2nd swarm cast inspection

[Jen]

These are my three hives. I inspected the one the left today. It's one medium. The top medium was holding the bees until they went to the bottom, it's not on this hive anymore.



There are only about 4 frames of bees in this hive


They are drawing out new comb in the brood nest


This is the frame that I inserted a 5x5 cutout of brood from the mother hive, the capped brood that was in it has now hatched out.


Here's the problem! No eggs, No larvae, No capped brood, No Queen!

I'm thinking buy a queen for it.. or.. combine it on top of the single deep in the middle of the picture newpaper fashion.. or.. combine it with the mother hive which as swarmed three times and should have plenty of room... or  

[Perry]

If you are after a honey crop, combine. If you want another hive, purchase a queen (if you are sure there isn't one in there).

[tbonekel]

Yeah, Jen, I would combine as long as there is no queen. That would give you more supplies to have for future expansion. How does that foam core material work for you on top of the lids? That might not be a bad idea for me in the future.

[blueblood]

I spy duct tape! Jen, those bees were lined up watching you in that bottom photo. 

[LazyBkpr]

   I think I would combine them if they were mine. If I wanted three hives I could do a split from them when they are big and strong at a later date when I had a new queen in my hands.


   Other options?

   You could give them one of those frames with a supersedure cell on it...    Not a lot of bees there though so they need some bees..  a frame of brood and bees from another hive would give them some strength to pull off raising a queen.

[Jen]

blue- ""I spy duct tape! Jen, those bees were lined up watching you in that bottom photo.""

   duct tape? you mean rubber bands?

Scott- ""You could give them one of those frames with a supersedure cell on it...    Not a lot of bees there though so they need some bees..  a frame of brood and bees from another hive would give them some strength to pull off raising a queen."

     I thought about this procedure last night, but any frames from the other two hives are deep frames, so I would have to carve out some brood and insert with rubber bands. Not feeling like I want to sacrifice any brood from the othe two hives after all of the swarming business. I think I'll combine and split later. HONEY?!? WHAT?!? REALLY?

[Jen]

The deed is done! My first combine    Boy! I sure have learned a lot in the last few weeks. Talk about a crash course! 

Anyway, combined my two swarm hives. Wasn't the best time of day tho, 4:00pm. I wanted to do it at dusk after the foragers came in but we had company with a 12 year old boy that wanted to put on the bee suit and see in the hives. I was more that delighted. So I figured while I had the hive open I might as well lean to the left and pick up the small swarm hive and just put her on there.

It was a little crazy at first cause the foragers were coming in loaded with pollen and didn't know where to go. I worried. But all seems well now. Crossing fingers