It's all very sad

[ShinySideUp]

There is a swarm of bees in my garden, about four metres up in a tree. Today they were hanging in a lovely cluster, probably one of the neatest swarms I've ever seen but it seems they are not lucky. This afternoon the rain started oh so slowly and they still had time but it is now ten to eleven at night, it is pouring with rain and it is cold enough for us to light a fire to keep warm and I have just been to look at them. The cluster is now a ragged bunch of smaller clusters. I suspect that by the morning they will all be dead, chilled to death.

Bees have many talents -- weather forecasting is not one of them.

 

[Vergilius]

Any reason why you didn’t grab ‘em, out of interest?

BP

 

[ShinySideUp]

Too high. Hawthorn tree!

 

[gp125john]

You should have put a bait hive out for them. It is not nice for them to die.

 

[Ian123]

I’ve never known sticking a bait hive next to a swarm to work, long extension pole with a frame of brood on will get them clustering. Bees are resilient swarms often encounter cool and wet conditions and survive.

 

[enrico]

Never take risks trying to get a swarm..... It can be lethal. If you can't get them you can't get them!
E

 

[gmonag]

I made a catcher-on-a-pole last year to get high clusters. Not difficult to DIY.

https://youtu.be/h6mZwxLtW_M

 

[Xtrema]

I made a catcher-on-a-pole last year to get high clusters. Not difficult to DIY.

https://youtu.be/h6mZwxLtW_M

What a brilliant idea. I shall make one.
Thanks for this.

 

[beeno]

I made a catcher-on-a-pole last year to get high clusters. Not difficult to DIY.

https://youtu.be/h6mZwxLtW_M

Got one too.

 

[Show me the honey]

Not meaning to dampen your spirits any further but the outcome of most swarms I’m guessing end in failure hence why they issue so many if left alone else there would be an abundance of feral bees nests which in the past 4 years Ive not found many

 

[Murox]

Maybe a lack of suitable habitat is a contributing factor to failure.?

 

[gmonag]

the outcome of most swarms I’m guessing end in failure hence why they issue so many if left alone else there would be an abundance of feral bees nests which in the past 4 years Ive not found many

What evidence do you have for that statement?

I would suggest the lack of feral colonies is mostly due to habitat loss and varroa. The bees swarm because they must. It is the prime directive - to reproduce, like any other organism

 

[ShinySideUp]

Well somehow they survived the night in torrential rain. The cluster split in two as the wind blew the branches apart and one cluster fell off this morning before flying back up and reuniting with the main cluster. I couldn't leave them any longer and the rain is likely to come back in later so duct tape, a bucket and a long length of roof batten later, the cluster is in a nuc box. I trust they don't get too used to their new home as I don't want any more hives so at some time I'l be reuniting with another colony.

 

[Vergilius]

Never take risks trying to get a swarm..... It can be lethal. If you can't get them you can't get them!
E

Agreed. Always another one etc.

Ben P.

 

[Repwoc]

Well somehow they survived the night in torrential rain. The cluster split in two as the wind blew the branches apart and one cluster fell off this morning before flying back up and reuniting with the main cluster. I couldn't leave them any longer and the rain is likely to come back in later so duct tape, a bucket and a long length of roof batten later, the cluster is in a nuc box. I trust they don't get too used to their new home as I don't want any more hives so at some time I'l be reuniting with another colony.

I like happy endings.

 

[Vergilius]

Well somehow they survived the night in torrential rain. The cluster split in two as the wind blew the branches apart and one cluster fell off this morning before flying back up and reuniting with the main cluster. I couldn't leave them any longer and the rain is likely to come back in later so duct tape, a bucket and a long length of roof batten later, the cluster is in a nuc box. I trust they don't get too used to their new home as I don't want any more hives so at some time I'l be reuniting with another colony.

Nice one!

 

[Fritillary]

So pleased to hear they survived until you could manage to rescue them. Well done ShinySideUp! - Good name in the circumstances! (Though I can well understand not wanting more bees...)

 

[Stiffy]

There is a swarm of bees in my garden, about four metres up in a tree. Today they were hanging in a lovely cluster, probably one of the neatest swarms I've ever seen but it seems they are not lucky. This afternoon the rain started oh so slowly and they still had time but it is now ten to eleven at night, it is pouring with rain and it is cold enough for us to light a fire to keep warm and I have just been to look at them. The cluster is now a ragged bunch of smaller clusters. I suspect that by the morning they will all be dead, chilled to death.

Bees have many talents -- weather forecasting is not one of them.

Each to their own but maybe trying prevent a swarm may be a good idea?
S
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=46936

 

[Fritillary]

I hadn't registered that one!

 

[For want of a better word]

Well somehow they survived the night in torrential rain. The cluster split in two as the wind blew the branches apart and one cluster fell off this morning before flying back up and reuniting with the main cluster. I couldn't leave them any longer and the rain is likely to come back in later so duct tape, a bucket and a long length of roof batten later, the cluster is in a nuc box. I trust they don't get too used to their new home as I don't want any more hives so at some time I'l be reuniting with another colony.

Well done
There is an empty hive at Merry H if you want to put them in there!