Luckily I made it through the winter with all 5 hives intact. In fact I had one hive that was literally overflowing with bees when I opened top cover the space that had previously had a 16 lb sugar cake was complexly filled with bees. When I further opened up the hive it had roughly 30 lbs of honey and most frames in upper deep were filled with a mix of fresh eggs and capped brood surrounded by pollen. This hive was created from another hive I had in a different location last year. The hive had a few queen cells and also had roughly 60 80 drones that I saw as well as a load of drone cells on bottoms of frames as well as some on top. The bottom box was basically the same a little less honey and not as much capped brood. This was 4/5/20
I felt the hive was surely going to swarm so I took five frames from the top box and installed five drawn out frames into the old hive. I also shook in about 1/3 of the bees from the sugar patty space from old hive. I then relocated that hive about 8 feet from old hive which was as far as I could. My hives are all on a raised platforms and are inside a stockade fence enclosure.
Yesterday morning which was cool in my area I noticed a large dark spot on my fence so I went to check it out as I expected on the side of the fence which I could not see there was a 3x3 patch of bees gatherings swarm I am assuming. I gathered up a wooden nut box I had quickly fry shed unfortunately I only had 3 drawn out med frames and 2 undrawn deeps that I put in the nuc box I then swept with 2 big pulls into the box from where the thickest and most active part was on the fence, hoping to sweep the queen into the box. I still had a thousand or more bees on fence after. The bees I swept into nuc box were furiously fanning at entrance to box as well as the corners of the top which had small opening from old not being on one hundred percent correct. I swept bees of of fence hoping to get them to go to nuc box. I checked bacckan hour later and no bees on fence but nuc box was still very active. I opened the hive that was split from first all looked well population was as expected. then opened the new hive this hive is where swarm was derived from not sure why would not think they would swarm in just about a week unless I some how had moved the queen into the new hive which I did not think I had done.I checked frames before moving unless I missed her. This morning we had 50 plus mph winds so I just visually observed nuc box still had activity.
So I have several questions and appreciate any input and or constructive criticism regarding my questions.
1. what next should I open both hives and nuc box and try and locate old queen, so I know if I currently have two queen less hives.
2. if the swarm actually stays in nuc box when should I transfer to a regular hive, I don't want to have to many issues with comb with the frame configuration.
3. Should I just leave everything sit and wait until first week in may and check for eggs and queen in all hives.
4. what am I overlooking and what are the questions I am missing.
just a note the nuc box is located next to the mother hive only spot I had any chance they might just return to that hive.? Also all other hives were topped with a mix of drawn out and blank frames and a queen excluder was not planning on opening until first week of May on any of those hives should I be doing in sooner. Drones were also present in all hives and I also have a commercial apiary about 1 mile up the road that runs about 100 plus hives.I mention this because I had always heard not to split until drones present I assumed if I had them so did he.
I felt the hive was surely going to swarm so I took five frames from the top box and installed five drawn out frames into the old hive. I also shook in about 1/3 of the bees from the sugar patty space from old hive. I then relocated that hive about 8 feet from old hive which was as far as I could. My hives are all on a raised platforms and are inside a stockade fence enclosure.
Yesterday morning which was cool in my area I noticed a large dark spot on my fence so I went to check it out as I expected on the side of the fence which I could not see there was a 3x3 patch of bees gatherings swarm I am assuming. I gathered up a wooden nut box I had quickly fry shed unfortunately I only had 3 drawn out med frames and 2 undrawn deeps that I put in the nuc box I then swept with 2 big pulls into the box from where the thickest and most active part was on the fence, hoping to sweep the queen into the box. I still had a thousand or more bees on fence after. The bees I swept into nuc box were furiously fanning at entrance to box as well as the corners of the top which had small opening from old not being on one hundred percent correct. I swept bees of of fence hoping to get them to go to nuc box. I checked bacckan hour later and no bees on fence but nuc box was still very active. I opened the hive that was split from first all looked well population was as expected. then opened the new hive this hive is where swarm was derived from not sure why would not think they would swarm in just about a week unless I some how had moved the queen into the new hive which I did not think I had done.I checked frames before moving unless I missed her. This morning we had 50 plus mph winds so I just visually observed nuc box still had activity.
So I have several questions and appreciate any input and or constructive criticism regarding my questions.
1. what next should I open both hives and nuc box and try and locate old queen, so I know if I currently have two queen less hives.
2. if the swarm actually stays in nuc box when should I transfer to a regular hive, I don't want to have to many issues with comb with the frame configuration.
3. Should I just leave everything sit and wait until first week in may and check for eggs and queen in all hives.
4. what am I overlooking and what are the questions I am missing.
just a note the nuc box is located next to the mother hive only spot I had any chance they might just return to that hive.? Also all other hives were topped with a mix of drawn out and blank frames and a queen excluder was not planning on opening until first week of May on any of those hives should I be doing in sooner. Drones were also present in all hives and I also have a commercial apiary about 1 mile up the road that runs about 100 plus hives.I mention this because I had always heard not to split until drones present I assumed if I had them so did he.
