Collected a swarm, what now?

[Honeypi]

One of our hives swarmed (not sure why, only one had a QC and the old queen had been taken out). We managed to catch it and put it into a poly nuc, but without frames for now.

What should we do next? I imagine it's a case of either putting them back into their original hive, once it's been checked over for other QCs or adding frames to the nuc and allowing them to establish in there. If we go for the nuc then they'll have no stores so would it be worth putting a feed on?

 

[Erichalfbee]

What did you do with the old queen and when did you remove her?

 

[Honeypi]

Just a few more details that may be relevant. We have two hives following an AS around two weeks ago. We inspected last weekend and tore down all but one of the QCs. Yesterday (when they swarmed) was about the time the queen should have been hatched and mature enough for mating flights.

We haven't inspected either hive since so we're not sure which one has swarmed.

 

[Honeypi]

What did you do with the old queen and when did you remove her?

Old queen is in a new hive following an AS 13 days ago.

 

[Erichalfbee]

They will have enough food for a few days.
Rather than feed I would be tempted to take a frame of food out of one of the other hives if the weather precludes foraging in the next few days.
You need to look in as you know.
You could have missed a queen cell in the parent hive and have a swarm headed by a Virgin queen or your AS could have made more QCs and your swarm has your old queen in it.
When you looked for more QCs at the weekend, did you check both boxes?
You can re-unite all three if you want once you choose your queen.....but wait until they are all laying.

 

[Honeypi]

They will have enough food for a few days.
Rather than feed I would be tempted to take a frame of food out of one of the other hives if the weather precludes foraging in the next few days.
You need to look in as you know.
You could have missed a queen cell in the parent hive and have a swarm headed by a Virgin queen or your AS could have made more QCs and your swarm has your old queen in it.
When you looked for more QCs at the weekend, did you check both boxes?
You can re-unite all three if you want once you choose your queen.....but wait until they are all laying.

Hi Eric,

Thanks for the advice. We checked both hives last week and found some emergency QCs in the old hive. It's conceivable that we missed one. There were some play cups in the new hive but they're on relatively few frames still so I don't think we'd have missed them.

Hoping to inspect this weekend so should know more then. Any more advice in the meantime would be well received!

 

[abm]

my first 2015 swarm

 

[pargyle]

One of our hives swarmed (not sure why, only one had a QC and the old queen had been taken out). We managed to catch it and put it into a poly nuc, but without frames for now.

I'd get some frames in there pronto or they will be building comb anywhere they can attach it and you will have a really jolly job on your hands then !

A frame of stores from your other hive will help them.

 

[Honeypi]

I'd get some frames in there pronto or they will be building comb anywhere they can attach it and you will have a really jolly job on your hands then !

A frame of stores from your other hive will help them.

That's the plan for this afternoon. We only got them in the nuc box late last night and didn't have time to do it then and there.