right side up.  I felt like I did a beautiful job.  They had 6+ frames of their brood and honey.  This all happened last evening and I finished up just at dark.

When I went back at noon today, they were clustered on the side of another hive about 5 feet away and the hive with the frames of THEIR OWN COMB was empty.   I set the box with their combs next to them on the ground and tried to scoop them back in but they almost ran out.

The only think I can think of is that I killed the queen in the process of moving the comb to the frames.

Any ideas?

Fuzzybeekeeper

Offline Jerrymac

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relunctantly decided to stay
« Reply #5 on: June 22, 2005, 12:18:45 am »
But they would have stayed with the brood even after a queens death.

Are you sure there was no chemical oder, like paint, cleaner, gasoline or something in the hive?
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Offline fuzzybeekeeper

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relunctantly decided to stay
« Reply #6 on: June 22, 2005, 09:46:05 am »
The bottom board had been painted two days before, so that may have been what made them leave.

I went back yesterday evening and they were back in the hive.  I had left the box touching the clump of bees with the lid cracked so they could smell the honey and brood and I guess they gave in.  

Which leads to a question about second-hand equipment that has been bouncing around in my empty head.  But, I think I better make a new topic for this one, so you'll have to find it there.

Thanks.

Fuzzybeekeeper

Offline bill

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relunctantly decided to stay
« Reply #7 on: June 25, 2005, 01:48:28 am »
whoa I did paint the outside of that medium a couple of days before with outdoor latex. how long should that still annoy them?
billiet

 

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