Just had a swarm

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Nick W

House Bee
Joined
Sep 13, 2009
Messages
106
Reaction score
1
Location
Kidderminster
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
2 Hives
From my local association. It has been collected and hived today.

I have read about feeding - I am near forests and fields etc so plenty they can collect - should I still feed?

Next about treating - I was going to use Oxalic Acid but the Beek said use Apiguard as they would take it down in a few days.

What do you think? If I am to use acid, do I want to do it around 5pm or so when there are plenty of bees back so it treats them all?

Cheers

Nick
 
They may benefit from a feed to keep them drawing comb (after about two or three days?).

Prime swarm?

If so, she may have been treated in the winter. I would not be treating with oxalic acid for that reason and also that I prefer other methods if appropriate.

A good rolling in icing sugar (less the queen and when open brood is present) followed by first brood culling would get rid of nearly all those mites without any nasty chemicals, which may, or may not affect the long term viability of your new queen.

Alternatively you may be considering requeening at the earliest opportunity - I always like to see how she performs as an extra gene pool is always handy if there are some good attributes.

Regards, RAB
 
Newbie question here: Are you going to treat this swarm straight away, or wait to see what sort of levels of mites are on them?

If the levels are low, wouldnt be best to just leave them bee?
 
Thats good I hope they are good bees for you.

Just one thought why assume they have a problem let then settle in and then asses the health of the bees then asses the situation simply applying chemicals from the onset may be unnecessary.

Good look
 
I have a 14x12" brood with 1 drawn comb on a standard size frame that he gave me to help them (yes it has been frozen). I could keep this in until they build comb and then cull this frame?

What do you think?
 

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