Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => DOWN UNDER BEEKEEPING => Topic started by: RayF on January 09, 2011, 06:37:22 am
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A few months back I collected a small swarm complete with queen and put them in a box with empty frames plus a couple of frames of honey from another box. I checked them today and the bees seem busy and they have built out foundation on the frames. There is some brood but virtually no honey.The two boxes next to it are storing heaps of honey as we have both Red Gum and Jarrah flowering.I'm in no rush to put a super on top but a bit concerned as to what they are living on. They are flying but must be eating everything they bring in.Do I give them a couple of frames of honey from another box or will they be OK?
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Bees should always have some stores. What if you hit a week of rainy weather? What if you hit a dearth? I would give them some if you have it.
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I'd definitely give them some if you have it spare-failing that give them some syrup. How is the Queen performing? Good brood pattern? Quiet? I had a swarm that I had in a five frame foundationless nuc for five months-they just weren't drawing much comb, good brood pattern but not much of it, no stores-I decided to re-queen and the difference is incredible. I'm not saying race out and re-queen I'm just saying assess her to see if she is meeting your goals. Whatever you do though give her the opportunity to prove herself. Maybe you could throw in some frames of capped brood or combine a queenless hive/swarm/cutout with her too
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Close up the front entrance. I bet they are getting robbed out by the stronger hives.
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If they were getting robbed would there be dead bees around? I might slip in a frame of capped honey from another box and keep an eye on them. The bees are quiet,very easy to work with.There is brood but I'm not sure what to look for in regards to a good pattern.
I have to go and do a cut out sometime soon in a horse stable. Easy to get to job.The thing is they are savage bees so I was hesitent to bring them back to my boxes.
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Dead bees don't stick around for long between the ants and birds.
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Give 2 food frames but when the swarm is small, give from another hive a frame of emerging bees. The swarm gets home bees and the swarmed bees are liberated to forage.
.a swarm is productive if it occupye 4 langstroth boxes. Size 4 kg.
If you get another swarm, join it to the first.