Moving a caught cast swarm

Roola · Jun 3, 2014

Just a quickie that has been interesting me. about a week and a half ago I thought i'd caught another swarm in the box I have out on a farm. When I got back from being away I found this was the case and suspected a cast as a few frames of bees, no eggs on comb I left in there. I then amazingly saw the queen, which looked smaller with more of a triangular shape which i'm assuming means she's unmated virgin. My question is, can I wait until late evening and then move this colony or do I now have to leave them where they are until the queen is mated? I would be moving them more than 10 miles so would she reorientate on leaving the hive like workers do? I obviously don't want to interefere with her getting mated but on the other hand I don't want them to stay on top of the shed roof they are on, i'd be quite keen to put another empty hive up to catch another if possible, I've already caught 3 there. Advice much appreciated.

YorkshireBees · Jun 3, 2014

Move no problem

oliver90owner · Jun 3, 2014

Better to leave them until she is mated - she may be part way through the process.

But move it if you must.

Roola · Jun 4, 2014

oliver90owner said:
Better to leave them until she is mated - she may be part way through the process.

But move it if you must.

good news! When i found them a while back the weather was obviously getting the better of them and they were quite subdued, no comb drawn... Popped in a frame feeder with some 1:1 and today when I went to check they had drawn out 2 frames and eggs seen and then a nice fat queen! Happy days. Gave them a bit more syrup to finish the job and will move them when weather is bad and they are all home. Put a big smile on my face today that did.

beeno · Jun 5, 2014

Well done Roola. You better knock up some more nucs!

Roola · Jun 5, 2014

beeno said:
Well done Roola. You better knock up some more nucs!

I've actually become a big fan of the paines poly nucs after I have modified them. Like Fatshark on here suggested I cut out the feeder and build up the sides so that it then becomes an 8 frame box. The bees seem to expand really well in them meaning that when they are transferred to a full size hive they are srtong enough to fill it quickly I am going to need some more though as I'm still waiting to split down my double brood colony! Started the year with 1 colony, ending with 9 most probably... (unless I catch another swarm!)