He is almost done for the melon season and the cupboard hive is on one of the farm's main thoroughfare roads. Add this to the strong wind all day and high temps - he suggested bees would be too aggro to be messed with. And workers wouldn't have to drive past the bees while hive being relocated.
I was about to mess with their very existence - the bees will be pissed no matter what!
But if father-in-law wants a delay - seeing I am married to his daughter - he gets want he wants. I fully understand the workers not wanting to be around aggro bees. Looks like we will wait til the harvest is over.
Earlier in the day I messed with some top bars to get them ready for the brood comb I would be cutting out of the cupboard.
I added some supportive timber bars, a few panel pins to both sides for stringing rubber bands across
I will place the comb across the rubber bands and add more to hold them from the other side. Didn't really like the method using zip ties and hair clips some online recommend. I gave all the top bars i made a week ago with a light brushing of beeswax.
There was no wind at my place 20 minutes away so quite disappointed I would not be getting into the cupboard hive - so I took all my gear just in case I could get at the cupboard hive after workers done for the day and if wind backed off (it didn't and in-laws far to stressed with dumb ass back packer workers to be talked into letting me get at hive).
I also took a couple of medium hives in case of swarming bees or simple to be baited with lemongrass oil and set out as swarm traps
Well didn't see any swarms, so found a tree just right to sit the two medium top bar hives on as level as possible. The tree is about 30m from 10 commercial hives that were damaged by a tractor boom about four weeks ago. I then took my lemongrass oil and added a drop or two to a cotton bud, rubbed the entrances with it then flicked the cotton bud through an entrance opening into the hive - as per the internet research I completed
While placing the hives securely in place, my mate Andrew, along to help with the cupboard hive relocation that didn't happen, spotted high in the trees above our location a large swarm. If I had a fire ladder I could have reached it - but not today. In the image below, that large dark triangle like shape with a couple of dead tree branches protruding out of it is actual a large swarm high up in a gum tree.
The sun was just above the horizon and dipping fast so they might stay there for the night. Hopefully in the morning after a night hanging in the top of a 25-30m tree when the swarm sends out some scout bees looking for a new home they find one of my two medium hives all scented beautifully with lemongrass oil, with top bar frames lightly dipped in beewax - a perfect place for their new home.
The father-in-law has totally pooh-hooooed the lemongrass idea as he does the top bar hive concept - so hoping the scenting of the swarm trap (my medium hives) works a treat to prove my online research. if it works - yahooo! If it doesn't not much effort to at least try.
My two swarms gathered the other day are very busy working the top bars of their hives - already some small comb being built off the top bars only days after being placed in them. I am able to have a good look in the hive without any beekeeping suit given how calm both hives are. Exciting times! Three cheers for the Top Bar Hive concept.
(plus so far have only spent money on buying a couple of smokers and the tiniest vial of lemongrass oil).
Another plus for the top bar design is that all the commercial hives on the melon farm in the heat of today had very full beards of bees hanging off the front entrances - while my hive had all their bees inside - so a much better design for 35 degree plus weather of the last few days. So am thinking the Top Bar hive concept is perfect for the tropical condition in Darwin but time will tell as always. Question is how will they handle 4 months of torrential rain and the month or two month long "build up" and its high humidity and temperatures. Can't wait to find out!
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