Never Been Inspected | Opening Up Three Abandoned Beehives and Finding the Worst Conditions.

Lots of comments here about saving the bees. Bees do just fine without us. They built those hives the way they wanted them. If those boxes weren’t adequate, they’d find a new home on their own. The things we do with boxes and frames is for our convenience as beekeepers. We aren’t saving the bees, we’re making their honey easier to harvest. I’m not being negative about what he’s doing. I’m a beekeeper and I’d do the same. I just don’t look at it like I’m saving them unless their lives are threatened in their current location

The bees were so well tempered, you could say they were.... as sweet as honey.

Looks to me that someone intended to come back to put more frames in and straighten everything but something disastrous happened in their lives where the bees weren't the priority. I think they got interrupted by life, it has all the hallmarks. They just didn't ever make it back to put frames in. I'm thinking the people you got them from inherited them, probably with the property. You just never know so I try not to criticize anyone, esp in a situation like this.

There is nothing wrong with these bees, they are just living and building how they want and survive

On box #3, if you put an empty medium box with frames and no comb, and an excluder, most of the bees will go to whichever box has queen. Wait a day or two and come back. Hopefully they are closest to brood & you can take the box without a bunch of bees and put it about 10 yards away at night. The foragers will leave by mid day. They will return to the spot they orientated to. Then all you have in the box is a fraction of the bees. Get your rubber bands and a window screen. Any comb you salvage can be placed on the piece of screen, lay frame over it, slide rubber bands. I’m sure you know this. Posting for someone reading this that doesn’t. I enjoyed this video way too much. Like treasure hunting. That defensive hive is going to be the best of all 3 in terms of production. Better make queens out of their eggs.

Now that's what I call a beautiful mess 🐝💜 glad to see the colonies look good and are all queen right. What a save 👍😁 Cheers!

Far left hive is PROTECTIVE and will be the best of the bunch. They probably are raising some drones, because bees are very protective of drone brood during build up before mating season. Protective bees are a perfect source of capped brood that can be added to a weak hive and build the defense.

It is pretty cool that bees can be neighbors and not go to war against eachother

Bring a bucket and lid or 2 with you when you visit your bees, if the lids got honey and they are putting fresh stuff in clean it out. Leave the lid full if there is nothing around, they are getting nasty because they are short of food or coming into winter. Never throw your wax on the ground around the hive unless you like having stuff stuck to your foot wear or inviting pests and diseases. Every bit of comb can be melted down and cleaned or burnt as fuel for other beekeeping activites (fire boiling water for uncapping or melting out other dirty old frames... 🎉 😮 😅

Im just glad those people called you so you could help those bees out

Those frames look like there was at one time a bad wax moth invasion by the holes in the wood. I have saw hives this bad before but thank goodness I did not have to clean them up. Good luck. Thanks

Looks like you're going to have a lot of fun renovating these boxes.

THAT WAS SO, SO INTERESTING... I EVEN STARTED LOOKING UP WHAT YOU WHERE MEANING, BROOD ECT ECT... EXCELLENT VIDEO, STAY SAFE

Make this the bottom box of two brood boxes, come late winter / early spring time to reverse boxes but the bees will all be up in the upper box, and you can safely remove the bottom box, it will be unlikely that there is any brood in it, because they move upward to conserve heat in the hive over winter.

I think I would bite the bullet, and start swapping out some of the frames for wired foundation. Taking out all the honey you can, and moving the brood into the top super. Over a few inspections, you would remove all the chaos and restore order ( for the human that is). I wish my bees were as calm as those 'Neglected' hives. Thank you.

I saw the boring in the top bars from wax moth larvae , destructive lil buggers !

Those poor ladies, stoked you're going to give them a good home and the proper beekeeping they need.

The temperament resembles the Buckfast ladies. I love those girls and wish we could get them in the United States.

Nice to see Australians displaying things love it

With that first super with wonky comb. What I do is scrape the top off turn it upside down on a table and cut around the frames inside the box and then lift the box off the frames. You can then separate them out a lot easier.