lost swarms

[Norfolktoad]

I have collected 5 swarms so far this year but only the smallest has stayed complete. The first 2 were from the same chimney 1 week apart. They were both put in 6 frame nuc boxes with new frames. The next was a small swarm in a hedge hog box and that has stayed. I collected a large swarm from a small shrub almost a ground level and placed this in a 6 frame nuc box. and the last one I collected on Monday from a garden compost bin and again put into a nuc box. On checking this morning the 1st 2 swarms are very much smaller than original, but my weakest colony is now much stronger??? The small swarm has stayed put and is drawing out comb. The last 2 swarms which were the best, have almost disappeared with only small clusters left. I have not had this problem in past years any suggestions of what has gone wrong?

Mike

 

[Wilco]

Are they definitely leaving or just dying? Adult bees leave with the swarm, many will only have a few weeks or days of life left in them and there's a three week lag before the new brood emerges. As such, is it possible that's what you're seeing?

 

[Sutty]

The ones from the hedgehog box and compost bin could have been swarms which have relocated to those as their new home & so returned there after collection.

 

[Norfolktoad]

The ones from the hedgehog box and compost bin could have been swarms which have relocated to those as their new home & so returned there after collection.

I have been keeping bees for 60 years, and have only lost the odd one in the past. All the swarms were collected over 7 miles from where I where I relocated them. Just seems odd that I should loose 4 when I have treated them the same as in the past. The only difference is the local bee inspector has told us not to use old frames and drawn comb, and not to feed for at least 3 days because of EFB.

 

[The Poot]

I have collected 5 swarms so far this year but only the smallest has stayed complete. The first 2 were from the same chimney 1 week apart. They were both put in 6 frame nuc boxes with new frames. The next was a small swarm in a hedge hog box and that has stayed. I collected a large swarm from a small shrub almost a ground level and placed this in a 6 frame nuc box. and the last one I collected on Monday from a garden compost bin and again put into a nuc box. On checking this morning the 1st 2 swarms are very much smaller than original, but my weakest colony is now much stronger??? The small swarm has stayed put and is drawing out comb. The last 2 swarms which were the best, have almost disappeared with only small clusters left. I have not had this problem in past years any suggestions of what has gone wrong?

Mike

Ah, now I know what will inhabit a hedgehog box! The hedgehogs don’t around here. I’ll put it out as a bait hive next May.
.

 

[blackcloud]

".....what has gone wrong?"

Nothing!
Did you really need excessively swarmy DNA in your apiary?

 

[user 819]

Swarms will abscond if they deem the new hme too small.
As to using old comb I have found clean old comb quite good as long as it isn't really old dark stuff past it's best.

My only swarm in the last 3 years has been the one that arrived 2.5 weeks ago and usurped the DLQ and bees in a long hive. Checked them today and all looking good 7 frames with E/U/S and some nice comb being drawn on foundationless combs.

 

[Antipodes]

On checking this morning the 1st 2 swarms are very much smaller than original, but my weakest colony is now much stronger???

60 years is a long time keeping bees and I can imagine how odd it must seem suddenly losing four. It sounds like it's possible the bees from some of the boxes have joined the formerly weak colony? I've seen something a bit like that with mini nucs where the bees really seem attracted to one queen over another. Alternatively, given that some are "very much smaller" and the other is "much stronger" could it be that a usurpation swarm joined the formerly weak one , possibly from one or more of the other boxes? Were there still queen/s in the "very much smaller" swarm boxes or in the little clusters?