New hive, need advice

[Kayla Stormont]

Hello!

I caught a very small swarm just under a month ago and transferred them to an empty 10-frame deep box. This is my first hive and I’ve been checking on them weekly. They’ve built a small amount of comb on three frames that the queen is laying in and an even smaller amount of comb on a fourth frame which they are collecting pollen in.

At this point there are bees hatching and the queen is still laying along the edges of the comb but they haven’t expanded their comb in about two weeks. Should I be concerned that they don’t have enough resources? Or will they eventually pick up the pace and build out the remaining space? I wanted to interfere as little as possible so I haven’t fed them but I also want to make sure they’ll survive.

Any advice or thoughts are welcome and much appreciated!

Kayla

[susan rudnicki]

HI, Kayla—-yes, typically this would be too much space for them to manage and they are probably struggling with temperature regulation. They have to keep the brood nest at around 95 degrees by generating heat to keep the brood warm. You should purchase a couple cardboard NUC boxes and keep those on hand for 5 frame colonies that will be transferred once they get “teenager” sized. Do you have a mentor? Where do you live? What reading material have you done to learn about this craft? Michael Bush has his complete book on Natural Beekeeping on-line and it is very useful. Please see our “Resources” page and you ought to have a copy of Rob and Chelsea’s book to help you. You can help them at this vulnerable time by feeding with a baggie feeder filled with purchased honey. Check the info on the web or any of various books on making a baggie feeder. Write back with the answers to the questions above. I leave in 2 days on a long Europe trip with my family, but will try to answer questions beforehand.
Susan, Forum moderator

[susan rudnicki]

Also, you should have some kind of ant barrier control to prevent ants from mobbing a young, defenseless colony.

[Kayla Stormont]

I don’t have a mentor but do attend meetings and sessions as a way for me to ask questions and get hands on experience. The hive is in the Hollywood area. I’ve read Rob and Chelsea’s book, the Complete Idiot’s Guide, and much of Michael Bush’s website. I have done some reading on methods of feeding but wasn’t sure if this was the appropriate instance. It sounds like it is!

Should I consider trying to move them to a smaller hive? I could get an 8 frame deep box which would make it a little smaller.

Also re: ants, I don’t have an ant barrier but the hive is up a few feet off the ground on a crate. I’ll look into some ant control methods as well although I can’t do anything that involves putting the legs of the stand in something (unless I get a new stand).

[susan rudnicki]

Good, you have read a lot of the best sources. But you should try to hook up with a mentor—mention it at the meetings. A lot of things need the hands-on guidance of a mentor. What you can do to compress the size of the space they have to warm is make a follower board. This is simply one of your frames with a piece of fiber board tacked to one side so as to make a temporary “wall”. Put in the four frames they have drawn, and put in the follower board as the 5th one. Here is a good view of one—
http://www.outyard.net/follower-board.html I did not make a purpose built one, but just applied a piece of fiberboard to one side of the frame and put the frame with the fiberboard TOWARDS the other occupied frames. ‘
The crate they are on is NOT a sturdy enough stand for a full hive and will convey ants right into the hive. There are very strong, iron stands made of rebar at Pierce Beekeeping supply in Fullerton—only $20. A strong stand with legs you can coat with Tanglefoot sticky ant barrier is just not something you want to skimp on. Argentine ants will devastate a young hive or cause it to abscond. The ants simply mob them. Especially if you are feeding the colony, you must help them avoid ants. The ants are everywhere and build their numbers strongly in Summer.

[Chip Clements]

I’m not sure if I have enough experience to be a full-fledged mentor, but I live in Hollywood and have kept bees here for almost two years. I’m happy to help out. I can be reached at 323-791-6581. Chip Clements

[Bruce Choat]

If you need a 5-frame box, I can build you one. Won’t charge you for it.

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