Page 1 of 1

combine

Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 2:13 pm
by Ron Young
Ok, if you combine a queenless hive, with a queenright hive, how long before they calm down? (generally) I combined them about three hours ago, and I still can't go out side with out being buzzed, and took one sting to the face. This could cause me some issues with home-life.

Hope to see a difference by Thursday.

Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 2:43 pm
by Wally
Bee club meeting is tonight.

They should quieten down overnight.

Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 2:57 pm
by Ron Young
I am coming. I hope so. These things are brutal. They buzzed me two hundred feet away from the hives when I first combined them. I hope they do not kill the queen in the queen right hive.
:evil: :evil:
Right now, they are evil. My last experience with a queenless hive was nothing compared to this.
Is the meeting at 7 or 6:30?

Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 3:41 pm
by Wally
Meeting starts at 7. Door will be open by 6:30.

Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2010 11:06 am
by Ron Young
All seems quiet. I can stand near the hives with out getting stung. That is much better.

I will check on them this afternoon, and see if they have completely removed the paper. I combined them with a two story hive, that was just starting to work the second story, which was foundation. I plan on taking all of the old frames that were in the queenless out, and get them ready for new foundation. They are in pretty bad shape, and were going to be replaced this year anyway, had the hive not gone queenless.

I may keep a few for any swarms, then I would have that much of a start, and it would be easy enough to replace a couple of frames.

Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2010 11:58 am
by Ron Young
Well, they had chewed through the paper, but the evil little devil bees were all still in the top box, and I do not believe that they knew there was a queen two boxes below them. Learning experience for me, if the second deep is foundation, and you combine a queenless hive into them, they may not combine as quick as if they are right on top of the existing brood nest. I had also stuck a queen excluder on as I wanted rid of the ten frames that hte queenless hive was on, and did not want my queen to move up.

Anyway, I took the mean bees about 125 yards into the woods, opened the box, scattered the frames, and proceeded to shake bees off, load the bee free frames back in the box, and come home.

Hope this does the trick.

Posted: Fri Apr 16, 2010 3:59 pm
by Ron Young
They seem quieter today, but to be perfectly honest, I really do not want to pop the top to see! :twisted: :evil:

Posted: Sat Apr 17, 2010 1:45 pm
by drewgrim
what happens to all the bees that you shake off? will they join one of your other hives or will they just find another hive?

Posted: Sat Apr 17, 2010 5:41 pm
by Ron Young
I have been told that they will join the other hives. IF THEY BRING THE NASTY ATTITUDE BACK, and corrupt my other hives, I hope they die.

Posted: Sun Apr 18, 2010 2:38 pm
by Ron Young
All seems quiet on the homefront. I am still not too thrilled at the idea of taking the lid off to be sure. I really do not want to try and harvest honey from this hive.

Time will tell.