Bee hive, salvageable?

[robzilla]

Hello all,

I'm a newby to the forums/beekeeping learning as I go... I've got some questions regarding a hive i'm attempting to salvage.

The Story:

3 Days ago I witnessed some city workers chopping up a tree with a bee's nest inside. I thought that maybe if i made a "nuc" box I would be able to capture this now homeless hive. I build a 2'x10'' box with a small whole(no frames), placed some of what was left of they're brood comb inside the box(had some larva) and placed just above there down log.


I found a small cluster of bee's surrounding one dead bee, the dead bee appeared to have a longer abdomen, but did not seem any larger then any of the other bee's(my guess was queen but i don't know for sure) I placed this dead bee in the box as well.

By that night the bee's had moved into my box.


DAY 2, I went back to the box to see many bee's flying in and out of the hole. I noticed that some of the comb still left outside the box was being destroyed by the bee's (maybe to salvage wax/honey?).

DAY 3, Its a cooler (mid 50's) over cast day so the bee's were not out and about. I snapped a picture of the inside of the box to see if any progress/what bee's are in there. It appears to me maybe 500-700bee's clustering.


Some questions I have:
Do you think this colony may/could survive?

Would they be able to reproduce a queen if infact that dead bee was the queen?

how soon could I remove my box with bee's from its location without causing further stress on the bee's?(move out of a public park)
----------------------------

I know its still winter, Temperatures this week are up into the 60's and low's into the mid 30's. Pollen count is up and trees are beginning to bloom. Let me know your thoughts.

Thanks,Rob

[brooksbeefarm]

If, and sounds like it was the queen and only 500 to 700 bees left, and no stores, or enough brood comb for the queen to start laying in (if there is a queen), i don't think they have much of a chance. Jack

[tbonekel]

That is going to be a tough one. Someone with more experience can probably help more, but I think that since the brood comb is not hanging like traditional comb, the bees may not try to create a new queen. Also, the brood may be too old for them to create a queen, It's best to have some eggs. If you want these to survive, I would try to take what comb you have, rubber band it to some sort of frame at the top of the box, feed them and order a new queen. Like you say, she is probably dead.

[blueblood]

Welcome to the forum first of all.  Like Brooks said, doesn't look good.  Anything is possible but with temps dropping and no food, or even a large enough cluster to form, it's going to be difficult.  But, if you are like me and don't like to give up that easily, I suppose you could stand whatever comb you have up or melt the top of the comb and try to affix it to the underside of the nuc lid.  Pour some cane sugar in a small lid and stick it in the box.  If you have a warmer place to set the box at home like a shed or barn, put them in there on the below freezing nights.  It may be futile but at least you can say you gave it a shot.  Google images of honey bee queens.  You can't mistake them normally.

[kebee]

Welcome to the forum robzilla, slim chance of them making it, but if they do you can have a strong hive from it.

Ken

[Perry]

Not optimistic myself, but then that never stopped me from trying either. Doing nothing doesn't help them any.
Oh, and 

[iddee]

No, they won't make it, but the education you get from trying and asking more questions on the forum will give your first hive 10 times the chance if you decide to get into beekeeping.

So, welcome to the forum and feed them and other things to try to keep them going. It'll be fun and educational. Thanks for trying to save them and welcome to the forum.

PS. They will make it longer in a 10 in. X 10 in. box, with the comb hanging from the top.

My laptop is down to 16% battery, or I would give more details. I have no electricity after the ice storm to recharge it.

[LazyBkpr]

      Having bees already would make what your trying more possible, and at the very least you could combine them with a hive you had if it was the queen that died.   Not having the resources available will make it tuff to save them.


   The comb you salvaged could be put into frames using rubber bands to hold them in place, but the fact that they have no queen will ultimately doom them. Bees don't live long, and without having new bees emerging to replace the old ones as they die the cluster will continue to diminish.

   BECAUSE you are trying, tells me that you NEED to get set up with a hive and bees for that hive. Your a natural.

[G3farms]

There is always hope, but the odds are really stacked against them.
I think they stood a better chance if they would have been left in the log, providing the comb was intact and not crushed.
Sounds like it was the queen that got killed, they will cluster around her even if she is dead because of her pheromones.

As others have stated, good learning experience and shows you have a love for the bee.

Welcome to the forum!

[Papakeith]

looks like you've gotten your answer from the others.  While they probably won't survive it is cool that you are trying and learning. 
Welcome to the forum.

[Bamabww]

I like your attitude and attempt to save the bees. I agree with what the others have said but Perry hit the nail on the head, what you're doing is better than not doing anything. Maybe just maybe... Best of luck and welcome. Lots of good people and advice here.

[barry42001]

there is no comb, no queen, very small workforce, to small to adequately heat a cluster of any size. even if you wanted to buy a queen, and put them on drawn comb, which you don't have. they're still wouldn't be enough to use to forage and feed for the next 35 40 days to actually generate enough workers to survive. even if you want to the effort to feed the bees up. they're simply isn't enough workers to do the job adequately. by the time the first worker may have to out, avast polka dot little cluster of Bees will probably have died out. but by all means try, that is how you learn, and if God smiles upon you, they may survive. nothing ventured nothing gained.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk

[robzilla]

Thanks for the feed back guys!

I have melted what honey comb I could to the lid of the container, given them sugar water, and accepted what will likely happen. I'm still going to do my best and will see what comes of the situation!

Again, Thanks for all your inputs. I'll take this as a learning opportunity.
-Rob

[Perry]

Atta Boy!