buzzzzzzzzzz new adventure

[j.w]

All that trouble you went through to save them I sure do hope they make it. They are some lucky bees!

 

[addy1]

Oh my !!! So did you capture enough,so they might make it once back home at your place?

We got all except maybe 100 bees, or less. There are probably 30000 bees in the containers. The main issue is did we get the queen, did we injure her and the weather needs to behave until she can lay some eggs and get the winter bees going.

It is a gamble, may or may not make it. But worth the try. They would have died if we had left them.
Hard to watch them huddle in a tight ball in pouring rain trying to protect the queen and the two pieces of comb they had drawn.
Then the next morning, 34f in a real tight ball trying to stay warm. That is when we went to home depot and made up a bee rescue shopping list. Door screen makes a great face mask and good old painters tape.

 

[addy1]

Update!

Here is how it looked when we put the branch in the box, the next day, we removed it shaking the bees off.

This is the piece of comb they made around the branch, no eggs in the comb so thought maybe no queen.

We are so excited. Took a very quick look inside the hive, yesterday and this is what we found! Beautiful brood pattern.

And her majesty! You can see the attendants in a circle around her, taking care of her.

When we were cutting the extra branches off the cluster dropped 4 times, falling on branches, falling on the ground. We would let them resettle then cut some more. Hoping the queen would survive! She did!

 

[Tula]

Oh, I'm so happy they made it!! I've sure been enjoying your honey in the am, on toast and in the evening, in my tea....makes recovery from surgery a little sweeter

 

[Lisak1]

I love the video @addy1 - what an adventure! It's like these bees just come looking for the two of you!

@Tula I put addy's honey in my coffee every morning... delicious!

 

[j.w]

Yay love that the queen is there and all looks great for the saved bees! Are they still being fattened up for the Winter w/your sugary food you make for them? Those bees are so lucky you were there camping that day!

 

[addy1]

Yay love that the queen is there and all looks great for the saved bees! Are they still being fattened up for the Winter w/your sugary food you make for them? Those bees are so lucky you were there camping that day!

We are not feeding them now, there is enough brood, once it emerges, for them to survive the winter. We are leaving it on the deck for the winter, this one hive will have some foam boards around it to keep it a bit warmer. Give them a bit more help.
We had enough capped honey for them to eat over winter. I had a bunch saved up from removing off and on over the years.

 

[mrsclem]

Addy, I know you feed your bees in cold weather but I was shocked to see over a dozen bees on one of my bird feeders! Seems they will get food wherever possible during a warm spell.

 

[addy1]

Well...............they are out searching for food , any food. There is none out there. Any time the temperature climbs they go and look for food.
They think the dust on the bird seed is pollen, they collect it and haul it back, the house bees, dump it as trash, they can tell it is not good to eat. The smell of the seeds attracts them.

If you have hummingbird feeders without bee guards fill some with water mixed with as much sugar as will dissolve. They will love you!

They are also flying looking for water, they use it to help eat the capped honey in the hive.

 

[mrsclem]

Will do on the hummingbird feeders! I never saw this many bees all summer.

 

[addy1]

Someone must have put a hive or two near you! In the spring summer they have tons of places to look for food. Right now there is nothing and they sure are looking.

Will do on the hummingbird feeders! I never saw this many bees all summer.

Put it where you don't mind a cloud of bees, as soon as they discover it they will be all over it.
Put a bit of lemon juice and vinegar in the water, they love that, like a tablespoon or so.

 

[mrsclem]

Both lemon and vinigar?

 

[addy1]

I use both, they love lemon grass oil, it does not mix well with the sugar water. I use it in the sugar blocks I make for them. The lemon gives it a slight smell, the vinegar and lemon juice combined drops the ph. If you are using a quart put in a few teaspoons of each.

 

[JamieB]

We have wild honeybees, in a tree that’s hollow. I’ve seen them swarm a few times. I hope this winter hasn’t hurt them. I’ll be putting out sugar water for them when I see them moving, water for them, etc. I’ve fished more than a few out of the dog water, my pool. Having the big mats of floating bog iris in the pool has helped save some.

 

[mrsclem]

I put out the sugar water. They ignored it! All they seem to want is the bird seed. It's amazing how much seed they are kicking out if the feeders