Collecting a colony

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busybee53

Field Bee
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Some bees have set up home in a wheely bin at a nursing home. The plan is to cut the combs and wire to frames before installing in a hive over 3 miles away. I have not done this before. Apart from being quick because of the cold weather is there anything else I should do?
 
Much better idea would be to move the whole wheelie bin the 3 miles (and then basically leave it alone until Spring) … which would probably involve finding an alternate bin for the Nursing Home.

But if the Nursing Home can manage to ignore them through the winter (when there will be hardly any flying), then the absolute best would be to leave alone and try the cutout in spring (either there or moved in spring away from the Nursing Home).
The bees simply cannot have just newly moved in. So, those bees have managed to be not noticed for at least a couple of months, three more should be easier since the bees won't be out and about much, if at all.
This kinda suggests to me that the bin hasn't been used for a couple of months … so doing without it being in use for a few months more shouldn't be too hard for them to do.

BUT because the bees are going to be clustered, not foraging, not building wax, that means that this is precisely the very worst time to try a 'cutout' - the chances of the bees surviving would be absolutely minimal.
 
Yes. Leave them until Spring.



And put a large sign on the bin saying 'Bees in residence until spring - leave alone'.

Just a question - how are they getting in and out of the bin ?

Also, a plastic wheelie bin is probably not the warmest place they could set up home - where are the combs attached - to the underside of the lid ?

If it's a normal plastic wheelie bin you could relocate it intact to where you wanted to put the hive - you might even consider a bit of Kingspan to wrap the top sections of it for a bit of extra bee comfort.

Ahhh ... Itma beat me to the keyboard ...
 
Not an easy quest moving a wheelie bin without damaging unwired comb, I would leave it where it stands and do a cutout in the spring and the only sign I would fix to it is hazardous waste do not move. Also hefting a wheelie bin is a bit problematic so if its possible give them some fondant
 
It may be worth looking to see if they can getout, someone may have closed the lid if they seen the bees as it may have been parially open before. Was the bin originally empty or did it have household waste or garden waste in there?
 
The logical thing would be leave where is any shifting will means surely combs , probably heavy with stores, collapsing and falling .... Disaster , as above good advice, additionally cordon off if possible. Wouldn't go near as in open in this freezing weather.

The hazardous waste sign idea might be a good idea and condoning off to make inaccessible, some of that plastic tape
 
Not an easy quest moving a wheelie bin without damaging unwired comb, I would leave it where it stands and do a cutout in the spring and the only sign I would fix to it is hazardous waste do not move. Also hefting a wheelie bin is a bit problematic so if its possible give them some fondant

Yes, as I said above, we agree that the spring cutout is the best option, but if they MUST move sooner, then better to move the wheelie bin entire rather than try to get the combs out.

I suspect that a Nursing Home may use large commercial-size rather than domestic-sized wheelie bins - which may anyway be a problem to move any distance. Certainly, having a while to work out how it might be moved would be useful.
 
Christmas looming. More rubbish and fewer collections likely brought the 'spares' into use.

Leave them with some kind of exit, covered over if possible and that unmissable warning sign, as above.
 
Some bees have set up home in a wheely bin at a nursing home. The plan is to cut the combs and wire to frames before installing in a hive over 3 miles away. I have not done this before. Apart from being quick because of the cold weather is there anything else I should do?

Lots of good advice already given by others. Don't disturb the bees inside until spring. If the nursing home insists the bees are removed for elf n safety "borrow" the bin until then and find a means of GENTLY transporting it to your planned site intact. You probably need a transit size van or a pickup truck with two or more men and a steady, smooth driver. Maybe give it some additional weather and wind protection without blocking the entrance.
I would use bubble wrap as being freely available and much better than nothing.
Come the spring you can transfer the combs into frames and place them into an empty hive.
Good luck.
P.S. J P the beeman on you tube demonstrates cut outs and putting comb into empty frames.
 
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The colony has no insulation in the bin and it propably has too much space. The cluster looses lots or energy in that bin. Perhaps food stores will be finish too early.

Leave it to spring is not a simple thing. But to move it in the middle or winter is the worst option.
 
Any option which means the surface of the bin does not get wet or exposed to wind is good.
better is some kind of insulation e.g. bubble wrap.
best is a kingspan cover

but owt is better than nowt.

Another example of how bees (bumble and honey) are limited in available nest habitat.
perhaps we should seriously consider making bee boxes availiable to the same extent we have bird boxes
 
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Hi busybee53,
Let's face it the odds of winter survival is low. I would forget the comb, chances are there will be no stores and no brood anyway. You will have to put them on drawn comb with stores (make sure you score the honey) and preferably in poly nuc. Shake them into nuc as fast as you can on a warmish day double figures (Wednesday looks good in my locale 12C day 11C night), but no rain. Good luck.
 
I would suggest that 'shaking bees' from un-framed 'freshish' comb while clustered may not be the most sensible way forward. No problem if they are already dead, of course.
 
There are at least 3 unknowns here: what size is the colony ?; what stores do they have ?; and what volume is the cavity (i.e. how much rubbish was already in the bin when the swarm moved in ) ? To my mind it would be useful to know these, unless you're just going to take a gamble on the outcome.

But to find out, it will (presumably) be necessary to open the lid a little, and this of course might cause the combs to break away.

This is a tough call - if it were my problem, then I'd be inclined to have all the kit on hand to do a full cut out/comb transfer, just in case things should go pear-shaped, but if possible just take a peek to establish the status quo - even though the assessing of stores may only be guesswork - and then take whatever measures are appropriate based on that quick survey. If nothing else, some rolled-out fondant shoved under the lid, and some bubble wrap with a warning sign might just save the day.

LJ
 
Is the wheelie bin commercial size or household size? If household size, if it is not secured then in high winds it may blow over or the lid may blow open exposing the combs and bees. You need to add insulation and cordon the area off as stated before. Then cut out in the spring if they survive.
 
Some bees have set up home in a wheely bin at a nursing home. The plan is to cut the combs and wire to frames before installing in a hive over 3 miles away. I have not done this before. Apart from being quick because of the cold weather is there anything else I should do?

Put the wheelie bin in a shed out of the wind.
 
Thanks for all the sensible replies. I have not been there yet due to illness. It's possible that the bees are no longer there (dead/absconded). The person described it as a small amount of comb attached to the inner side of the residential (not industrial) sized bin. I do not know if there is more comb further into the bin or if it is now attached to the lid. Or what rubbish etc might be in the bin. The person did not know how the bees were getting in/out. I thought to take all the equipment with me but not necessarily to use it. Will take fondant in case they are still there and it is possible to delay things till spring. Thanks again.
 

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