ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Orange County, NC Beekeepers
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- From: Lewis Cauble <lewis AT hivebody.com>
- To: Orange County Bees <ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org>
- Subject: Re: [ocba] What did I do wrong?
- Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2014 14:14:47 -0400 (EDT)
Hello Mark,
I do not think that there is any reason to confine the bees to the hive when you move them. In my experience, simply closing the entrance for the move and then opening at the destination is sufficient.
Bees need water as well as ventilation to keep the hive cool. It is my understanding that water is not stored in the colony, but that a segment of the foraging force is tasked with foraging water. With those foragers locked in, there was no opportunity for the foragers to fetch the water required to cool the hive.
I have certainly lost drawn comb moving bees before, especially heavy frames of honey on newly drawn comb. I found that if I sat the hive on the very back of my trailer I was more likely to blow out the comb from the frame. It's like sitting in the back of the school bus as the bumps are amplified. On a bumpy road in the school bus the folks in the front may have a smooth ride while the folks in the back may be bumping their head on the ceiling. I try to keep the colonies as close to the front of the bus as possible whether I am moving them in a trailer or in the back of a truck. Wiring the wax foundation can help mitigate some of the comb blowouts, and using plastic foundation should eliminate the problem altogether. In your case it sounds like the combs were intact once you arrived at the destination though and they simply let go because the bees were not able to keep things cool.
Many times folks who have an unwanted colony in their house will ask if they can simply block off the entrance. It can be hard to convince them that it will not be a good idea but I believe your example makes it easier to see why it is not a good idea. Without the ability to cool the hive, the wax will melt and the honey will be oozing from the wall or ceiling.
If your queen survived the ordeal I believe the colony will recover. If not, simply add a frame of eggs from your queenright colony (or a mated queen if one is available).
Let us know how things progress.
Lewis
On April 14, 2014 at 10:03 AM MarilynMark Clark <wazazi.wa.binti AT gmail.com> wrote:
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[ocba] What did I do wrong?,
MarilynMark Clark, 04/14/2014
- Re: [ocba] What did I do wrong?, Just Bee, 04/14/2014
- Re: [ocba] What did I do wrong?, Lewis Cauble, 04/14/2014
- Re: [ocba] What did I do wrong?, Randall Austin, 04/14/2014
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