Solitary chicken - need advice

[Omnicia]

Hello All

 

very sorry if this info is already available somewhere, I glanced over the first couple pages of the forum but didn't see anything... and I'm at a bit of a loss.

 

We got a new colony from a nearby beekeeper, and when he dropped them off, he closed up the Beehaus - I didn't really check out what he did, because I didn't want to disturb our grumpy new arrivals, and it looked okay from a distance.

 

A few days later, I went to check on them, and found that the lid wasn't on properly - and there was a gap at the top which the bees were now using instead of the proper entrance.

 

putting the lid on properly just meant they congregated around where the gap had been and got confused, so I left it there at first. I thought maybe if I went at night (when most of them would be in the hive) and fixed it then, then in the morning they would find the real entrance and start using it, but when I got to the hive the morning after, this didn't seem to be the case..

 

Can anyone advise how I can get them using the correct entryway so I can seal them up properly? I am worried about there being so much space for unwanted types to get in, and making sure they are set up to be able to keep warm when the temperature starts to really drop...

 

Thank you!

[Mrs Webmuppet]

Have the bees sorted themselves out? If not I am off to see our beekeeping trainer tomorrow and I will ask him (he doesn't like the Beehaus but might have come across this with wooden housing)

[Old Speckled Hen]

Close your "top entrance"

You are right about the potential for robbing.

They will eventually find their way in. You may lose a few bees but the majority will be OK.

 

Ahhhh I see your problems started over a week ago.

Have you had a chance to have a quick look in at all?

Wasps are bad this year.