Caught a swarm! Help!

[madasafish]

Well said, MAF.

Outcome will be flat combs which are interchangeable with others.

You may wonder why this is useful, Julie, but trust me, flat combs make easy work of frame management (shifting frames out or about).

I learned this the hard way...

 

[Tarahill]

Oh dear. Added foundation yesterday evening, left them to settle in for the night and moved them to the apiary. I plugged the entrance with grass this morning and left them to it. A significant number of them have headed back to the empty bait hive location....I wonder should I put a box up there - in case they all come back?

 

[REDWOOD]

 

[Boston Bees]

Oh dear. Added foundation yesterday evening, left them to settle in for the night and moved them to the apiary. I plugged the entrance with grass this morning and left them to it. A significant number of them have headed back to the empty bait hive location....I wonder should I put a box up there - in case they all come back?

It happens. Pretty inevitable when moving a hive (even a new swarm) a short distance. It'll just be some of the foragers who didn't get the message from the grass in the entrance. Bit more grass next time maybe. Best that you got this out of the way now. If you had waited weeks and then tried to do this you would have lots a huge number of foragers.

I wouldn't bother with a box you'll just confuse them more. Best that they get the message and disperse, either to their old home or somewhere in your apiary perhaps.

 

[Tarahill]

It happens. Pretty inevitable when moving a hive (even a new swarm) a short distance. It'll just be some of the foragers who didn't get the message from the grass in the entrance. Bit more grass next time maybe.

I wouldn't bother with a box you'll just confuse them more. Best that they get the message and disperse, either to their old home or somewhere in your apiary perhaps.

Thanks again

 

[Erichalfbee]

Oh dear. Added foundation yesterday evening, left them to settle in for the night and moved them to the apiary. I plugged the entrance with grass this morning and left them to it. A significant number of them have headed back to the empty bait hive location....I wonder should I put a box up there - in case they all come back?

Well now. I have done what you suggest and what Boston recommended
The returnees are the early foragers that we’re out yesterday.
I put a super with a couple of drawn frames then popped it on top of the swarm in the apiary in the evening. Twice. There were fewer bees on the second night.
If you do nothing they will hang around for a few days then disappear
Do they perish? Go home whence they came? Find another colony to beg their way into? Who knows