MJBee
Drone Bee
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2008
- Messages
- 1,812
- Reaction score
- 1
- Location
- Dordogne 24360 France
- Hive Type
- Commercial
- Number of Hives
- 16 a mix of Commercial, National, 14 x 12, Dadant and a Warre
I was called to a swarm situated between a window and closed shutters yesterday.
Opening the shutters revealed a basket bell sized cluster hanging from the stone lintel. A gentle probe found comb in the cluster - change of plan!!
It turned out that there were 6 combs in all and they were cut out and tied into 3 frames, as many bees as possible were then scooped into the swarm box and the box propped on top of the shutter. Lots of fanning and the remaining bees began to head for the box.
Couple of cups of tea later all but a dozen or so were in the box so closed up and taken away - elapsed time 2 hrs
I took them to my out apiary (too close to take them home) transferred the frames of comb into a Nuc box added 3 frames of foundation then tipped the remaining bees onto a sheet - they ran in just like a swarm. There was very little food in the frames so I gave them 1ltr of 1:1 syrup.
Wish they were all as easy as that
Opening the shutters revealed a basket bell sized cluster hanging from the stone lintel. A gentle probe found comb in the cluster - change of plan!!
It turned out that there were 6 combs in all and they were cut out and tied into 3 frames, as many bees as possible were then scooped into the swarm box and the box propped on top of the shutter. Lots of fanning and the remaining bees began to head for the box.
Couple of cups of tea later all but a dozen or so were in the box so closed up and taken away - elapsed time 2 hrs
I took them to my out apiary (too close to take them home) transferred the frames of comb into a Nuc box added 3 frames of foundation then tipped the remaining bees onto a sheet - they ran in just like a swarm. There was very little food in the frames so I gave them 1ltr of 1:1 syrup.
Wish they were all as easy as that