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Thread: Absconding bees from Apidea

  1. #1

    Default Absconding bees from Apidea

    I set out an Apidea on Saturday, opened it, on Sunday there was a lot of activity and nasanov fanning, so I thought maybe a practice flight? However on checking in the evening there were only a couple of bees left, so thought they had gone. But today I found a little swarm in a nearby bush, so have put it back in the Apidea. I have left the mating hive underneath the bush instead of moving it back to the original site, is that the best thing to do?

  2. #2
    Senior Member Jon's Avatar
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    This happens quite often, usually when the virgin is taking a mating flight.
    If you hold the apidea up to the cluster for a couple of minutes they will all go back in.
    The other possibility is that you did not have it properly shaded.
    Apideas invariably abscond if the sun hits them in the afternoon.

    Best to put it back in the original place. The queen will get lost should she have another flight if she has already orientated to the other site.
    Last edited by Jon; 20-05-2013 at 07:24 PM.

  3. #3

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    Yes, I did do that, held the apidea up to the remaining bees on the branch, and then scooped the rest up with my fingers. I think maybe I filled the apidea with too many bees, they had started drawing wax, and some bees were collecting pollen, but on Sunday it was quite warm in the afternoon, and the original site is in the open, perhaps it would be better where they are now? Don't bees re-set their orientation thingy when swarming? They were at the old site, 15' away for 24hrs.

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    Senior Member Jon's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by beejazz View Post
    Don't bees re-set their orientation thingy when swarming?
    Yes, but that is not swarming, it is either mating flight gone wrong or absconding.
    You have to get exactly the right amount of bees in an apidea and it must be in the shade during the hottest part of the day.
    Direct sun early or late is fine.
    You should get away with the move as not too many will have orientated in the first 24 hours.

    I am assuming there is a virgin queen in the apidea. How old is it?

  5. #5

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    May i suggest insulation and lots of it. A small hive needs a dramatically increased amount of insulation from both heat gain and heat loss. This because of the ratio of surface to volume. And a swarm, according to the research seeks 40L regardless of the size of the swarm.

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    Senior Member Jon's Avatar
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    Hi Derek
    But Apideas are mating nucs for a cupful of bees and a queen. About 500 bees. The insulation is not the problem here - rather the positioning.
    It is not realistic to put massive insulation on apideas as they are often used in large numbers and are designed to be light and easy to transport.

    They are well insulated relatively speaking but a few hundred bees will always have difficulty with thermoregulation thus the necessity to place the apidea in the shade.

    We had over 100 at our mating apiary last summer, most of them in the shade of a big lime tree.

    apideas-minnowburn.jpg

  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jon View Post
    Yes, but that is not swarming, it is either mating flight gone wrong or absconding.
    You have to get exactly the right amount of bees in an apidea and it must be in the shade during the hottest part of the day.
    Direct sun early or late is fine.
    You should get away with the move as not too many will have orientated in the first 24 hours.

    I am assuming there is a virgin queen in the apidea. How old is it?
    She emerged Friday, so too early for a mating flight? Just a practice flight gone wrong, or the bees absconding because too hot? Luckily the weather forecast is cooler and overcast so hopefully they won't take off again.

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    Senior Member Jon's Avatar
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    Absconding then.
    Orientation flights start about day 4 or 5 and the earliest mating flight will be about day 8 from emergence, usually a bit later.
    Did you check your cell to see if the queen emerged properly?

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by beejazz View Post
    She emerged Friday, so too early for a mating flight? Just a practice flight gone wrong, or the bees absconding because too hot? Luckily the weather forecast is cooler and overcast so hopefully they won't take off again.
    Apideas positioned without shelter from the sun give endless trouble, usually by the bees skeddaling. On a few occasions in the past a tiny colony has come my way - someone using fly spray on a swarm or on a colony in a roof space and only a few survivors left! If these were put in a nucleus box or hive they invariably absconded when the sun came out, but full sized colonies in the same location remained put.

  10. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jon View Post
    Absconding then.
    Orientation flights start about day 4 or 5 and the earliest mating flight will be about day 8 from emergence, usually a bit later.
    Did you check your cell to see if the queen emerged properly?
    Yes, I checked the cell and took it out the day after I heard the VQ piping. It is empty with a little hinge. I'm feeding fondant/neopoll, I'm a bit hesitant about feeding syrup in case bees drown in the feeder. Also spraying the plastic mesh at the front with water.

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