disappeared!

[marjery]

The swarm of bees I managed to keep until my husband built a top bar hive have disappeared! I have been feeding them daily and even had a family member feed them while I was on vacation. A few days ago I looked to see how they were doing because I hadn't notice any coming out the entrance holes. They were gone and hadn't even begun any comb. Do you think the TBH was too new, perhaps smelled of carpenter's glue or such? My husband used some redwood he had in the shop for the top bars. Would that make them find better quarters? Also it's been so hot here, 100+ most days, would that make them seek another home? I'm just wondering and am still feeding the bees that come to the feeder, tho I'll slowly wean them from that. Maybe another swarm will find my TBH next spring.

[PA Pete]

Yes, you name a number of reasons they might have absconded. Did you paint it? Supposedly that'll throw them off as well.

If you still see bees coming to the feeder, try "lining" them to see if the colony is nearby - they might not have gone very far, and you might be able to get them back in the hive and coax them to stay.

Good luck!

[oldgreyone]

>My husband used some redwood he had in the shop for the top bars.

My bet is the redwood. The wood lasts a long time because it is resistant to insects. My bet is that the bees just didn't like the smell or taste of it.

I had bees desert hives where I made topbars out of old treated lumber. I thought that being old the wood might be acceptable to the bees. Think again.