The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Bees & Beekeeping => Topic started by: BenBhoy on October 09, 2014, 06:54:31 pm
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Hi all.
Right, start at the beginning Ben... (bee-ginning, sorry!)
I have a wooden compost bin at end of garden and started to notice few bees going n and out of the slats at one side at start of summer. Two weeks away, come home to what seems like the M1 for bees, constantly in and out, loads and loads. Not that bothered about the compost and knowing honey bees in bit of bother I was quite happy (though I've not been brave enough to lift the lid and look inside).
Now you must pardon my ignorance from here on in (pigs, fine. sheep,good. Bees?? No idea!!) I want to get rid of the compost bin, nothing to do with the bees, but it too big and space could be utilized better. What I want to know is, how long will there still be bees using it? Do they all die at winter? Or will some be planning on hunkering down there all winter? I don't want to move it an a) destroy their home or b) get stung!
Any advice very much appreciated
Diolch
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Are they honey bee's or bumble bees?
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Honey.
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Find a local beekeeper and they'll come and collect them!
They are unlikely to move out of there own free will!!!
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See I tried that, spoke to a swarm collector but tbh I found her very patronising and a bit rude. I'm 99% sure they honey bees (google) but she insisted they wont be, wasn't interested in collecting and said all but the queen would die after couple of frosts....???
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What part of nottingham?
If you want I will put up a post on the beekeeping forum, and I can then pass on your details to them let me know if you would like me to do that
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Very unusual for honey bees yo be in a compost heap, so I'd pardon your local swarm lady for being suspicious, I get a lot of calls about 'honey bees' which often turn out not to be - particularly outside the usual swarming season (May to July) or in unusual places. Carder bees or bumble bees are more likely in my experience. Carder bee hives can number in the hundreds which looks like a lot to a non-beekeeper but is a drop in the ocean for a proper honey bee swarm.
Assuming they are actually honey bees then try another beekeeper if you can but the odds are fairly low that anyone has an empty hive and would want to faff around collecting them at this time of year, in which case you best bet might be to just leave them where they are as they'll be quietening down now and try to do something about them in spring when they start up again - assuming they make it through the winter.
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not in the compost in the compost bin, i have picked up a number of colonies in compost bins.
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Yeah, I'm happy for you to put something on beekeeping forum; I'm in west Bridgford, close to Trent Bridge.
Like I say, I don't know anything about bees. Definitely not bumble. Me & wife spent sometime researching and we think they honey bees...
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Do you have any pictures of the bees that wold help a lot.
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On holiday,back Monday will take some then cheers.
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Yep I believe you Ben ,
Over the years I kept bees I've taken several well established large feral colony's of honey bees out of compost bins from above the compost, from under cabinets in sheds , massive free hanging combs from rafters in cool dry roof voids and from under first story floors between the floor joists. One nearly 12 feet long across two joists . I've lost count of the number of feral nest removals from flat roofs with 9 inch wide wooden joists & bricked up fireplaces that didn't have an air brick/open vent in the closed up opening .
Any reasonable small keeper should be able to remove the combs if the nest is of a worthwhile size . Then cut them to near size and slip them into frames securing them there with elastic bands
So long as they move the queen over then wait till dark or the next day /week end for the rest of the nest to take up residence with the queen in the neuc box or even a full sized brood box sat on a base c / w lid they are recoverable if you're a keeper short on bees .
Several times I've put feral comb I've removed c/w bees above a queen excluder in a drawn framed brood box above a queen excluder on the host hive , then just let the bees sort them selves out for a fortnight or so as the queen with the strongest pheromone influences wins.
Survival rate is fairly high If it is done quickly there will be little or no chilled brood happening , so long as the transfer temp is at or just above 50 oF ( 10 oC ) & the keeper feeds them up on less than a 1:1 syrup for a few days & gives them sugar patties over winter.
They could also be united with a sheet of paper over a small stocked hive in a few weeks time after first getting them settled .
The Varroa treatment might be just an arricide & thymol in the syrup for this first over wintering .
Though this time of the years is now a tad too late to disturb them . Perhaps letting nature take its course is best , if they survive a winter in the compost bin they could be an amazing colony for someone next year .
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Struggling to upload pictures or video onto forum - any idea? Or anyone who confident of bee identification and I can email? Thanks
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Just sent you a pm
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No pm veg....
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try an account with photobox or photobucket to upload then paste the link?
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did it come through as an e-mail?