On Sunday (04/29) I hived two packages of bees in my first experience as a brand new beekeeper. The two hives are situated about two feet from each other. I hived the two packages one right after the other.
When I went to check on them yesterday afternoon, I found that the majority of the bees were in the first hive and relatively few, maybe a single frame full, were in the second. The queens of the respective hives were both fine, but the first hive was packed full of bees and I think I even found what I thought were a couple of supersedure cells.
I realized that I probably should have hived the two packages either separated physically or spaced an hour or so apart, as the majority of the bees from the second hive absconded and took up residence in the first hive.
I decided to transfer three full frames from the first, densely populated hive to the second, sparsely-populated hive, in the hope of fortifying the second hive while reducing the possibility of a swarm in the first.
However, after carrying out this action and upon later reflection I now fear that I may have put the queen of the second hive at risk of being killed by the bees transferred from the first hive, since they don't know her. I also fear that the transferred bees may end up battling with the bees that were originally in the second hive and I could suffer the loss of a number of bees.
Did I make a bad situation worse by transferring the three frames full of bees from the stronger to the weaker hive? Or will the fact that the bees were only in their hives for a few days make it possible that the transferred bees will adapt to the second hive's queen and everything will be ok?
Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
Rob
When I went to check on them yesterday afternoon, I found that the majority of the bees were in the first hive and relatively few, maybe a single frame full, were in the second. The queens of the respective hives were both fine, but the first hive was packed full of bees and I think I even found what I thought were a couple of supersedure cells.
I realized that I probably should have hived the two packages either separated physically or spaced an hour or so apart, as the majority of the bees from the second hive absconded and took up residence in the first hive.
I decided to transfer three full frames from the first, densely populated hive to the second, sparsely-populated hive, in the hope of fortifying the second hive while reducing the possibility of a swarm in the first.
However, after carrying out this action and upon later reflection I now fear that I may have put the queen of the second hive at risk of being killed by the bees transferred from the first hive, since they don't know her. I also fear that the transferred bees may end up battling with the bees that were originally in the second hive and I could suffer the loss of a number of bees.
Did I make a bad situation worse by transferring the three frames full of bees from the stronger to the weaker hive? Or will the fact that the bees were only in their hives for a few days make it possible that the transferred bees will adapt to the second hive's queen and everything will be ok?
Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
Rob