Switcharoo what to do?¿

[DonAsoka]

Hola Friends
My neighbour has an old broken down hive that he tossed out last year which has been invaded by a swarm through a crack in the corner of the upper supper, I checked it out the other day and found that it had no foundation  on the old rotten frames but the small hive had been started and honeycomb was attached to what was left of the wires on 3 of the broken frames and there was nothing in the collapsed brood chamber, so I covered it up with what was left ot the old top and decided to write for you advise as to taking what is inside the old hive and putting them in a new home? Looks like something left over from the grapes of wrath!!!!!

Should I take off there old combs and tie them on new frames like a top bar hive ?
or Put a few good frames in a new box and dump the mess in between them and hope they sort it out for themselves?
any advise ?

[Beth Kirkley]

I'm trying to imagine what this looks like to try and help you. Not easy - imagining it.... or the clean up.

You mentioned cutting the comb and putting it in new frames. That is a good option. Two things you want..... 1) a cleaner & more organized space for the bees to work in 2) some of their old comb & especially if it's brood.
My advice, get the super and frames you'll need. Choose a way that you'll put the old comb into the hive - as is, but cleaned up? cut out and put in new frames? Place the new hive right next to the old one and shake what bees you can into the hive. With the old comb in there that they know, especially if it's brood, should get them to accept the new home.

Once it is established, you can make plans to move it to a location you might have chosen. (Let us know if you need help on how to move a hive - tips to make it successful.)

Beth

[DonAsoka]

Thanks Beth, I appreciate your fast reply , Think of the inside of the old hive as a wild hive in a tree trunk or an old log hive in its beginning stage.  I thing doing a top bar is possible as in India I helped put a hive into a domestic home from a hive pot that was full and about to swarm,   cutting the round combs in half and tying them to the top part of the frame but there were many of us and I am going to try this alone, what you suggest seems to be the best as opposed to dumping them in and hoping for the best.. I would like some advise on moving them as well, I understand a meter a day or 5 km and wait for two weeks to return to a more desirable spot,    Thanks

[thegolfpsycho]

I'm thinking if you got a new hive with foundation, cut one comb of brood out of the existing box, and tie it into one of your new frames.  Then place the new box right on top of the old one, without the bottom board, just like supering.  Bees should move up to tend the brood comb, and go to work on the foundation if there is any nectar coming in.  Check in a few days to see if the queen moved up. Once she does, move in a queen excluder.  Once the brood has emerged, cart the old hive away, put on your bottom board, and it's off to the races

[DonAsoka]

thegolfpsycho
That is a really cleaver idea, thank you , I think I will try that on the weekend, the wrecked hive dosn´t have a bottom board , the bees are entering through a small hole in the rotted corner of the old supper , but I think it´s OK for a small enterence is easier for them to defend at this stage,  Let thim walk on up instead of rippin them all apart, then I set up the new box next to the old after a week or so

[Beth Kirkley]

Donald-
Both the options you mentioned for moving will work. Another option that some have used is..... move the hive at night to the location you want, and close the entrance up a bit with some grass (so they have to work a bit to clean it up).

Beth

[thegolfpsycho]

I wouldn't move the box down next to the old one.  Leave it on top until the brood in the old broken up hive emerges, and the queen has moved up.  Then just get rid of the junk box, and set the super on a bottom board in it's place.  The bees will fly right back to it.  Then you can make plans for the move.  Good Luck

[Anonymous]

It probably looked a bit like this.



In which case you might want to give this a try.





  Al