Can you hive a swarm TOO soon?

[Sutty]

I had a swarm abscond after several days in a nuc box, the same happened with one swarm last year though I can't remember what box it was in.
Both had been witnessed swarms and we're collected as soon as they had properly settled - probably within an hour.
I'm wondering if being hives so soon just leaves them in "we're bivouaced" mode & they just carry on looking for a home.
I did think the 5 frame nuc box was a bit small for them so that may have been the cause, but it made me wonder.

 

[Anduril]

Nothing to do with hiving a swarm too soon. If the nuc is too small they will look for something bigger, plus the scout bees would be doing waggle dances. Once the swarm is placed in a nuc or hive, add a queen excluder for a few days between the floor and brood chamber, if in a nuc with disc, turn it to the queen excluder mode for a few days.

 

[Richard]

I've just collected my first swarm this weekend. I watched it arrive and bivouac in my neighbours garden so it was there for less than an hour before I got it in a cardboard box. I left it in the box until dusk and hived it at sunset.

They seem quite happy atm. Still all there last night when I had a quick peek under the crown board.
It was a full size national brood box with a couple of old empty frames, but mostly new frames with fresh foundation.

 

[Newbeeneil]

I had a swarm abscond after several days in a nuc box, the same happened with one swarm last year though I can't remember what box it was in.
Both had been witnessed swarms and we're collected as soon as they had properly settled - probably within an hour.
I'm wondering if being hives so soon just leaves them in "we're bivouaced" mode & they just carry on looking for a home.
I did think the 5 frame nuc box was a bit small for them so that may have been the cause, but it made me wonder.

I have had swarms “move on” if I hive them in the location that they bivouac in. I’ve always assumed it’s because the scouts are still communicating with the swarm and therefore still advertising new homes to the swarm which maybe better than a scruffy little nuc.
I however never tend to lose swarms if I move them to a new location (as the scouts are often left behind or haven’t got favourite new places in the area.) OR give a swarm a frame of open brood, it can be a small patch but they never seem to want to abandon open brood.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I've had swarms abscond after moving them five miles and them then settling down and having open brood