Home Page
   Articles
       links
About Us    
Traders        
Recipes            
Latest Articles
bee advice PLEASE
Page Previous  1, 2
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Downsizer Forum Index -> The Apiary
Author 
 Message
sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales
PostPosted: Tue Jun 05, 07 5:51 pm    Post subject: Re: bee advice PLEASE Reply with quote
    

[quote="mochyn"]
lottie wrote:
these are nasty---must have been stung a dozen times through gloves/ suit arms.

If they're nasty little b**s, so you really want them?


very good point

mochyn



Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales
PostPosted: Tue Jun 05, 07 5:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

The two swarms I've had from Ches are nice natured little souls. I know I'd steer clear of stroppy bees!

lottie



Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion
PostPosted: Tue Jun 05, 07 5:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

sally_in_wales wrote:
We had a swarm on a post once, I think we put a bin over the post and they shifted into that after a while. Sounds like you may need to call in re-inforcements if they are being stroppy though

thats the problem with trying to balance the box---there is wire on the fence posts and the farmer won't be happy if i cut it----perhaps i could cut slits in a plastic bim.

chez



Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35934
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset
PostPosted: Tue Jun 05, 07 5:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

They might be extra narky if it's as thundery with you as it is with us?
Also, I understand that if they've been there long enough to start making comb (as with one of our recent 'tree full of bees' scenarios), they're no longer a swarm, but are classed as a colony and therefore will be narky because you're disturbing them.

Can you actually smoke 'em up in to tree itself, wait for the swarm to re-hang themselves, hopefully in a slightly more accessible position (maybe tomorrow) and then knock them down?

Or if you smoke them apart sufficiently, can you pick out the queen manually and pop her in the nuc box with a few workers and hope everyone else follows?

Or, scoop most of them on to a white sheet with the nuc box on, put a few in the box and hope everyone else follows?

Let us know what happens.

lottie



Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion
PostPosted: Tue Jun 05, 07 6:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Very close here which makes them twitchy---run my bees down for the move so i'm keen to get a big colony---thats how i've left them chez---brood box with drawn out comb in next to postand a ramp with awhite sheet and scooped some bees in box and on ramp----going to look in 5 mins when they've settled. 90% are on the postwith a few on the top wire like a t---it's quite awkward---the problem is i think the queen is in the thicker bit in the grass at the bottom so it's awkward to get up. I'll check for any more advice and go back out----thanks for your help

chez



Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35934
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset
PostPosted: Tue Jun 05, 07 6:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I let our fifth swarm fly and felt awful about it - as if I was 'wasting' bees. Good luck!

lottie



Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion
PostPosted: Tue Jun 05, 07 7:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

BEES 1 FAT OLD LADY 0
got 90% of bees into box just sweeping them with an ultra soft brush off the post into pan and putting them in box--but couldn't reach thru fence enough to get the last few[ bees on both sides] and that was obviously where the queen was---why couldn't it have happened when my o.h. was here at the weekend---my days of climbing over a stockfence with a top strand of barbed wire are over with my knee---it's a b****r getting old. Anyway I've left them to it---they might go in---put some pheromone in out of freezer but i'm not sure it works---and theres always a chance they'll go in the bait hive at the end of the field. I know they were a bit feisty but in my limited experience it was the biggest swarm I've ever seen and I would have liked them---they've got a choice of 2 boxes and they are still there so far so fingers crossed for tomorrow. thanks for support Lottie.

arvo



Joined: 04 Dec 2006
Posts: 3321
Location: Somerset
PostPosted: Tue Jun 05, 07 8:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Where exactly are you? I am busy tomorrow but I'm around on Thursday if a) you're not too far away and b) they're still there. And also if c) I can still do the suit up, but I think I can, just about.

Edit: Bugger, this is Chez, posting from Arvo's account. Sorry! He DOESN'T have a bump .

lottie



Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion
PostPosted: Tue Jun 05, 07 9:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

thanks for the offer it's very much appreciated ---but I'm sure they'll be gone---think they may have been there a bit ---not in an obvious place I'd have spotted ---may explain their crankiness.believe me---you'd get my spare beesuit zipped up Just spoken to my o.h. on phone---he says if they are there tommorow morning give it one last go then call it quits if they are so umpty---I'm just a stubborn cus who hates to be beaten

chez



Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35934
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset
PostPosted: Tue Jun 05, 07 9:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Exactly - I would be taking it personally, too . And I keep thinking that five frames cost £120 if you buy them from from Thornes! Here's hoping that they walk in to your box tomorrow morning.

Cathryn



Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 19856
Location: Ceredigion
PostPosted: Tue Jun 05, 07 9:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Lottie - I can come over in the morning and give you a hand (before work but i can be flexible )

lottie



Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion
PostPosted: Wed Jun 06, 07 11:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Yipee!! I got em---just hope they stay in hive--feel really pleased in spite of several stings---my left hands like a tight sausage---not too worried they are narky bees as even if I have to get them right by buying a docile queen to swop with this one it's alot cheaper than buying a colony this size.

joanne



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 7100
Location: Morecambe, Lancashire
PostPosted: Wed Jun 06, 07 11:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Well done Lottie - with it being a primary swarm you might even get honey off this year as you'll have all those workers and not a huge amount of brood for them to worry about

mochyn



Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales
PostPosted: Wed Jun 06, 07 11:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Excellent stuff, Lottie! Best of luck with them.

lottie



Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion
PostPosted: Wed Jun 06, 07 11:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Thanks---I'm really pleased---especially cos it was awkward and I managed O.K. All moral support, advice and offers of help were much appreciated---thanks y'all.

Post new topic   Reply to topic    Downsizer Forum Index -> The Apiary All times are GMT
Page Previous  1, 2
Page 2 of 2
View Latest Posts View Latest Posts

 

Archive
Powered by php-BB © 2001, 2005 php-BB Group
Style by marsjupiter.com, released under GNU (GNU/GPL) license.
Copyright © 2004 marsjupiter.com