Bees attempted a swarm today

[clare p]

Just as I arrived back from hospital having broken and mashed my finger shutting it in the car door (don't ask) I was greeted by the sight of a huge beautiful swarm emerging from my hive......
Very excited i grabbed my camera and filmed them and then tried to work out how to rehome them, but to my surprise after a short while they all filed back inside and now look like business as usual!?
Did the queen not manage to take flight? They all clustered at the hive entrance with lots on the floor.
Is now the time to do an AS?
Thanks in advance
Clare

 

[Gardenbees]

Do you have a "clipped" queen? If so, she's unable to actually fly, so is likely to be milling about on the floor near the hive entrance, and needs gently scooping up and re-hiving. In which case, you could do an artificial swarm whilst you're at it, or they will probably try again.

 

[Teemore]

I witnessed a swarm go back into a hive on Saturday afternoon - they had clustered in a 30ft fir tree about 50 meters from the parent hive and shortly after they clustered the wind rose a fair bit. They must not have liked the tree being pitched around or else the Q had failed to leave with the swarm; either way they went back into the hive and a variant of an A/S was carried out.

 

[clare p]

They have just done it again

They all flew out and have now returned at the end I saw the queen in the cluster on the entrance.
We are going to do an AS at about 5.00pm as the only time I have a hand.
Is this a bit late ?
It is quite warm here today so should be ok temp wise.
What do you think?
Clare

 

[enrico]

I would do the AS as soon as you can. 5pm should be OK provided weather holds. Nothing to lose.
E

 

[clare p]

Hi
we went through the hive twice but no sign of Queenie so what do you think of plan B
When they attempt a swarm tomorrow I close off the entrance and having laid a sheet on the floor directing them into a diagonally oposite hive 1 mtr away, I then stand back, watch and hope!?!
Wadddyaa think?
Clare
xx

 

[MuswellMetro]

Hi
we went through the hive twice but no sign of Queenie so what do you think of plan B
When they attempt a swarm tomorrow I close off the entrance and having laid a sheet on the floor directing them into a diagonally oposite hive 1 mtr away, I then stand back, watch and hope!?!
Wadddyaa think?
Clare
xx

well i think they will end up in the nearest high tree

 

[Poly Hive]

Get back out there and look for the Q again. Otherwise you are going to lose them for sure.

PH

 

[thurrock bees]

Get back out there and look for the Q again. Otherwise you are going to lose them for sure.

PH

 

[clare p]

Thanks for you replies,
I believe the queen has clipped wings so how will they get away ?
I will have another look tomorrow, they were very patient today but it was packed with bees!
Cheers Clare

 

[oliver90owner]

If your queen is clipped, normall the queen leaves but is lost, so the bees in the swarm return to the hive after a short period.

If she is lost, you should have found capped queen cells (seems some, this season, have experienced swarms leaving before the first cell is capped), but I have only experience of a swarm leaving early, after breaking down queen cells and me expecting them to be there at the next visit! They will go with the first virgin to emerge (is this a prime swarm with a virgin?).

Regards, RAB