Can you give us a peek in the previous 20 year bee box now that is has been a couple weeks to see how they are adjusting? Very interesting approach to working on a overdue box. Thanks for posting. kdr
I've been waiting for this video ever since I saw the first one and it did not disappoint! Im still so impressed by how healthy they seem despite 20 years of neglect
What if you just put 2 knew boxes under them 2 and come back in 2 weeks and use honey bee gone and smoke to run them out of the old boxes? Or am I wrong? Let me know
I have a suggestion for you guys, use a fume board on the boxes over top of the new box so they all go down into it, then get down into the combs almost bee free.
Fume boards and other bee repellent isn't sold in Australia and shipping from the USA is usually $70-$200 (sometimes much more) for a single small item much more for something as big as a fume board. Not worth it. USA needs to invest more in it's postal service if it wants US products to be a realistic option for other countries.
@@AwesomeFish12 A fume board is easy to custom make, and the repellent wouldn't cost much for how many uses it would have, especially dealing with that much of a disaster where your time is probably worth more.
I may be late with this but, I would have gotten a lid with a felt liner and placed it on top of the box after you set it on a new box and sprayed the lid with honey bandit. All the bees would have run down into the new box, even the queen. Saving all that work.
I'm with Alex BBM, I had to two hives like this I was called too and I added a new box with drawn out frames below, and let the ladies move down into the comb following the boss. Give her about 3 weeks and check. I found her there below, whacked on a queen excluder and away we went. Bit of heavy lifting to start with, but saved heaps of time. The top boxes were a write off like those two of yours. They had Wax moth and everything going on it there like this hive of yours. It will be interesting to see how they go, Thanks for some fun and good on you for trying!
This hive looked like some that I deal with in the wild. These bees seemed more like a wild hive. I would have just torn the box apart and framed up the brood with rubber bands into the new hive and kept most of the honey to feed back to them.Certainly easier than a ground hive or bee tree. Just finished the video looks like exactly what you did. Seems they calmed some after a short while
Fun to watch but a nightmare to do. I would have given them a new box and then let them wander on to the new comb without disturbing them too much. The queen would wander down to the new comb and start laying. After a few weeks remove one box and possibly add the other new box. It’s always going to be a mess but less bees per frame would make it so much easier. In fact once the queen is laying in the new box put a clearer board on the top box and let the bees travel down. My husband and I did one recently where the lady had become anaphylactic and the frames wouldn’t come out of the box. The box was falling apart just trying to remove the frames. All good now though.
as a very very new beekeeping enthusiest im loving the vids, its a great to see someone who can have a laugh and also teach us a thing or two. have a good one mate
Why didn’t you put a new box at the bottom and check every day if the queen went down to lay eggs, when you find her at te new one at the bottom put a queen excluder and after 1 month after all the brood has hatched remove the old boxes and put new ones
Maybe take a longer term process and move to your location so you don't have to travel so much. Put the old boxes onto a new box with some drawn comb. Wait a week then use a fume board to move the bees out of the top box. Add a queen excluder on the new box.. Make sure sure she is laying in the new box. Use a fume board again to remove the entire top box and let it be robbed out after making sure there are no bees in it. Rinse - Repeat until the old boxes are gone. It will take longer, but be less fiddly.
It can be an idea to turn the whole box upside down on a flat surface and lift the box off the frames leaving the frames standing on their top bar. Then you can treat it like a cut-out and remove one cross comb at a time and frame up.
A very difficult job. After watching that, I think I will make up a set of long handled comb cutting tools. Thanks again for a highly entertaining video
Oh bless you ... the chicks are lucky ladies 😁. I wonder if just taking a side off and working back through the frames wouldn't of worked . But a pigs ear of a mess lol .
The Aussie humor, makes you LOL 😁 . I think Alex Hope has the right idea and keep checking on them every couple of weeks till you have the queen in the top box. Bung on the excluder. Wait another 3-4 weeks for the brood to hatch, then separate/remove the bad frames.
