# Unattended TBH in a remote location?



## Bakk (May 2, 2013)

I am a new beekeeper, so I have very little hands-on knowledge and only a few hundred hours of research knowledge at this point, but I don't really see many problems with your plans. 

Someone on here mentioned the disparity between beekeepers on the time between inspections, and I think annually was noted as an option. The main problem that was mentioned was the lack of constant information on how the hive is doing: pests, disease, swarming, temperament, etc. And if they were to not survive a winter, you wouldn't really know until you went out to harvest honey next year.

Anyway, that's all I can think about, but like I said, I'm new here. I'm sure some of the more experienced would have something better to say on the subject!
I am very much interested in the answers everyone else has to all your questions!

Best of luck


----------



## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

You will probably find it more trouble than it's worth.


----------



## Alwayslearning (May 19, 2013)

Bakk said:


> The main problem that was mentioned was the lack of constant information on how the hive is doing: pests, disease, swarming, temperament, etc. And if they were to not survive a winter, you wouldn't really know until you went out to harvest honey next year.


What I was envisioning was basically letting the bees go wild. If they swarm, they swarm. So be it. If they don't survive the winter, so it goes... I've read a lot about the benefits of NOT treating for diseases and what not. It makes sense to me. I have a hive at my house (with an observation window) that I plan on learning with and being closely involved with. The remote hive would be, I guess, just trying to give some bees access to a native environment with little human interruption. If I go ahead with this, Ill definitely keep you posted!



JRG13 said:


> You will probably find it more trouble than it's worth.


Where is your adventurous spirit?


----------



## Colleen O. (Jun 5, 2012)

This is only my second year so my opinion is based on that short experience and what I have read but I don't think KTBHs are best suited to that type of beekeeping. Most TBH keepers seem to inspect more frequently and manage their hives a lot. From what I have read Warres may be better suited to this but my caution to you is that most treatment free beekeepers manage their hives so you may go out in the spring to find a deadout instead of a honey harvest.


----------



## Ravenzero (Sep 26, 2012)

If the TBH has comb established, and all comb is already drawn out, then it should be fine. However you cannot leave a new TBH to thier own devices, they will begin to draw cross comb and you will have head aches. 
Colleen is correct, if you arent planning to inspect them often, a Warre or lang is better suited for low inspections.


----------



## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

I'm not saying you may or may not enjoy the endeavor, but leaving a hive like that out then expecting to drop in and grab a few frames of honey etc... easily is most likely a pipe dream. You will probably have to cut a lot of comb and make a huge mess and be more disruptive then if you paid regular attention to it.


----------



## Alwayslearning (May 19, 2013)

Ravenzero said:


> If the TBH has comb established, and all comb is already drawn out, then it should be fine. However you cannot leave a new TBH to thier own devices, they will begin to draw cross comb and you will have head aches.
> Colleen is correct, if you arent planning to inspect them often, a Warre or lang is better suited for low inspections.


I think your suggestions make a lot of sense. A Warre is probably a much more appropriate hive for this application.



JRG13 said:


> I'm not saying you may or may not enjoy the endeavor, but leaving a hive like that out then expecting to drop in and grab a few frames of honey etc... easily is most likely a pipe dream. You will probably have to cut a lot of comb and make a huge mess and be more disruptive then if you paid regular attention to it.


I hope that I didn't make it seem like I was doing this for the honey. Its an experiment in seeing if the bees can thrive just fine without human involvement, and an opportunity to give bees a chance at a home they wouldn't have normally gotten. A relocation from a split. If my home hive swarms and I don't catch it (which I doubt, due to my lack of knowledge) and it puts up in a neighbors back shed and they call the extermination company, what a waste...... not expecting to get honey, I wouldn't really be expecting anything. I know its a longshot...... just the thought "I wonder how those bees are doing out there? I hope they are happy in their new home" is kinda intriguing...


----------



## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

If you think about it, the typical hive swarms every year. If all swarms and their parents succeeded the population of bees would double every year. Soon the planet would be knee deep in bees. Obviously this is not what happens. Bees in hive survive because we feed them when the summer and fall drought would have left them to starve. We split them to make up for winter losses. We requeen when they swarm and the new queen (in the old hive) doesn't make it back from mating. If we didn't half of them would die. My prediction for your unattended hive is that it will swarm most every year and sooner or later will end up queenless and fail. That could be in one year or 10 years, but it's bound to happen. Luckily your winters are mild, so winter may not be an issue...

But that's not to say it wouldn't be fun and worth doing...


----------



## Alwayslearning (May 19, 2013)

Michael Bush said:


> My prediction for your unattended hive is that it will swarm most every year and sooner or later will end up queenless and fail. That could be in one year or 10 years, but it's bound to happen. Luckily your winters are mild, so winter may not be an issue...
> 
> But that's not to say it wouldn't be fun and worth doing...


Definitely worth a try, I'd say. I think with just a little bit of yearly maintenance, it could be a worthwhile experiment


----------



## Alwayslearning (May 19, 2013)

Reviving an old thread  It's been about a year since my last post and my original hive is doing great. Today they swarmed and i was lucky enough to find the swarm and knock it into a nuc. I might just have to try out my experiment!! If I do, I'll keep you all posted


----------



## Kdxzoom (Jun 17, 2013)

If you do the remote hive you should look into the "Perone" hive. It is a large leave alone hive.


----------

