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Carl and Petra
Guard Bee
Joined: 29 Jun 2011
Posts: 74
Location: Blandford. Dorset. England
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 Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 12:10 pm Post subject: Top bar nucleus |
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Hello all.
12 days ago I had a swarm enter a bait box on the roof of my house. Since then there has been a lot of activity so I am happy they are doing what they do.
My intention is to then put the combs and bees in a neighbours hive that I made for her last year.
I have a couple of questions as to this. Firstly, is it better to let them build up an amount of comb and get laying and producing bees before I disturb then and move them?
Secondly , I would like to use the box again and was thinking about forming a nucleus hive before the season ends and when would a good time to do this?
Cheers all. |
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madasafish
Silver Bee
Joined: 29 Apr 2009
Posts: 882
Location: Stoke On Trent
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| Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 4:37 pm Post subject: |
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If they have been in the hive for a week, they can only be moved 3 feet a day - in ANY direction - or they will get lost.
I re-sue nucs within a day of the previous occupants being evicted... |
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Carl and Petra
Guard Bee
Joined: 29 Jun 2011
Posts: 74
Location: Blandford. Dorset. England
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| Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 4:54 pm Post subject: |
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Thank you Madasafish, i was wondering if i could put them in the new hive, in the evening, and then place a load of leafy branches to the front so when they emerge they re-orientate?
Glad i can re-use right off as i will look to do that. |
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trekmate
Golden Bee
Joined: 30 Nov 2009
Posts: 1137
Location: UK, North Yorkshire, Bentham
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| Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 6:28 pm Post subject: |
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| Carl and Petra wrote: | | Thank you Madasafish, i was wondering if i could put them in the new hive, in the evening, and then place a load of leafy branches to the front so when they emerge they re-orientate? |
Yes you can, but put the nuc box back in it's old location as some bees WILL go back there. Wait for dusk then shake the bees out as close as you can to the hive entrance (a piece of old plywood sloping up to the entrance is ideal). You should get less each day, but expect to do this for up to a week! |
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Carl and Petra
Guard Bee
Joined: 29 Jun 2011
Posts: 74
Location: Blandford. Dorset. England
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| Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 6:54 pm Post subject: |
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Thank you trek mate,
So, would I be correct in thinking that it matters really not when i do this in respect of the colony management? |
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Carl and Petra
Guard Bee
Joined: 29 Jun 2011
Posts: 74
Location: Blandford. Dorset. England
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| Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 7:02 pm Post subject: |
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Thank you trek mate,
So, would I be correct in thinking that it matters really not when i do this in respect of the colony management? |
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B kind
Scout Bee
Joined: 13 May 2013
Posts: 250
Location: Co.Wicklow, Ireland
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| Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 9:04 pm Post subject: |
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Last year was my first in bee keeping but I read you can move bees (more than 3 feet Less than 3 miles) by putting a branch in front of the hive. I also read that bees that could not find their home would find the nearest available hive. (Although if I were you I would follow Trekmate's suggestion). I moved a swarm colony (about 15 feet) after 6 weeks with no apparent adverse effects. (When moved they also became the nearest colony to the original location). They overwintered well and are my strongest hive now. I posted pictures here http://honey-oak.blogspot.ie/2013/08/moving-bees.html
One suggestion is to be very careful handling fragile new comb, also be sure the queen is established in laying before moving, but after 2 weeks I guess she should be.
Kim |
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Che Guebuddha
Golden Bee
Joined: 31 Jan 2012
Posts: 1551
Location: Hårlev, Stevns Kommune, Denmark
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| Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 10:15 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | I read you can move bees (more than 3 feet Less than 3 miles) by putting a branch in front of the hive. |
This worked for me well last year but this year one split became weak due to many bees flying back to their mother hive.
When I took my two swarms this year I moved them into a new hive and did as trekmate suggested; I placed the straw hive back into its original location so all flying bees get back to it. At the end of the day I would shake them into their new location. I did this couple of times since there were always some bees returning to it but at some point they figured out where their queen is and stayed in the new hive. Swarms very likely have a better sense for staying with their queen than a man-made split hive. |
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Quality Top Bar Hives by Andrew Vidler
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Conserving wild bees
Research suggests that bumble bee boxes have a very low success rate in actually attracting bees into them. We find that if you create an environment where first of all you can attract mice inside, such as a pile of stones, a drystone wall, paving slabs with intentionally made cavities underneath, this will increase the success rate.
Most bumble bee species need a dry space about the size a football, with a narrow entrance tunnel approximately 2cm in diameter and 20 cm long. Most species nest underground along the base of a linear feature such as a hedge or wall. Sites need to be sheltered and out of direct sunlight.
There is a spectacular display of wild bee hotels here
More about bumblebees and solitary bees here
Information about the Tree Bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum)
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