Can I be sure I've caught the queen?

[ShinySideUp]

I have caught a swarm today but whether it is from one of my hives I'm not sure. I suspect it is as I have been away for a over a week and who knows what they have got up to since my last inspection. The swarm was in a tree above my apiary and I knocked it into a bucket and put them in a nuc box. Five minutes later I look up into the tree and there is an even bigger swarm in nearly the same place so I had another go and this time I walked them into another nuc box before noticing that the bees were leaving the original so I assume I missed the queen the first time. The bees seem to be staying in the second nuc but I looked up to where the swarm had been in the tree and there is another, small, cluster!

It started to rain at this point so I left them alone. I'm hoping I did capture the queen but why did the [smaller number of] bees cluster again in the tree if there was no queen. Last year I caught a swarm and once the queen was gone the remaining bees dispersed quite quickly so I'm a bit confused this time.

 

[For want of a better word]

Pheremone lingering on the original place the queen settled probably.... looks like you got the queen in the second box!

 

[thedozzer]

It started to rain at this point so I left them alone. I'm hoping I did capture the queen but why did the [smaller number of] bees cluster again in the tree if there was no queen. Last year I caught a swarm and once the queen was gone the remaining bees dispersed quite quickly so I'm a bit confused this time.

The second swarm from our hive that went in the tree did this, they had been there 2 days, so as Cheers points out they could be attracted to the pheromone left, we ended up getting the last few hundred bees down by hand and them sprayed the tree with cheep air freshener, it seemed to work?

 

[ShinySideUp]

Update. Now I'm concerned. I have just been to have a quick look and the cluster in the tree had gone but the bees are under the nuc box. I've just washed my bee suit so can't look inside so I can't tell if there are bees inside. I'm presuming that the queen is inside with a cluster of her own so are forming a cluster with a divider between them. Do you think they'll find the entrance in the morning or will I have to tap them into a box and reintroduce them?

 

[Bees Good]

A friend (who has two hives) and I found a swarm fairly close to his hives hanging on the end of a beech tree branch. I had not seen this sort of activity until this occurred. I started looking after orchards at my place of work and had been intending to have about 5 or 6 hives in the orchard. So I took the opportunity and was able to get the swarm into a nuc box with a few attempts. The first attempt missed the queen and only half of the swarm ended up in the box. With the second attempt we must have managed to get the queen in as all the rest followed. I was then able to move the box down to the orchard and they have been happily doing their thing in the box for about 2 weeks now.

Luckily my friend had a spare suit so we were both able to help perform the move successfully without any aggressive motion from the bees.

 

[For want of a better word]

Queen was in this bunch on the OUTSIDE of the box... brilliantly photographed by Little Nancy.. best beekeepers buddy !!!


Bounced into nuc... and now all bees ensconced with QE on!!

Another swarm put into my TBH... as running out of room at this apiary!!

Chons da

 

[Cuckmere couple]

so....qe on the exit? is it ok to do that to ensure you have them caught for a day or so?

 

[beeno]

so....qe on the exit? is it ok to do that to ensure you have them caught for a day or so?

I always do that!

 

[For want of a better word]

so....qe on the exit? is it ok to do that to ensure you have them caught for a day or so?

Best practice is to check for eggs in a few days..... if not open up QX disc in case bees swarmed with a virgin!

Chons da