Hived a difficult swarm

[MikeT]

Asked to collect a swarm in the next village, When I got to the house I found the swarm on a lavender bush. It was on 6 stems which were all on the soil with the weight of the bees. No way of getting a box under the swarm, so I lifted one of the branches and knocked them into the box, no luck the Q was not in that section, so tried another branch, which I lifted up, and this time I must have been lucky, bees started to walk into the nuc box on its side. I went back 2 hour later and all were safely in the box, Put 5 frame in and off we went home feeling good with the a job well done.

Today bees busy flying and all looked well. tonight I inspected all hives, (now 9) and the swarm had absconded, no sign around the garden or fields. I am so disappointed as it was a large swarm.

 

[jonnybeegood]

Asked to collect a swarm in the next village, When I got to the house I found the swarm on a lavender bush. It was on 6 stems which were all on the soil with the weight of the bees. No way of getting a box under the swarm, so I lifted one of the branches and knocked them into the box, no luck the Q was not in that section, so tried another branch, which I lifted up, and this time I must have been lucky, bees started to walk into the nuc box on its side. I went back 2 hour later and all were safely in the box, Put 5 frame in and off we went home feeling good with the a job well done.

Today bees busy flying and all looked well. tonight I inspected all hives, (now 9) and the swarm had absconded, no sign around the garden or fields. I am so disappointed as it was a large swarm.

Maybe should have put a Qe on untill they started drawing comb, schoolboy error. Hey, i sound like oliver.

 

[dexter's shed]

I always carry a decent set of secateurs with me, and when collecting swarms like that, tell the house owner I need to trim their bush

then simple cut all stems/branches and lower them into the box,

 

[MikeT]

Maybe should have put a Qe on untill they started drawing comb, schoolboy error. Hey, i sound like oliver

Back to your childish comments then JBG. No Qe on the Thorn's polynus

then simple cut all stems/branches and lower them into the box

The house owner had asked if I could leave the plant intact, hence trying to get them to walk in.

 

[Pete D]

Hi Mike,
large swarms seem to prefer at least a full brood box, they left a big hive that was cramped with bees and end up in a smaller box, more cramped.
The entrance disk on the 6 frame Paynes poly nucs has a QE and is a worthwhile addition to any nuc.
A frame of brood I am told will anchor them, not tried it myself.
Good luck, perhaps they will come back tomorrow.

 

[jonnybeegood]

Maybe should have put a Qe on untill they started drawing comb, schoolboy error. Hey, i sound like oliver

Back to your childish comments then JBG. No Qe on the Thorn's polynus

then simple cut all stems/branches and lower them into the box

The house owner had asked if I could leave the plant intact, hence trying to get them to walk in.

Sorry, didnt mean to be childish, perhaps you could have pinned a Qe or a piece of one over the entrance? Maybe next time, i use Paynes nucs, now they have supers too theyre ideal for swarms.

 

[MikeT]

Pete
I have used a frame of brood in the past but I just thought on this occasion they would be OK with some foundation and drawn comb. I was given several Smiths OEs which I could cut and make QEs to fit the Thorns Nuc boxes entrance for future use.

The swarm was not too big only covering 3 frames so should have been OK for a week.

I had another swarm last week some 10 miles away on a rose arbour which was covered in new clematis and again only 6 inches off the ground, (the lady again did not want me to cut the plant as it was in full flower) this one also walked in ok, the week before I had another swarm in the same village on a chalk lump wall, used a brush for that one straight into nuc.

The easiest one so far this year was the one which landed on the tree guard, I just strapped a BB to the guard and went back 2 hrs later, all bees had climbed onto the comb in the BB, place box on a piece of ply and strapped together.

Now running out of equipment. So will have to do some amalgamations, when I can find the Qs.

 

[dexter's shed]

must be a lot of weird folk over norfolk way then, as over here in essex, people are only too happy to let you do whatever to remove bees from their property, I'd probably walk away if they started saying do's and don'ts

 

[oliver90owner]

Difficult? Any swarm on the edge of a plant and within easy reach is 'easy'. Just wait until they are well out of reach from the ground and in a difficult position - far more challenging!

Simply getting the queen in the box is nearly always the secret to success - they will do the rest.for you if you just give them time, but always with the risk of them leaving for their newly chosen permanent home.

In post #1 it was a large swarm, yet in post #7 it was only covering 3 frames. First I thought it could have been a prime but with only 3 frames of bees it was more likely a cast. Moving them only a relatively short distance and them having a non-laying queen increases the risk of them absconding.

Only three frames of bees is no great loss in the larger picture of 9 hives, so no real sweat; you also still have some swarm kit available. It is more the time spent going to collect them that was wasted, although the householder will have appreciated your efforts.

RAB

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I had another swarm last week some 10 miles away on a rose arbour which was covered in new clematis and again only 6 inches off the ground, (the lady again did not want me to cut the plant as it was in full flower).

must be a lot of weird folk over norfolk way then, as over here in essex, people are only too happy to let you do whatever

That's the difference between Essex and the rest of the world - the ladies around here are also reluctant to have total strangers fiddling around with their clematis.

 

[Hawklord]

Maybe should have put a Qe on untill they started drawing comb, schoolboy error. Hey, i sound like oliver.

What if the swarm contained a virgin, how would she get out for mating flights?

 

[Erichalfbee]

What if the swarm contained a virgin, how would she get out for mating flights?

One or two days makes no difference

 

[k9rml]

if the queen is in swarm mode would she not be slim enough to get through a QX

 

[Finman]

if the queen is in swarm mode would she not be slim enough to get through a QX

No. Thorax will not shrink.

 

[Barbarian]

In these situations I have fumbled around to put an inverted box with some frames above the swarm. Gentle smoking under the swarm starts the bees walking up into the box.

When sufficient bees are in the box, I move it upright close by and watch for fanning. When I am happy the Q is in the box, it can be left for later pick up. I have found that putting an air freshener block at the original swarm spot encourages the stragglers to start moving to the swarm in the box.