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Our single colony swarmed last week 3 days after I removed the supers for extraction. We were able to capture the swarm and put it in a new single hive body. We now have two colonies - one with no honey stores and one with honey stores in two deeps, one only about 25 lbs and either no queen or an immature queen that isn't laying yet. We haven't seen a queen in that hive yet. Suggestions on how to keep at least one colony surviving through the winter are welcome. We are new to bee keeping - our 3rd year. Our first colony over wintered well. This was a new nuc in May.
Thanks for all your input. Here's an update. It appears that we will have to re-unite the colony, although we haven't done so yet. (were away for 10 days) We determined 2 weeks ago that the queen that swarmed is laying and we started feeding. However checked again today and there is no evidence of a queen laying in the abandoned colony, but there are plenty of bees and they are capping honey and there is lots of pollen. We treated with formic about 2 weeks after the swarm occurred. We also started feeding the abandoned colony. We will attempt to recombine, probably this weekend.
Here's some more questions: The top deep hive body of the abandoned hive is getting quite heavy with capped honey. The bottom deep less so. There is no larvae or capped brood in either deep. Should I put the heavier deep above the laying queen or keep the order the same? I assume I put both the abandoned deeps on the new colony (above the newspaper), but at some point should I try to get the hive back to 2 deeps for the winter? If so, how best to accomplish that?
Here's some more questions: The top deep hive body of the abandoned hive is getting quite heavy with capped honey. The bottom deep less so. There is no larvae or capped brood in either deep. Should I put the heavier deep above the laying queen or keep the order the same? I assume I put both the abandoned deeps on the new colony (above the newspaper), but at some point should I try to get the hive back to 2 deeps for the winter? If so, how best to accomplish that?
I doubt either colony will make the winter. What if you remove all the queen cells from the swarmed colony, and unite the swarm back with them? You’ll have to feed the colony
You say the colony swarmed three days after harvest. Must be the bees were preparing to swarm a week before that. Did you treat with formic after harvesting the supers?
You say the colony swarmed three days after harvest. Must be the bees were preparing to swarm a week before that. Did you treat with formic after harvesting the supers?
Very late to save a swarm but give both colones 2 to 1 sugar water plus a pollen patty ,it would be much better to combine the two colones.
combine is the way i would go
RON
combine is the way i would go
RON
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