Last Year I Started Beekeeping - So Exciting

[sgtmom52]

Okay, is the supersedure cell the one that looks like it is a chunk sitting in the right hand corner??? What is it exactly? Also, when can I take the entrance reducer off?? Your somewhat close to me and I thought I saw you didn't have any on your hives.

Yes the supersedure cell is at the top right ~ the bees build them to replace the queen often for a reason only known to them. They are different than swarm cells. It is the position of the queen cell on the frame that usually signals it's purpose. Queen cells along the bottom are a sign of swarming to come. There will often be the beginnings of a queen cell on some of the frames but they don't mean anything unless the bees start to draw them out and there is a larva in them. These are filled and should be capped soon ~ then the bees will swarm if I can't stop them first.

I don't have entrance reducers on these hives as they are older or stronger hives. The entrance reducer is used to make the entrance smaller so the bees don't have as much area to guard against intruders. You can remove it when your hive builds up in population.

 

[madamwlf]

Thank you for the info! So glad there is Bee knowledge right where I get my chicken knowledge too!

 

[sgtmom52]

I'm happy to help out if I can.

 

[ThePigeonKid]

Thank you for the info! So glad there is Bee knowledge right where I get my chicken knowledge too!

X2

 

[Sooner]

Quote: Yes I have been feeding them sugar syrup since they came. They go through a quart jar every two days. They are started on foundation & no drawn comb.

 

[sgtmom52]

We got back from another swarm call. This one was from a feral hive in an old locust tree about 25' away. It was about 8' up in an old cherry tree and was an easy capture using our bee vac.

Heart shaped swarm


Vacuuming bees


We had to put them in a nuc as we ran out of equipement. I'm heading off to our local supplier to pick up a few more hives!

 

[chigger bait]

What a nice swarm.

The plant I work at has been haveing a lot of swarms show up on its 800 + facility.

The part of the plant I work on only covers 15 acres and we have had no swarms to show up yet.

Just a pair of crows that are nesting in the steel of an over head pipe chase in my tank farm.

 

[madamwlf]

Wow, I didn't know you could vacuum bees. Is there a special vacuum for that?? Nice swarm!

 

[sgtmom52]

Wow, I didn't know you could vacuum bees. Is there a special vacuum for that?? Nice swarm!

Of course you can vacuum bees ~ how else would you keep them clean!

My husband built our bee vac although there are commercial ones you can buy. It is a box that attaches to a shop vac with the box between the vac and the hose wand. You have to keep the suction as low as possible to avoid injuring the bees. It works great when the bees are in a place where you can't cut a tree branch to get them.

This is what the box looks like ~ along with DH vacuuming a swarm last summer.


This is the video I took today, unfortunately there is a glare on the vac at the end.

 

[madamwlf]

That is fascinating. Details please. What do you do with the box afterwards? Is it just an empty box or is there a few frames in it with foundation? Someday I would like to catch swarms.