OK next time may I recommend you set up a new box where the old hive was, take old hive 20 meters away and blow the bees out of all boxes onto a tarp, look for queen and move the honey and brood box away from them so they dont all go back in, then if need be use a jemmy bar to break the rebated end off box to get in and then use a long carving knife to cut the frames free, put brood in the new box where hive stood etc etc. less angry and less dead bees and damage and mess. Once found the queen drag the tarp back to the hive and let them walk back in. Put queeny in the box safely. Job done
Wouldn't it be a whole lot easier to move the whole box and in the new location put a new box on top. Eventually, the queen will go into the new box and start laying. After she moves into the new box, put on a queen exclude. In a few weeks, the brood will be hatch then you dismantle the old combs, etc. I wouldn't be so concerned about a disease. The colony looks pretty large. My Two Cents.
I think on a box like this would be the best thing is to put the two old boxes on top of two new boxes and put honey be gone on it to run the bee down into the new boxes . 🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️
This may have been easier using a BeeVac. We usually use rubber bands and cut a line horizontally along the wires with a knife so that the comb can be pushed centrally onto the new frame making it more secure.
In the sister video to this he mentions it was a choice of rehome them, or they get the gas can, so I suppose he didn't have the time for a more measured approach.
Anywhere from 0-20 in my experience but depends on how careful you are. You really shouldn't be killing more than 1 or 2 at most, but for what BBM is doing, hundreds are drowning in honey that it's less concerning relatively speaking when compared to regular inspections.
I would have just added a new brood box along with the one brood box they had a let them start building and then later remove the other and give them a second
Like Alex said I would of done it that way, as for inspection well you already put bees into the new box 🤔 so contaminated? Put old box on top then use some bee off to hunt them down to new box.
Could it be the ladies have drawn the comb in that direction because that's North - South orientation? I've been reading and it seems that's the orientation they prefer, so without foundation, they might revert to that natural inclination. It would be interesting to know which way that box was facing. Anyway, I've watched every episode 99% of your channel, and loved every second of it. Thanks for heping me get through this lockdown! Keep up the great work, both of you.
You have an amazing personality and I'm very much enjoying the entertainment with the education. I keep thinking how much I'd love to come visit and volunteer some labor.
It would have been much simpler to put the two crappy boxes above a bee escape and to stuff any openings in the top boxes with steel wool.then wait for a month and remove the top boxes and shake out any bees still there. then throw the old boxes wholus bolus on a fire.
What a mess!!! Next time, consider taking the box walls apart and then removing individual frames to reduce honey getting all over, smushing bees, and killing the queen. Not sure if that would work better, but sounds encouraging.
Can you give us a peek in the previous 20 year bee box now that is has been a couple weeks to see how they are adjusting? Very interesting approach to working on a overdue box. Thanks for posting. kdr
Is there an update on these hives?
I've been waiting for this video ever since I saw the first one and it did not disappoint! Im still so impressed by how healthy they seem despite 20 years of neglect
Wild colonies aren't a rare thing and they never get tended to. Leave bees alone and they will usually do fine without us.
Not claiming to be an expert but I think I would have taken the box apart and left the frames intact to start
Ever so often I hear yoda slipping through the crack. May the force be with you.
Love it! John is a huge Star Wars fan
No. It's Pinky from Pinky & The Brain.
What if you just put 2 knew boxes under them 2 and come back in 2 weeks and use honey bee gone and smoke to run them out of the old boxes? Or am I wrong? Let me know
I have a suggestion for you guys, use a fume board on the boxes over top of the new box so they all go down into it, then get down into the combs almost bee free.
Fume boards and other bee repellent isn't sold in Australia and shipping from the USA is usually $70-$200 (sometimes much more) for a single small item much more for something as big as a fume board. Not worth it. USA needs to invest more in it's postal service if it wants US products to be a realistic option for other countries.
@@AwesomeFish12 A fume board is easy to custom make, and the repellent wouldn't cost much for how many uses it would have, especially dealing with that much of a disaster where your time is probably worth more.
I may be late with this but, I would have gotten a lid with a felt liner and placed it on top of the box after you set it on a new box and sprayed the lid with honey bandit. All the bees would have run down into the new box, even the queen. Saving all that work.
I'm with Alex BBM, I had to two hives like this I was called too and I added a new box with drawn out frames below, and let the ladies move down into the comb following the boss. Give her about 3 weeks and check. I found her there below, whacked on a queen excluder and away we went. Bit of heavy lifting to start with, but saved heaps of time. The top boxes were a write off like those two of yours. They had Wax moth and everything going on it there like this hive of yours. It will be interesting to see how they go, Thanks for some fun and good on you for trying!
