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Author Topic: Collecting abandoned bees  (Read 5324 times)

Offline BeeMaster2

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Collecting abandoned bees
« on: June 07, 2018, 03:03:21 pm »
Yesterday I saw that the commercial Beek removed their bees so I made up a 2 medium box full of drawn stickie frames. We extracted honey on Tuesday. There were about 60,000 bees left behind. They probably lost about 1000 bees from each of the he 64 hives.
Here is a video showing the bees entering within minutes of putting the box down.

https://youtu.be/1A-j0PBHA4o

This morning at 5:45 I went there hoping they had moved into the box. I took an extra 5 frame nuc with 5 more stickie frames. I was planning on leaving it if there were a lot of bees left after I removed the first box. Here is what I found this morning.
 




I ended up placing the second box up against were the bees were the thickest. I used smoke to heard the bees left in the grass into the box. They started pouring into the box and then after several minutes they suddenly started pouring back out of the box and went right into the second box.
I picked up the Nuc and put the top on and put it in the truck. I had to pick up the 2 medium box with the front and 2 sides covered in bees.  It was so heavy that I could barely pick it up high enough to get it in the truck. I paper added these bees to 4 queen right hives and I placed another stickie medium box in the back of my truck to collect the ball of bees left after I removed the 2 boxes. I just added it to a 2 medium box.
Then I started scooping up the bees hanging outside of the hives and poured Them in different boxes to help fill them up. I them just started pouring bees on the entrances of the remaining hives.

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Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Collecting abandoned bees
« Reply #1 on: June 07, 2018, 03:27:00 pm »
In this first picture you can see the paper sticking out the sides of the 8 frame box and the hive on the left side. I added the Nuc to the 8 frame and one medium to the hive on the left. It had so many bees in the top medium that I had to add another stickie box above it. I still had to sweep bees from the out side and spread them around.



I added the bottom medium to the hive on the right and again had to add a stickie on top of it and again sweep the bees off the side and spread them around. I put the stickie that collect the bees remaining in the truck on the second hive from the left. Notice that I did not paper add.

Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Acebird

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Re: Collecting abandoned bees
« Reply #2 on: June 07, 2018, 09:05:51 pm »
There were about 60,000 bees left behind. They probably lost about 1000 bees from each of the he 64 hives.
So now what is the plan?  You got 60000 hungry foragers.  Did the commercial operator leave because the flows are over?
Brian Cardinal
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Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Collecting abandoned bees
« Reply #3 on: June 08, 2018, 12:00:12 am »
There were about 60,000 bees left behind. They probably lost about 1000 bees from each of the he 64 hives.
So now what is the plan?  You got 60000 hungry foragers.  Did the commercial operator leave because the flows are over?
Yes.
I have a apiary site in Jacksonville that I will be moving my bees to. I have the bee trailer that I will load up my bees on and move them.
I?m concerned about t putting all my bees in one location with the possibility of them being sprayed for mosquitoes again. A lot of hives were killed last year here in Florida in order to kill mosquitoes.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline beepro

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Re: Collecting abandoned bees
« Reply #4 on: June 09, 2018, 01:21:20 am »
Glad that you rescued these poor little stranded bees.  Now they have a
new home.  The timing is just right!

Offline sjh

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Re: Collecting abandoned bees
« Reply #5 on: June 09, 2018, 02:28:45 am »
Good catch Jim I have been doing the same thing picking up left over bees from a commercial bee keeper for the last two seasons even had a small marked Queen in one lot.
The commercial guys don't seem to care if they leave behind bees as they tend to pick the hives up in the middle of the day there loss!!!
Steve.

