Apis Cerana Foraging on Radish Flowers?!?

I may have found an Apis ceran foraging on radish flowers.  I think the wing venation matches the description for Apis cerana, but I would like some professional opinions.  Anyone?!? please?

Hive Duplication Update

It has been 24 hours since the hive duplication experiment started and it is still ongoing.  The longest so far compared to my previous attempts which lasted at most, half a day.  Yesterday, I would say was not the best day to conduct such experiment.  Around 9 or 10 am yesterday, the weather changed from sunny to rainy the rest of the day.  I was just glad the bees have adapted to the new hive setup and did not hesitated very long to enter.  Only a few had second thought of entering the duplication hive and decided to hover outside and were caught in the sudden downpour.  I rushed to the hive as soon as I can with an umbrella and found 5 bees fell to the wet roof.  I let the bees crawled up to my arm and they stayed there until the rain stopped. Then they flew off to forage again.

I checked the hive this morning and everything looks ok.  It's quite sunny and the bees are coming in and out of the new hive entrance.  There is a bit of a traffic at the "express tube."  Some bees noticed the lid of the hive was open and decided to avoid the traffic and flew out immediately.  I just hope they find their way back.  Here is a short clip inside the duplication hive.  Unfortunately, I can not take longer videos because the bees started flying out of the lid.

I think it is safe for me to say that the initial stage of hive duplication is complete.  That is to coax the bees to go through the duplication hive.  The orange tube inside may or may not be necessary.  The bees will swarm outside but will eventually find their way back to their actual hive even without the tube.  But as of the moment, I can not afford to have the bees swarming outside the hive for such a long time.  And the tube helped in providing a straight path to back to their hive.  

So, what is next?  Well, at the moment, I will probably just wait and observe what the bees will do next.  I can not induce the bees to build a new colony inside the duplication hive unless the bees really need to expand.  Their hive right now is more than a year old and they could be overcrowding in there already.  If that is the case, they will send scouts to find and prepare a new colony.  Unless the bees realize that the duplication hive is quite spacious and they do not need to go far and look for a new location,  I may have to act as their real estate agent.

The draw back of the tube is one: the bees may get used to it so much that the bees will not wander off and explore the vast space around it.  Two: the bees may decide that the duplication hive is not good for a new colony because the tube is laying right at the center of the hive box where their brood chamber should be, unless they can build over it.  So, the tube must eventually be removed.  At most, the bees may decide to use the space as storage room for their honey and pollen.  And once they do, then I can remove the tube safely.

If my prediction is accurate, this is what will happen:

1.  Bees will annex the empty box for their storage chamber for honey and pollen.

2.  I can then remove the tube as I am sure the foragers will still go inside.  They no longer need to go inside the old hive.  They just need to store their harvest at the duplication hive then fly out again.  It will save them time.

3.  Once the tube is removed, come swarm time next summer, the bees may decide that the center of the box will be an ideal location for a new brood chamber especially since there will already be food nearby.

I can actually put a piece of a live brood chamber in the duplication hive.  This will surely induce them to build a new colony there, but I think it's cheating... haha!  So, until next time... wish as luck and good weather!!!

Another Attempt at Hive Duplication

After the storm, I found my hive has been blown down by the strong wind and almost fell off the roof.  By the time I recovered it, ants were already marching around and inside the hive.  I propped the hive back to its original position and tried to remove the ants as they come out.  I didn't find any damage outside the hive except for the orange tube that fell off, but I got a peak inside the coconut shell at the front.  I was a bit relieved to see some bees inside the shell but also a bit worried to see an ant or two crawling out of the hole. The bees have already built some structure at the lower part covering the original entrance hole.  The rest of the day, there were no activities outside the hive.  The bees at the back were nowhere to be seen.  The following day, when the sun was up, and was relieved to see the bees busy again.  There was traffic coming in and out of the main entrance.  And the bees at the back of the hive have also emerged and were busy sun bathing as they usually do.

The stingless bees also found a new forage just a few feet away from their hive.  It is a "melendres" plant. I'm not sure if it is a tree, or a bush, or a vine. I have yet to do a research on it.  But it has a cluster of beautiful white flowers.  I also see honey bees foraging on them.

Melendres plant, about 10 feet high... almost the same level
as the bee hive which is on the roof... can you see it, the hive?

Anyways, a few weeks after the storm, the bees are back to normal,  and I decided to attempt another hive duplication.  I set it up last night and by 7 am this morning, the bees managed to find their way out.  I made a few adjustments inside the duplication hive.  Instead of sticks to act as a bridge, I used the same orange tube to connect the two holes.  Of course, the real challenge is for the bees to find their way back into their hive through the long orange tube...0

It's more than hour since the first batch of bees has emerged... I have to check on the progress... wish us luck!

bees hesitating to go further...