help

[louisboy]

i checked my hive today to find to full supper frames amd a hole brood box full of bees and brood and honey/pollen but i also found 3 queen cells with small eggs what should i do i have to spear hives

 

[drex]

Do you have any spare boxes? Sounds like you do not.

The hive is probably preparing to swarm as it is so congested. You need to get another BB etc so that you can do an artificial swarm. I expect it will go on to larvae swimming in royal jelly, then they are certainly going to swarm.

You can buy a little time by knocking out the Qc's, after making sure the queen is still there, but that will not quell the swarm fever. Try to borrow some equipment or buy some ASAP.

Lesson learned - try to keep ahead of the bees.

 

[VEG]

the op said they have spare hives

 

[Travelator]

You could:

- Confirm that the colony has eggs (and a queen if you can spot her). Knock down the queen cells. Give them an empty super so that they have some extra space. They *might* go off the idea of swarming. You would need to check again after a week, and if there are more queen cells then do an artificial swarm.

- Do an artificial swarm within the next couple of days. If the queen cells currently only contain eggs, they should have larvae by then.

 

[louisboy]

ok

thanks for the quick replys i was thinking on taking the hole frame os stores in the brood box and freze it for winter or any swarms to come would this work ?

 

[susbees]

Leaving stores to attract swarms will likely only attract robbers...and there is always a slight risk of spreading disease.

 

[louisboy]

Hi

I ment for any swarms I collect