# Crushed bees



## Bsweet (Apr 9, 2010)

Its gonna happen, But I place one edge of the inner cover down on the supper and slowly lay it down, most of the bees will move when bee space is lost plus alittle smoke or a brush will move em.


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## Mike in Amboy (Feb 14, 2012)

I guess I'm mostly concerned with crushing the Queen. Thus far I've tried to refrain from using any smoke to get in the hive. I'm sure I'll have to down the road, but in these first few days, I'm not wanting to slow them down at all. My wife is starting to think I'm nuts. I have a pair of binoculars at the back door so I can look out on the girls anytime I walk by... I've got it bad!


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## rweakley (Jul 2, 2004)

Resistance is futile, you will join the borg collective known as the HIVE. A little smoke to move the bees away from being crushed is not going to set them back too bad. You can put the cover partially down and then slide it across to move the bees out of the way. Slow and deliberate is the way to go and you will kill less bees. The best way to not crush your queen is to not get into the hive LOL. But seriously, you should pull the outer most frame on either side (she is least likely to be on this frame) and then work your way over to the middle by separating the frame away from the one next to it and then lifting it up and making sure not to "roll" the bees up against the other frame. When you put it back together, put the frame back down in the hive a little away from the one it's next to then slowly scoot it back into it's original position. Live long and prosper mighty Beekeeper.


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## guyross (Feb 18, 2011)

Its one thing I don't enjoy. I just hate the crunching sound. It helps to have four hands. Two sweeping and smoking and the other two placing the covers back on. And as said earlier some smart bees move if you place it on slowly.


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

I've started the practice of placing the frame with the queen on it in a nuc box I use as a "safe house". (That is when I can find her). I can then pick up the pace of the inspection and breath a little easier knowing she's safe.


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## beedeetee (Nov 27, 2004)

I don't believe that smoke is going to slow your bees down. While I do use smoke, I use it mostly for getting boxes and lids back together by herding bees. It only takes a couple of puffs.


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## Mike in Amboy (Feb 14, 2012)

I think I'm going to have to start using it. I just went out to make sure my Queens had been released and it was like a bunch of unruly 4 year olds, they were running all over the place once that lid came off! Both Queens are out, so I'll leave them alone until Thursday now, hoping their almost full 2 gallon feeder will get them through until then. 

Thanks for all the hints folks.


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## throrope (Dec 18, 2008)

Mike in Amboy said:


> I guess I'm mostly concerned with crushing the Queen. Thus far I've tried to refrain from using any smoke to get in the hive. I'm sure I'll have to down the road, but in these first few days, I'm not wanting to slow them down at all. My wife is starting to think I'm nuts. I have a pair of binoculars at the back door so I can look out on the girls anytime I walk by... I've got it bad!


I have a pair handy for the same.

The more I avoided crushing, the more got crushed. I now put the hive bodies off center and slowly rotate to align. The initial area of contact is minimized and most get out of the way as I align the bodies. I understand most queens are timid and typically flee to a central "safe zone" when disturbed.

Good luck and keep us posted.


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## Paul McCarty (Mar 30, 2011)

My preferred method is a little smoke to herd them, and a little sugar water spray to keep them down and not buzzing around your head. Just alternate the two. When too many come up to sit on the top bars give them a good puff of smoke. Getting the inner and top covers back on is an art and science. just a little puff to get them to move and down a bit, a little puff and down, etc. - it also helps to put them on diagonally and rotate into position slowly if you can.

Same with frame removal - a little smoke puff (to get them to move), then pry, a little puff and then pry, etc. Everything is preceded by a little puff to get them to move or clear the area. Then the sugar water is used to mist the area so they don't get aggressive and fly at you. It's is definitely an art to be able to do it without totally pissing off a strong hive with 100,000 bees.

Right or wrong, this is the way I do it.


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## psfred (Jul 16, 2011)

Smoke definitely makes the job eaiser, and will calm them down when they are unruly, which happens even with very gentle bees sometimes.

Doesn't take much, and it MUST be cool smoke -- using a flamethrower makes more trouble than no smoke at all. I find that 100% cotton rags along with a bit of cardboard and some pine needles makes perfect smoke. Very cool, as the cotton doesn't burn hot, lasts for as long as there are rags in the smoker, and the pine needles make a nice masking scent. 

A gentle, slow puff into the entrance and under the top cover is all that's necessary to get into the hive, and from there just drift some over the top of the bars when there are too many bees on them, or to run them down to put boxes and covers on. Dense cliuds of smoke are counterproductive, and you should not have the outlet of the smoker very close, it's the smell of the smoke, not the heat or airflow, that masks the alarm pheremones. Even a barely burning smoker will be effective, as it still smells enought to cover the alarm scent.

Their natural defenses cause them to rush to openings in the hive, so you must remove them somehow or else squash some, and I prefer not to squash them. Tends to irritate them, even with smoke.

You won't distrub them enough with smoke to cause serious trouble, although heavy smoke does indeed reduce hive weight increase for a day or so. Light smoke used sparingly will probably not have much effect on hive activity, but I'd still avoid going into a hive more than once a week if at all possible.

Peter


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