Hiving a swarm

[Blue Spinnaker]

I had split my hive after a prime swarm with one QC in each, had the 2 queens emerge 10 days ago and so though I was safe to go away for a few days to leave them alone to go on mating flights. Well I must have missed a QC, even though I thought I was thorough, I had a cast swarm yesterday.

I had a frantic phone call from my o/h saying that they had swarmed into a tree in the garden and what should he do? Well he managed to knock them down, but they went back up again, luckily to a lower branch. Then last night he cut the branch off into a cardboard box, turned it on its side and left it. They are still in it this morning.

I can't get home until 4.30 tomorrow (Friday). The weather forecast is terrible.

Can they stay in the box until then - are they likely to abscond - will the weather encourage them or stop them?

Should I phone a friend to go round and hive them today - does the weather affect this decision?

Thanks for advice, am loving 2nd year beekeeping.....

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

If they're happy in the box and the box is likely to last the bad weather move it to where the hive will live, I should have thought they'd be OK but they may well move on. but if you have someone who can go around to put them in a nuc, in your shoes I'd ask them to go over asap

 

[susbees]

No need to move the box...swarms are stateless for at least a couple of days. Cover it in a bit of plastic and weigh down the edges and sort it tomorrow...remember they brought a three day picnic with them.

 

[MartinL]

No need to move the box...swarms are stateless for at least a couple of days. Cover it in a bit of plastic and weigh down the edges and sort it tomorrow...remember they brought a three day picnic with them.

Could he place an empty nuc under the plastic with a top feeder to tempt them in???

I'd try and sort some way of feeding if possible (going to be cold today)!

 

[susbees]

Banging them into a nuc fast is doable certainly. OH should be capable of hiving them in situ if he got them this far (as in my then 15yo daughter pulled triplet lambs with phone instructions...). Up to the OP.

We hived one of our own (assumed) the other evening late from a fence strut - they were in winter cluster and you could hear the crunch as I scooped them into a nuc they were that tight.

Got a call to pull similar from a low apple tree half an hour away (before they get blown away or drowned). Have to wait til after 3 though . Bees know best? Hmmm....

 

[Blue Spinnaker]

Thank you for your words of reassurance. This was the first of 3 or 4 crises that all happened within 24 hours, so I've given in and I'm on my way home.

 

[Blue Spinnaker]

Just watched the swarm march into their new home. Wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself.

And awarded honorary beekeeper status to the o/h who is feeling very proud of his achievements!

Wine is in order I think.

 

[John R]

Just watched the swarm march into their new home. Wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself.

And awarded honorary beekeeper status to the o/h who is feeling very proud of his achievements!

Wine is in order I think.

I hived my first swarm and a cast last week, what a fantastic feeling to see them all marching in..... so understand how o/h feels...