Worldwide Beekeeping
Beekeeping => General Beekeeping => Topic started by: Jen on September 16, 2014, 03:18:56 pm
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I have a dilemma. A few days ago I pulled out the drawer that contains my sticky board to check for mites, I didn't return the drawer that same day, tsk tsk on me. There has been a bunch of bees, say bigger than a baseball, hanging out on the bottom of the screen bottom board for as long as I've had the drawer out (I think). I need to get the drawer back into the hive, but the bees won't budge. I could smoke them out... but we are so full of fire here in our area... And the town about 1/2 hour away just caught fire yesterday, half the town (3000 pop) is burnt to the ground. I just don't think I should lite my smoker... it would only take one spark and our neighborhood would be up in flames.
How can I get these bees to migrate back into the hive? Thanks :)
This is the example of the drawer I pulled out on the hive next door.
(https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs10.postimg.cc%2Fryex6fbxx%2FDSCF0689.jpg&hash=4ef945b34588973161dd869e302b91088ac1a708) (http://postimg.cc/image/ryex6fbxx/)
Bees hanging out
(https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs3.postimg.cc%2Fhggxcj3mn%2FDSCF0691.jpg&hash=82bbaedbb7b100cbd98c7e0b24877dd28b9d7ecf) (http://postimg.cc/image/hggxcj3mn/)
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Honestly I wouldn't worry about them no more bees than there are. They are foraging workers that returned to the hive and got confused. They're life span is about at its end
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Well.... okay.... but I'm gonna make a mess of bee mash pushing that drawer back in. I do understand what your saying tho ~
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slide it slow they will move out of the way
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Fischer's bee quick
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air gun air duster
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Or brush them down with bee brush
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I'd suit up use a bee brush and a dustpan. then shove drawer in. Some of mine do that now and then,
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Okay... that thar is some good idears Thanks!
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I use a goose feather (the long wing kind) to shove my bees around. They seem to find feathers less offensive than a brush and it's easier to flick them.
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Hmmm, I have a long feather as well, might be raven, I'll give that a try, Thanks!
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My old Mexican lady friend uses wild turkey feathers for brushing needs. She fashions them into a homemade brush. I guess they work for her, as she is 85 or so years old and lives by herself on the darkest 100 acres in Brown County, Texas. She keeps about 40 to 50 Spanish goats and some chickens and rabbits. She is amazing, I wish all of you could meet her. Anyway, the feather brushes she makes would for sure work as a bee brush. I don't use my brush that much.
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Phew! Those bees under the screen bottom board are pissy and ready to sting. Is it possible that the queen could be under there? Or maybe they have been displaced for too long...
Think I'll suit up and make a quick vacuum. Or, maybe follow Riverrats advice and slowly push the drawer in, I can clean it out later
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Jen my bees do this all the time but they come and go. it happens with screened bottom boards.
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Mkay, well they DON'T want to be bothered, I took three stings in a nano second and they chased me back to the garage. Very wierd for my bees.. so far anyway. I'll just push the drawer back in slowly through out the day, there will be some carnage but hopefully not very much. and this may be a subject to discuss with hubby who built the drawer design..
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Rod- "Jen my bees do this all the time but they come and go. it happens with screened bottom boards.
I went out and slowly put the drawer back in, didn't feel like I was pushing a bunch of bees back, so it's all good. I'll have to remember to to take the drawer out, mite check, clean it, then put drawer back in right away.
Thanks for all the help :)
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jen, i don't use screened bottom boards, but sure learned something with what rodm said. i will just add, sometimes this time of year, bees can get a little ornery after honey is taken off, and pollen and nectar is slowing down and getting in short supply. i know you didn't take that much honey from them and you have been in a drought, so hopefully the reason they are pissy is because of the sbb and the time of the year. seasonal changes kind of get them that way.... ;)
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Thanks Riv ;) 8)
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jen, i don't use screened bottom boards, but sure learned something with what rodm said. i will just add, sometimes this time of year, bees can get a little ornery after honey is taken off, and pollen and nectar is slowing down and getting in short supply. i know you didn't take that much honey from them and you have been in a drought, so hopefully the reason they are pissy is because of the sbb and the time of the year. seasonal changes kind of get them that way.... ;)
Ok I got neighbors that get this way this time of the year but I havent taken their honey so its got to be the changes in the weather ;D
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Does not bite but she can be mean as hades!
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Me and my dog want her re-homed!!
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"Ok I got neighbors that get this way this time of the year but I havent taken their honey so its got to be the changes in the weather ;D"
my condolences rat, you have TWERPS for neighbors that suffer from whatever, and i just have the normal run of the mill hillbillies and rednecks...... :D
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Unless it's a tray you keep oil in to kill the mites, you only need to have the sticky board inserted when you check for mites. One of the purposes of a screened bottom board is increased ventilation.
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Hi Slow :) I keep petroleum jelly or shortening on my sticky boards, and keep the sticky board in at all times. Then, pull out the board every two weeks-ish, if no mites I put it back. If there are mites I calculate whether I need to treat and then put it back. If the board is full of debri I scrape it off, add more petrolium jelly.
I think it was Randy Oliver who said that this is a good idea because even if you are not checking, the mites are falling on a continual basis onto the sticky board, stay stuck, and can't return to the bees.
It works for me :)
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once in awhile a queen gets lost and under a sbb, but usually at this time of year, yellow jackets are trying to get in through any possible spot, including the screen, and those are guard bees down there.
I pull my sticky boards during the summer, my bees sit in full sun on 100 degree days, shade after 3 or 4 pm, so they need the ventilation. I am about to oil the boards and put them back tomorrow when I also do my split and maybe go get my trap out bees (I don't know, I kinda favor leaving them over where it rained and all that golden rod is..)