Offline Acebird

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Re: Collecting abandoned bees
« Reply #6 on: June 09, 2018, 07:59:59 am »
A lot of hives were killed last year here in Florida in order to kill mosquitoes.
Jim

That is another concern of mine in the West Palm Beach area.  All the mucky mucks can't have those mosquitoes biting them so kill everything.
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Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Collecting abandoned bees
« Reply #7 on: June 09, 2018, 08:28:16 am »
Ace,
I think that ar a is where they started using really strong chemicals and killing everything. The rest of the state started following their lead
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
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Offline Johnny

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Re: Collecting abandoned bees
« Reply #8 on: August 26, 2018, 10:44:12 am »
thanks for the information you gave me sawdstmakr.
I put the homeless bees in 2 new hives with 1 deep and 1 medium box. i put
one frame of dark comb in each hive.
they were there for 5 days without a queen. A few of the bees had started making new comb and
filling it with nectar.  I then installed a queen in each hive.  The bees released the queens.  When i
checked if the queens were released alot of the bees were on the foundation just hanging out doing nothing.
I have an entrance feeder in each hive but they not taking much sugar water.
Can you tell me why some of the bees are doing nothing?  What's going on?

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Collecting abandoned bees
« Reply #9 on: August 26, 2018, 06:02:37 pm »
If you are feeding them, I guess there is no food available. When the scouts cannot find any food, the field bees remain in the hive. Even during a flow, a certain number of field bees remain behind in reserve.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
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Offline Johnny

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Re: Collecting abandoned bees
« Reply #10 on: August 26, 2018, 07:43:47 pm »
I have entrance feeders in both hives but neither hive is taking
any sugar water.  There is a cotton field nearby so I am sure tha
is where they are getting nectar and pollen.
Thanks for the info.

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Collecting abandoned bees
« Reply #11 on: August 27, 2018, 01:34:58 am »
Johnny,
I strongly recommend that you remove the entrance feeders and only use hive top feeders or frame feeders.
As soon as the flow stops, those entrance feeders will cause robbing. The first thing the robbers do is kill the queen.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
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Offline Johnny

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Re: Collecting abandoned bees
« Reply #12 on: August 27, 2018, 09:51:19 pm »
ok I will remove them tomorrow.

Online Ben Framed

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Re: Collecting abandoned bees
« Reply #13 on: September 04, 2018, 12:49:26 am »

I?m concerned about t putting all my bees in one location with the possibility of them being sprayed for mosquitoes again. A lot of hives were killed last year here in Florida in order to kill mosquitoes.
Jim

Jim, how far from the street will the bee be killed by the sprayers?  With no wind for an example. Thanks, Phillip
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Collecting abandoned bees
« Reply #14 on: September 04, 2018, 08:00:38 am »
Phil,
Last year my bees were at least 150 feet from the road. They were using much harsher chemicals than in the past. It is possible that they also did an aerial spray.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Acebird

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Re: Collecting abandoned bees
« Reply #15 on: September 05, 2018, 08:46:21 am »
Jim, how far from the street will the bee be killed by the sprayers? 
The problem is the bees go to the flowers so it can be 2 1/2 miles.
Brian Cardinal
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Online Ben Framed

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Re: Collecting abandoned bees
« Reply #16 on: September 09, 2018, 03:28:38 am »
Jim, how far from the street will the bee be killed by the sprayers? 
The problem is the bees go to the flowers so it can be 2 1/2 miles.

Good point Ace and Im sure  that probably happens. I don't know how long the poison lingers in the air, which would do damage as long as bees passes through it I presume.   But Jim pretty much answered my specific question. The reason I ask I have some near the road also and when Jim mentioned his problem with the sprayers last year, that got my full attention. It's one thing to loose forgers that might be happening through when the sprayer is blasting away and that is bad enough.  But when a hive is in close proximity to the direct spray that can be a  catastrophe  I am thinking..
Thanks, Phillip
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline Johnny

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Re: Collecting abandoned bees
« Reply #17 on: October 02, 2018, 06:55:26 pm »
The 2 hives of abandoned bees that I started in september are going gangbusters.  I  put a queen with each box about a week after I put them in the beehives.
They are making alot of progress in storing honey and pollen.  They have most of a deep and a medium box filled. I believe they have enough honey stored to make the winter.
Thanks again for your help everyone.