After a bit more thinking - I think you are spot on. That hive swarmed about a week / 10 days ago and I now suspect the queen was ready for her mating flight - and ALL the local drones wanted some of the action. Re-watching some of the film I took I can see there was no effort at all in stopping...
I got the biggest ladder I could find and leant it against the greenery just to the left of the swarm. Then used secateurs to trim away the branches and held a cardboard box up under and over the swarm and then cut the last few branches. They all fell into the box - down the ladder and tipped...
Glass - that sounds like a plan - but after watching the bees today - I think it would take them 30 sec to work it out and they would be in.
Drones - yes they were all drone size - but vast numbers - protected one hive - immediately targeted the other. I've some video - I'll try and get that...
Calmed down now - but what about tomorrow? - we are out for the day so I won't be about.
Could I put a feeder in my small swarm and shut them in for the day with a solid entrance guard.
Ditto with the other hive. ???
Not really. Threw a wet blanket over the hive - and they all immediately started robbing the second hive - only put a new swarm in there on Monday - so I've blocked that entrance up completely for the moment.
One of my hives is being robbed (WBC) - I've put an entrance slide in to reduce the opening - but the robbing bees are HUGE by comparison to my little bees - they are literally walking all over them - I have - or had - one FULL super in that hive...
Any advice?
Yes the metal ones are pants. I have plastic ones (different colours each end so I put the frames back the right way) - for both spacings which work out exactly right in my hive on plastic rails. Works a treat for me.
No - I won't get any honey this year obviously - it was just a case of how best to prepare the new colony/hive for the winter.
I can soon sort out a "super" set up for brood spacing I have plenty of spacers (use to keep bees years ago - now getting back into it) Although the wax is new...
Caught a small swarm on 1st July and put into a new hive with new wax. Fed them for the first week or so. Lots of pulled wax some stores and capped brood by 12th - so I should be getting new bees now - have not had chance to check this weekend. Still a couple of un-pulled brood wax each side of...
Lifted the lid off the compost bin in the video - popped the brood chamber box on top with a board over - the queen was at the bottom and managed to get her into the frames at the top and then left them to it. Went back late in the evening - slid a board underneath the brood chamber box and...