Love the rescue/relocation videos! So happy we get to see the second part!
Anyone else screaming at the screen the whole time: "PUT THE NEW BOX IN THE OLD LOCATION!!!"?
Yesssssss!
my cry was "leave the box with the brood alone and put it on top of the new box then come back in a week or 2 and get rid of the old one"
Couldn't you have drove the bees into a new box to avoid the circus music?
This hive looked like some that I deal with in the wild. These bees seemed more like a wild hive. I would have just torn the box apart and framed up the brood with rubber bands into the new hive and kept most of the honey to feed back to them.Certainly easier than a ground hive or bee tree. Just finished the video looks like exactly what you did. Seems they calmed some after a short while
Fun to watch but a nightmare to do. I would have given them a new box and then let them wander on to the new comb without disturbing them too much. The queen would wander down to the new comb and start laying. After a few weeks remove one box and possibly add the other new box. It’s always going to be a mess but less bees per frame would make it so much easier. In fact once the queen is laying in the new box put a clearer board on the top box and let the bees travel down.
My husband and I did one recently where the lady had become anaphylactic and the frames wouldn’t come out of the box. The box was falling apart just trying to remove the frames. All good now though.
I am happy to see you and help you and teach me man in australia I think you from there I want to learn one of hobbies all the best
Hate to say this but , I thought I was rough with this messes like this ! Hope Big Momma made it through.
as a very very new beekeeping enthusiest im loving the vids, its a great to see someone who can have a laugh and also teach us a thing or two. have a good one mate
Why didn’t you put a new box at the bottom and check every day if the queen went down to lay eggs, when you find her at te new one at the bottom put a queen excluder and after 1 month after all the brood has hatched remove the old boxes and put new ones
Could have just broken the box around the frames off, what I would have done
Maybe take a longer term process and move to your location so you don't have to travel so much. Put the old boxes onto a new box with some drawn comb. Wait a week then use a fume board to move the bees out of the top box. Add a queen excluder on the new box.. Make sure sure she is laying in the new box. Use a fume board again to remove the entire top box and let it be robbed out after making sure there are no bees in it. Rinse - Repeat until the old boxes are gone. It will take longer, but be less fiddly.
Never used any foundation and never had any problems with cross comb. Lucky perhaps 🤷♂️ great video! Pretty sure your videos are why I got bees!
burst out laughing at your weeds into the yard not flushed down the loo comment Mark. I love learning from you, sometimes I get life skill lessons ;)
oxenrat I was waiting for make sure there are no burrs or nettles or something, the don’t flush it surprised me.
Such a funny guy!
It can be an idea to turn the whole box upside down on a flat surface and lift the box off the frames leaving the frames standing on their top bar. Then you can treat it like a cut-out and remove one cross comb at a time and frame up.
A very difficult job. After watching that, I think I will make up a set of long handled comb cutting tools. Thanks again for a highly entertaining video
Oh bless you ... the chicks are lucky ladies 😁. I wonder if just taking a side off and working back through the frames wouldn't of worked . But a pigs ear of a mess lol .
Like a beekeeping Yoda
haha love it!
Have you checked back on these hives ?
The Aussie humor, makes you LOL 😁 . I think Alex Hope has the right idea and keep checking on them every couple of weeks till you have the queen in the top box. Bung on the excluder. Wait another 3-4 weeks for the brood to hatch, then separate/remove the bad frames.
All good things, in all good time.
That was a rough day. Looking forward to seeing them in a couple of months. Thank you for another great video.
Thank you, looking forward to the followup after all of your efforts.
I love your videos
Thank you :)
Interesting...So how did you come by a box not opened for 20 years ? How do you know it's 20 years exactly ?
OK next time may I recommend you set up a new box where the old hive was, take old hive 20 meters away and blow the bees out of all boxes onto a tarp, look for queen and move the honey and brood box away from them so they dont all go back in, then if need be use a jemmy bar to break the rebated end off box to get in and then use a long carving knife to cut the frames free, put brood in the new box where hive stood etc etc. less angry and less dead bees and damage and mess. Once found the queen drag the tarp back to the hive and let them walk back in. Put queeny in the box safely. Job done
its interesting that this is the second box where the brood is up top, could we be doing it wrong with having the brood in the bottom box.
