Collecting stray bees left when colonies have been moved

[Anthony Appleyard]

This Youtube video "A Shower of Mad Bees - Massive Bee Cluster" (by the Youtube member '628DirtRooster Bees') seems to show a large commercial apiary in the USA, of colonies being moved away, and where each hive was, leaving behind a patch of bees that had been passing the night under their hive instead of in their hive. Later, all these left-behind lost bees could not find their hives, and flew up and gathered in very big queenless swarm-like bunches in trees. 628DirtRooster and his companions (presumably with permission) collected these stray bees and split them between several hives, which he had put a queen in each of. The second time, he and his companions came in a pickup truck with on its back 22 hives, without lids, with frames in, and each with no bees except a queen bee in a queen-holder. He parked under each of these pseudo-swarms, used a bow and arrow to get a line over the branch with the bees on, and shook the pseudo-swarm down into the back of the pickup truck over the 22 hives. Thus he got 22 hives of bees. How often is this done?

 

[Erichalfbee]

. How often is this done?

Absolutely hundreds of times on YouTube
Or until the commercial keeper runs out of bees?

 

[Anthony Appleyard]

What is the proper name for this sort of queenless pseudo-swarm?

Is there a way to make all the bees go into the hive for the night instead of underneath the hive?

Are there any particular areas and times of the year where this happens?

 

[Fusion_power]

Bees often spend the night in the area they were foraging, not under the hive. If the colony is moved overnight, the returning bees are left behind.

Having left behind clusters of bees is common with commercial beekeeping, especially when pollination contracts have to be filled. Some beekeepers leave a few weak colonies to catch the strays. I only know of one beekeeper who makes a practice of catching such clusters. He lives in Florida.

 

[enrico]

What is the proper name for this sort of queenless pseudo-swarm?

Is there a way to make all the bees go into the hive for the night instead of underneath the hive?

Are there any particular areas and times of the year where this happens?

Yes, block off the area between the landing board and the ground. They underfly the entrance and can't get through the OMF but for all intents and purposes they THINK they are in the hive so they don't relook for the entrance. You can lose many bees on a cold night this way.
E

 

[Anthony Appleyard]

When a hive is very full of bees overnight, do any of the bees go into a cell each if there is no room anywhere else?

 

[madasafish]

When a hive is very full of bees overnight, do any of the bees go into a cell each if there is no room anywhere else?

They tend to congregate outside at the entrance and up the front of the hive above the entrance. Called "bearding"