Following yesterday's swarm scare and subsequent manipulations, I had removed hive 4, emptied it of frames and scraped it in anticipation of warming my bottle of acetic acid so it would liquefy and I could pour some into a saucer to sterilise the hive. The hive was loosely reassembled and stood in a farm trailer under a canopy.
Around lunchtime today I was going to check the apiary and passed the empty hive en-route. I was astonished to see a swarm arriving and it moved in. I suited up, gently filled the box with clean frames and foundation and fitted a strap round the assembly. I put it in a barrow, transported it to a suitable position and left things to settle. I didn't get chance to sterilise the box so fingers crossed.
I checked the apiary where the hives seemed quite normal with traffic in and out. Pollen going in and some bees heavily crashing down onto landing boards. I did notice that in an old bonfire outside the apiary fence bees were hanging around part of it and closer inspection revealed some of the twigs had wax deposits. It makes me wonder if yesterday's event was an incoming swarm which clustered in the bonfire then moved into the empty box today?
Around lunchtime today I was going to check the apiary and passed the empty hive en-route. I was astonished to see a swarm arriving and it moved in. I suited up, gently filled the box with clean frames and foundation and fitted a strap round the assembly. I put it in a barrow, transported it to a suitable position and left things to settle. I didn't get chance to sterilise the box so fingers crossed.
I checked the apiary where the hives seemed quite normal with traffic in and out. Pollen going in and some bees heavily crashing down onto landing boards. I did notice that in an old bonfire outside the apiary fence bees were hanging around part of it and closer inspection revealed some of the twigs had wax deposits. It makes me wonder if yesterday's event was an incoming swarm which clustered in the bonfire then moved into the empty box today?
