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.
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| 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!
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| bees hesitating to go further... |
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