RoseCottage
Field Bee
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2009
- Messages
- 718
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Near Andover, UK
- Hive Type
- WBC
- Number of Hives
- From 5 to 2 and hopefully a better year
So yesterday I was at work and a swarm (most likely one of mine) entered the farmer's house. Couldn't help as I was trapped in meetings an hour away so a beekeeping neighbour helped out.
Today I went round to re-assure and apologise for any inconvenience. I stayed about an hour and as I was leaving I could hear my hives roaring a hundred yards away. 5 more minutes chat and as I looked over the farmer's wife shoulder I saw a swarm landing in a bush. So straight home into kit, get box and sheet, and rescue my swarm (whether they like it or not).
Tonight they are settling into a 14*12 brood box. They are massive but I cannot be sure which colony they have come from, it could be one of 3 hives with recently marked queens.
Is it possible to combine them with another colony via a demaree, so that the swarm urge goes but they continue to produce honey? The new swarm have been given mostly drawn frames and have a queen, so they would go bottom. The existing queen (if she is in the colony) would either be killed or go with the brood into the top 14*12 brood box. Supers in between.
All the best,
Sam
Today I went round to re-assure and apologise for any inconvenience. I stayed about an hour and as I was leaving I could hear my hives roaring a hundred yards away. 5 more minutes chat and as I looked over the farmer's wife shoulder I saw a swarm landing in a bush. So straight home into kit, get box and sheet, and rescue my swarm (whether they like it or not).
Tonight they are settling into a 14*12 brood box. They are massive but I cannot be sure which colony they have come from, it could be one of 3 hives with recently marked queens.
Is it possible to combine them with another colony via a demaree, so that the swarm urge goes but they continue to produce honey? The new swarm have been given mostly drawn frames and have a queen, so they would go bottom. The existing queen (if she is in the colony) would either be killed or go with the brood into the top 14*12 brood box. Supers in between.
All the best,
Sam
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