Flour test for swarmed hive.

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Sutty

From Glossop, North Derbyshire, UK
BeeKeeping Supporter
Joined
Mar 11, 2021
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Location
Glossop, North Derbyshire
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
4 to 12!
I've read of the idea of taking a bunch of bees from a swarm in a jar, adding a spoonful of flour, dusting them liberally and opening the jar in front of the hives to see which one they enter.
I've tried this twice this very swarmy year - abject failure both times. Floury bees flee around for a bit and vanished.
Has anyone made this work?
 
Why would this work? Surely they'd go back to the swarm.
I think the idea is that they may go back into the hive they are familiar with, having done a single move to the swarm, maybe they aren't fully orientated to the swarm location.
Anyway it didn't work when I tried it!
Not seen it on Facebook but that's probably because I don't use it!
Think I first read of it in an old book years ago.
 

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