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Rookie Warre Hive-r but caught a new swarm - Queenless?

2K views 1 reply 2 participants last post by  JConnolly 
#1 ·
I am a rookie for sure:
-4th year beekeeper (3 years unsuccessful Top Bar Hive - bees thrived in summer but couldnt survive the winter due to homemade top bar construction flaw)
-First year with a bought Warre Hive and the new bees seem to be doing great!

I caught a swarm from a co-workers house Tuesday morning and put them in an extra warre hive at the house (its now Thursday). I put feeders in the top as i did with my new purchased colony a month ago. The new swarm has stayed in the hive but seems extremely docile (just hanging in a ball from the Warre Bars). There is some action at the entrance but I don't see much deliberate work going on in the hive. I am unsure of what my next step should be.

-Are they queenless?
-Are they simply shellshocked and figuring out their next plan?

-Any suggestions?

Thank you in advance!
Shane
 
#2 ·
Get a robber screen on and feed them 1:1. Do not use an entrance feeder. This time of year the feeder needs to be inside. It can be mason jar feeders sitting on some top bars with an empty box around, or a top feeder. They'll take syrup faster from a top feeder. Don't spill any syrup on the outside of the hive or you'll trigger robbing. Did I say you need a robber screen?

The syrup will encourage comb building. When they start building some comb you'll be able to figure out if there is a queen.

Do you have another hive? Can you give them some comb with eggs? If they are queenless they'll make queen cells.

BTW, the recipe for 1:1 is on your sugar bag. You just have to read metric. Match the number of kilogram with the same number of liters.
 
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