Need advice... I guess this isn't as interesting as Morgan Freeman ;-(
Trapout woes
So I started a trapout on July 9th. All was going well. The bees that moved into the trap out began to make queen cells out of the eggs I gave them. They produced six queen cells. I popped my head into the hive today to see how things were progressing. The queen cells appeared to still be intact none of them have hatched. I am not sure what happened I guess they just weren't viable. Unless I missed one from before but I am assuming that the queen that hatched breaks down the other cells or the bees do. It seems to be getting a little late in the year to start this process over again don't you think? If by some chance there is a queen in there and she starts to lay will the bees that are still hatching out in wall be accepted to the new hive box or do I need to move the bees I have now and start a new box? There is currently 6.5 full frames of bees and still a load of bees just hanging outside. Thanks for any suggestions!
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I'm not real experienced, but have 'listened' a lot on this site. I have a question or two. What are the bees doing with the 6 frames in the trap out box? Are they storing? Are there eggs, etc.? I could see the possibility that the queen from the hive came out to dispatch the cells. Is she in the trap box laying? I am just guessing here. Maybe one queen cell hatched, killed the others and they haven't been taken down yet. The worker bees take down the cells, I think.
Maybe more responses will come around here.
Maybe more responses will come around here.
DJ: I also wonder about what the bees are doing in your trapout hive. I presume that you saw no evidence of a new queen (newly laid eggs, larvae or anything else like that. Are they drawing any comb or storing any honey or pollen?
No evidence of queen activity. No eggs. Some nectar and pollen being stored but I am in a dearth right now.
Nobody has any advice??
did few trap outs maybe best to for-go the queen rearing spend 20 to 25 get new mated queen move them to new hive forget about it. trap-out rest of bees with oneway funell and add to said new hive, feed well. but because I don't know the entire story just giving this advise from what I reed
DJhoney..
First, I think you are rushing the process. If the bees made a queen cell on the 9th, (and that is highly unlikely, it normally takes a day or two or more for them to know they are queenless and make the cells) then the queen cells would emerge after the 26th. If the queen cells were started on the 11th or 12th, you could expect emerging queens on or about the 28th or 29th.
If the queen cells are still capped, and not emerged, the bees will tend them until they are sure they are not going to emerge. If a queen has emerged and left the hive for mating, the bees will not normally tear down the other queen cells until she returns, and, starts laying. And it is possible that the eggs that they used in the queen cells are not all the same age. Could vary by one or two days. With multiple queen cells, it is not uncommon to have more than one queen in the hive for several days.
It is late for starting the process of letting the bees make their own queen. I would give it a few more days, (5 to 7) then, it there is no queen laying, I would introduce a new queen.
Newly hatched bees will be accepted almost anywhere, almost any time. You can normally move frames of newly hatched bees without much fear of not being accepted. a That being said, not sure how many newly emerged bees will be leaving the parent colony until they need cleansing flights or rest. As they age they will leave your trap and then depending on how you are trapping they may or may not be able to get back into the parent colony.
If I had 6.5 frames of bees, I would move them now, and start the process over. If you do not want two colonies you can combine them later using the newspaper method, or a double screen. You could add some to any weak hive using the same methods. Reason I would move them is, If they are queenless they can become quite mean, and at 6.5 full frames they will be getting crowded very soon. By moving the 6.5 you will have a new box to work with, more room for the bees, and you are weakening the colony.
You didn't provide if you are trapping for elimination, or making starts, and, you didn't state if you are using a screen cone funnel and external hive body or a trap with/without funnel inside the hive body and sealed/not sealed to the feral source. For readers to give good advice they need this info. I would think more will chime in with advice, if they had more information, in order to help you.
If you have questions, you may e-mail me at [email protected] and I will try to answer any questions you have, or, post them here and I will try to help you.
cchoganjr
First, I think you are rushing the process. If the bees made a queen cell on the 9th, (and that is highly unlikely, it normally takes a day or two or more for them to know they are queenless and make the cells) then the queen cells would emerge after the 26th. If the queen cells were started on the 11th or 12th, you could expect emerging queens on or about the 28th or 29th.
If the queen cells are still capped, and not emerged, the bees will tend them until they are sure they are not going to emerge. If a queen has emerged and left the hive for mating, the bees will not normally tear down the other queen cells until she returns, and, starts laying. And it is possible that the eggs that they used in the queen cells are not all the same age. Could vary by one or two days. With multiple queen cells, it is not uncommon to have more than one queen in the hive for several days.
It is late for starting the process of letting the bees make their own queen. I would give it a few more days, (5 to 7) then, it there is no queen laying, I would introduce a new queen.
Newly hatched bees will be accepted almost anywhere, almost any time. You can normally move frames of newly hatched bees without much fear of not being accepted. a That being said, not sure how many newly emerged bees will be leaving the parent colony until they need cleansing flights or rest. As they age they will leave your trap and then depending on how you are trapping they may or may not be able to get back into the parent colony.
If I had 6.5 frames of bees, I would move them now, and start the process over. If you do not want two colonies you can combine them later using the newspaper method, or a double screen. You could add some to any weak hive using the same methods. Reason I would move them is, If they are queenless they can become quite mean, and at 6.5 full frames they will be getting crowded very soon. By moving the 6.5 you will have a new box to work with, more room for the bees, and you are weakening the colony.
You didn't provide if you are trapping for elimination, or making starts, and, you didn't state if you are using a screen cone funnel and external hive body or a trap with/without funnel inside the hive body and sealed/not sealed to the feral source. For readers to give good advice they need this info. I would think more will chime in with advice, if they had more information, in order to help you.
If you have questions, you may e-mail me at [email protected] and I will try to answer any questions you have, or, post them here and I will try to help you.
cchoganjr
Thanks Cleo. Yes I am using a one way funnel with a trap out hive very close to original opening. I am trapping out for elimination. The bees are in a wall of a banquet hall in a functioning historical inn. I tried to cut them out originally from the outside but the hive was behind a large exterior field stone chimney. The owner did not want to cut out from the interior. I will post some pics.
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