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Author Topic: How long without food.?  (Read 3871 times)

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Offline Mosti

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How long without food.?
« on: April 08, 2015, 07:25:41 am »
I moved this swarm which I caught with a bait box this morning.  It has been there a week or so due to combs present. I moved it just about a couple of hundred metres. Now I have closed them in their new home.
Knowing that they have nothing to eat, how long can I leave them in a closed hive/nuc.
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Offline kebee

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Re: How long without food.?
« Reply #1 on: April 08, 2015, 07:33:59 am »
 I would give them some 1 to 1 syrup as soon as possible, if nothing else to draw comb, don't want them to starve either.

Ken
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Offline Perry

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Re: How long without food.?
« Reply #2 on: April 08, 2015, 08:31:30 am »
I agree, feed , feed, feed.
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Offline Riverrat

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Re: How long without food.?
« Reply #3 on: April 09, 2015, 10:44:49 am »
Open them up they will be fine.  If your still concerned put some brush in front of the opening so they will reorientate.  And has said feed feed feed
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Offline Mosti

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Re: How long without food.?
« Reply #4 on: April 09, 2015, 03:56:31 pm »
Hi, thanks for the replies. I have opened the nuc this morning, placed some leaves and they appeared to be orientating themselves well.

However when I went back to put the bait box in its original place, from where I caught this swarm, I found a couple of hundred bees in the place where the box was before.
Now I have to remind yous that I moved the box in the morning , with the swarm in it when it was still dark. Could it be that workers sleep away of the hive/nuc then go back the following morning?

As soon as I put the bait box in place, the bees present started moving in, obviously. Now I will try and go the earliest possible next morning and move the workers which I find in the bait box to the Nuc containing the swarm.
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Offline Perry

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Re: How long without food.?
« Reply #5 on: April 09, 2015, 06:28:48 pm »
While I have never read of bees spending the night away from the colony, I do myself believe some do.
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Offline Slowmodem

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Re: How long without food.?
« Reply #6 on: April 09, 2015, 07:16:27 pm »
Quote from: Perry on April 09, 2015, 06:28:48 pm
While I have never read of bees spending the night away from the colony, I do myself believe some do.

There are always a few bees on my feeder before sunup.  I don't know if they just stayed for the buffet, were too tired to go home, or are at the end of the line.
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: How long without food.?
« Reply #7 on: April 10, 2015, 07:23:36 pm »
I have seen that as well. I paid attention as the sun came up, and once they were warmed they vanished one by one..    Each time I checked a few more were gone..  So I think, they were warming up and heading back, but as mentioned, maybe they were done and flew off to find peace.
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Offline iddee

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Re: How long without food.?
« Reply #8 on: April 10, 2015, 08:29:27 pm »
I have read several times that they will rest under a leaf or some where overnight if bad weather, or too far from home to make it by dark.
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