Caught a swarm

[MODNOD]

Caught a swarm last night 9.30 ish, loads of problems erecting ladders into the tree they were in.
Pruned a few branches to clear the way so i could drop them into a home made catch sack, all went ok, down the ladders i comes with a bag full of bees, great i think.
Tip the bag and shake into a nuc box, shaking most of them on the lawn , ok scoop them up and put in the nuc along with a combination of new and used frames plus a frame feeder.
Now i leave the nuc box in hope that some of the others that are on the lawn will go in, HM is in residence, thinking i will leave it until lunch time today to move them.
Picks up the nuc at lunch time, knowing i will only loose a few as its tipping it down with rain, had to have a little peek once they had been put in the new resting place and shock horror only a handfull of bees
Are well they did not like the bored and lodgings, it happens.
So walking round the garden just now i looks up into the tree i had scaled last night only to see a swarm of bees in the exact same place, new plans for tonight i think.

 

[VEG]

probably didnt get the queen first time

 

[MODNOD]

probably didnt get the queen first time

No, positive ID she was in the box, as she is once again.

 

[VEG]

ahh you didnt mention seeing the queen in the original post, hope they stay put for you this time

 

[MODNOD]

ahh you didnt mention seeing the queen in the original post, hope they stay put for you this time

If they go, then they had better keep going because i am not scaling that tree again.

Ps would you like to borrow my glasses

 

[VEG]

think I had better

 

[Rich0909]

I cut a strip from an old punched metal QE and pin over the entrance for 3-4 days whilst they settle down, usually stay put then.

Rich

 

[MODNOD]

OK just an update and may be some one can work out what is going on.

Swarm collected for the second time on the evening of 7 june, a few left in the tree, rain and high wind yesterday kept most in the nuc, however the small amount left in the tree had expanded to a tennis ball size by last evening.

Today the tennis ball expanded slowly during the day to a the size of a Sheeps testicle (run out of ball sizes) which i would estimate as one third of the original swarm.

Lots of flying bees in and out of the nuc, pollen going in.

 

[VEG]

lol how big is a sheep's ball sack?

Maybe another queen?

 

[MODNOD]

lol how big is a sheep's ball sack?

Maybe another queen?

Bigger than a tennis ball and smaller than a football.

Yes did wonder about another queen, seems to be a strange year for swarm behaviour.

 

[MuswellMetro]

Bigger than a tennis ball and smaller than a football.

Yes did wonder about another queen, seems to be a strange year for swarm behaviour.

i had similar views last year, new queen i thought, but when i looked again, she was clipped...the paint must have rubbed off or been cleaned of by the workers

 

[Phayze]

my bees have swarmed twice two different swarms however the first was on my wall and for a couple of days after some of the bees kept going to the swarm spot,the second landed somewhere else and as i was taking them to their new home they kept flying back so i sprayed the spot with a cheap deodorant a few went to the area flew for a bit then all returned to their new home im guessing some scent is left behind from their swarm spot to let the others know we're gathering here

 

[user 6228]

Given the research evidence for choice of nest made by swarms:
my thoughts are its best to provide a hive for a swarm of any size that that matches all the criteria until you get brood. i.e.
40L
entrance less than 20cm
facing south
Off the ground as high as practical.
and as the research used solid floors, solid floors (though no indication in the research of a preference)

my reasoning is that you provide no opportunity for dissenting scouts to prevail.

So that would mean you would never use a nuc to hive a swarm of any size for the first few weeks.
You would always use full size hive, with the entrance block in, and have a really tall stand for it.

then move them to better sized accomodation with mesh floors if preferred later
Derek

 

[susbees]

So that would mean you would never use a nuc to hive a swarm of any size for the first few weeks.
You would always use full size hive, with the entrance block in, and have a really tall stand for it.

Derek[/QUOTE]

As "the research" shows 15 feet to be around optimal how do you achieve this and what is your experience?

Of this year's swarms no caste in a nuc had budged and with the cool weather seems to have done them some good.

Full swarms in optimal boxes have been much trickier and one absconded after brood sealed with not a cup in sight.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[user 6228]

So that would mean you would never use a nuc to hive a swarm of any size for the first few weeks.
You would always use full size hive, with the entrance block in, and have a really tall stand for it.

Derek

As "the research" shows 15 feet to be around optimal how do you achieve this and what is your experience?

Of this year's swarms no caste in a nuc had budged and with the cool weather seems to have done them some good.

Full swarms in optimal boxes have been much trickier and one absconded after brood sealed with not a cup in sight.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2[/QUOTE]

The research also shows they go for the best available... so all you have to be is better than the rest of potential nest sites , which means a nuc might may well work all the time in an area with no nest competition better than your nuc. However, without a past history it would pay to "bid as high you can", to influence the vote amongst he scouts, in case they are still in swarm mode. And so with the hive stand go as high as you can.
My preference is to base my beekeeping on research where statiscal significance has been proven rather than my limited experience. In this case its based on the published work of Prof. T Seeley. Does it work in everytime case ... with animals ? what does?

 

[Hivemaker.]

So that would mean you would never use a nuc to hive a swarm of any size for the first few weeks.
You would always use full size hive, with the entrance block in, and have a really tall stand for it.

Swarm coming out of an apidea mating nuc, late in the season, would have some work to do in say a national 14x12 or Dadant hive thats for sure.

 

[susbees]

My preference is to base my beekeeping on research where statiscal significance has been proven rather than my limited experience. In this case its based on the published work of Prof. T Seeley.[/QUOTE]

....involving American bees and large woods full of trees with natural hollows. Bit different from the UK where prompt collection of other peoples' bees and a good eye on one's own makes putting casts in nucs using QE a valid and responsible service to the public prior to combining. Here in a rural area the number of chimneys and other unnatural cavities proving very attractive to bees is getting ridiculous and perhaps worse swarms from unruly colonies throwing multiple swarms.
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[oliver90owner]

Attracting swarms is one thing. Hiving a swarm already collected is entirely another. There needs to be some thought input from the beekeeper, not just following the flock, blindly.

 

[susbees]

Attracting swarms is one thing. Hiving a swarm already collected is entirely another. There needs to be some thought input from the beekeeper, not just following the flock, blindly.

Quite so

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[MODNOD]

Well in my case, other than i have already said.

The second swarm if i should call it that are twenty feet up a hawthorn tree going nowhere fast at the moment, they have the smelliest dirty frame i could find parked next to them.

Once i get them back i would be lucky if they fill two frames so they will housed in a reduced six frame nuc two feet of the ground, if they prefer the tree again i can see a cloud of pesticide being used as my gobby neighbour is creating hell.