I really enjoy your videos and the info you give. I have our first hive ever this year. Wild swarm. Thanks for all your videos.
Wouldn't it be a whole lot easier to move the whole box and in the new location put a new box on top. Eventually, the queen will go into the new box and start laying. After she moves into the new box, put on a queen exclude. In a few weeks, the brood will be hatch then you dismantle the old combs, etc. I wouldn't be so concerned about a disease. The colony looks pretty large. My Two Cents.
I think on a box like this would be the best thing is to put the two old boxes on top of two new boxes and put honey be gone on it to run the bee down into the new boxes . 🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️
When the make the honey frames sideways like that, does that increase the amount of honey?
This may have been easier using a BeeVac. We usually use rubber bands and cut a line horizontally along the wires with a knife so that the comb can be pushed centrally onto the new frame making it more secure.
They are evolving faster than you or me.
I would have put a box with foundation between the 2 existing boxes, some strategic excluders/ bee escapes and come back in 6 months...
That'd be the easy way.
In the sister video to this he mentions it was a choice of rehome them, or they get the gas can, so I suppose he didn't have the time for a more measured approach.
Great video thanks for sharing it. Maybe the bees will be worked before another 20 years. ❤🐝🐝🐝
How many bees meet their demise when you put a box on box or the lid on?
Anywhere from 0-20 in my experience but depends on how careful you are. You really shouldn't be killing more than 1 or 2 at most, but for what BBM is doing, hundreds are drowning in honey that it's less concerning relatively speaking when compared to regular inspections.
I would have just added a new brood box along with the one brood box they had a let them start building and then later remove the other and give them a second
Like Alex said I would of done it that way, as for inspection well you already put bees into the new box 🤔 so contaminated? Put old box on top then use some bee off to hunt them down to new box.
Could it be the ladies have drawn the comb in that direction because that's North - South orientation? I've been reading and it seems that's the orientation they prefer, so without foundation, they might revert to that natural inclination. It would be interesting to know which way that box was facing. Anyway, I've watched every episode 99% of your channel, and loved every second of it. Thanks for heping me get through this lockdown! Keep up the great work, both of you.
Love the Bee Man
Nice job 👍 will you be revisiting numbers 1+2 soon so we can see what a good move yous done? Keep on keeping on with the vids ☺️
Sad question, but have you ever had to euthanise a hive? That hive was left so long without attention that the whole box is rotten.
I am enjoying this. I do have a suggestion, on the description that shows up under the video, can you please put the episode number?
You are awesome really awesome
You’re a better man than I, Gunga Din!
Why do you have wires in your frames? I see other people on TH-cam like JPBeeman and they don’t have wires.
watching your video and the freezer box is still in my mind! did you look in it since the bee box was on the vent holes?
oh man, not gonna lie but if I opened it and saw that, I would have just closed it back up and walked away lol.
Bugger me Mark, that was a job and a half!
I love the silent "aaaaah fuck"
is that a queen cell on the box at the end?
Good job Mark. Love the video. To hell with all the "better ideas". You were there and they were not.
You have an amazing personality and I'm very much enjoying the entertainment with the education. I keep thinking how much I'd love to come visit and volunteer some labor.
Shoulda cracked the sides off
It would have been much simpler to put the two crappy boxes above a bee escape and to stuff any openings in the top boxes with steel wool.then wait for a month and remove the top boxes and shake out any bees still there. then throw the old boxes wholus bolus on a fire.
Love the Latin Sentimental - whola bolus... 😂
Warren Buffet of bees is that you? (O_o)/
sounds like Kermit... i used to work with bees and have done this sort of thing...
What a mess!!! Next time, consider taking the box walls apart and then removing individual frames to reduce honey getting all over, smushing bees, and killing the queen. Not sure if that would work better, but sounds encouraging.
Should have just brought the bee vac
Sounds like pennywise
Why does he talk like Pinky?
The y heard about it, they read about it, till the white bear showed up.lol
this is too much