Managing swarms.

[Curly green fingers]

Hi,
Here we go the pros and cons of feeding syrup to swarms?
What in your opinion/s are the does and don'ts when looking after swarms?
Opinions , thoughts pls.
After much debate on the subject I thought I would start this thread being my last..

 

[GuyNir]

I’d feed only if they’re on the brink... Normally they carry enough stores with them to start + they’re on ‘overdrive’ mode anyway.

 

[MartinL]

Really depends on how long they've been away from the hive.

If they've been clustered in the rain for 2 or 3 days then give them a feed, if they were boxed within a couple of hours then let them get on with drawing wax and then if this slows top them up.

 

[REDWOOD]

Bees in a box with foundation will definitely need feeding
Bees in a box with no stores will definitely need feeding

Don't over complicate beekeeping

 

[Antipodes]

I have read they are not meant to swarm when there is little forage/nectar about, but I have caught late swarms when conditions are like that. I've given those swarms food.

 

[Finman]

Bees use 6-8 kg honey to make 1 kg wax. You can save a lot honey if you put bees to draw combs with syrup.
One langdtroth box needs about 6 kg sugar to be drawn.

If you have crystallized combs, and you put them 3 frames per box , bees will clean the combs in a week and draw combs with honey. The queen will lay first the ready combs , and that is why bees clean crystalls.

A swarm needs stores for bad days and weeks, just like every other colony.

 

[SDM]

The overriding factor in the survival of swarms is quantity of honey stored. Not so much that they're honey bound obviously but anything below that level will only help.

 

[SDM]

I have read they are not meant to swarm when there is little forage/nectar about, but I have caught late swarms when conditions are like that. I've given those swarms food.

Caught a few and heard of plenty more that swarmed May/June this year in circumstances that would surely have killed them.
Its the condition of the parent colony that dictate when they swarm, not the conditions the swarm may face

 

[Finman]

I have read they are not meant to swarm when there is little forage/nectar about, but I have caught late swarms hive.when conditions are like that. I've given those swarms food.

That is not true. Bees get swarmimg impulse 2 weeks before a swarm leaves the hive.
The more unsteady weathers, the more swarming.

Often swarming impulse is situated into bad weathers when bees cannot forage.

Then there are eager swarmers, which do not need special impulse. They just get a swarming fever.

 

[Vortex]

The general rule for feeding swarms is only after 3 days.. this is to force them to use all the honey in their honey stomachs without storing it, therefore reducing the risk of disease spread. Whether you feed after that depends on the weather and the "flow" conditions. I've seen a swarm in a heavy flow pull and fill 11 frames of 14x12 in 7 days..