new bee swarm going metal

[beesleybees]

Hi guys,

I collected a rather big swarm on saturday night, placed the hive on my garage roof and let them roam free on sunday.

on sunday the weather was appauling, all it has done since sunday is rain and blow a gale. yesterday evening and today is now the first dry and warm day they have had since moving in and they are now going metal.

when I mean mental, i mean they are loads congragating at the front of the hive and lots of other bees flying in all directions. Im assuming this is because they have yet to find a nectar source and until then, they are basically lost.

I have put some sugar syrup in with them to give them a good start but Im worried about my neighbours. They are flying everywhere and really low too, in and out of mine and my neighbours gardens. I worried someone will end up getting stung.

can anyone tell me how long this is likely to last and if theres anything i can do to help them settle more? Also as this was a swarm, im not too sure if there is a queen present and I tried my best to find her but couldnt when capturing the swarm. I have left them alone since

 

[Midland Beek]

Forage. That's what bees do.

 

[Steve Dyer]

Hi guys,

can anyone tell me how long this is likely to last and if theres anything i can do to help them settle more? Also as this was a swarm, im not too sure if there is a queen present and I tried my best to find her but couldnt when capturing the swarm. I have left them alone since

Hi,

Collected a swarm on Tues eve at about 7pm in pouring rain. It lived in a plastic nuc box overnight, transferred by overturning the box and shaking into a national brood. Has five frames of foundation and a dummy board. Fed 1:1 syrup Weds afternoon (suspect they had been around for a long time). Looked at them twice yesterday & saw queen. Opened them again today saw and photographed queen. Probably won't open them again until tomorrow.
(educational reasons for the disturbance).

You can't do it much 'wronger' than that, but they are happy as Larry, drawing out comb, slurping the syrup and getting on with life - so don't be afraid to take a look and find the queen - From your description I doubt you have one sadly ...

Steve

 

[DulwichGnome]

Is there a chance it's queenless?

Mike.

 

[beesleybees]

Forage. That's what bees do.

I understand bees forage, its just I collected a swarm a few weeks back that too reside on my shed roof but they are alot calmer and when they exit the hive, they head south straight away and are no cause for concern for me and my neighbours. Basically, unless you saw the bee hive, you would never know they are there.

I just dont want to upset the neighbours

 

[beesleybees]

Is there a chance it's queenless?

Mike.

could be mate but unsure.

Never seen the queen upon inspection and Ive not wanted to interfer with the hive since i brought them home. I wanted to give them time to settle in. Im hoping to have a look either saturday or sunday, of course weather depending

 

[susbees]

When you collected the swarm, did you just shake them into a box and leave (roughly speaking) or did you turn the box/skep over a sheet and let the rest join the queen....as in did you see meaningful fanning indicating you had the queen?

I have a strong prime swarm which is extremely busy pulling out the latter half of a super over a commercial brood after just on two weeks. Their movements are meaningful and saw (pre)marked queen yesterday

I rescued a smaller swarm under red light from an attic cavity in June and there was not the opportunity to let them march in normally. The upshot was that 24 hours later there were ten bees in the box with QE under.....they had moved into the nearest of my hives and had to be repatriated back again as that was two stands of apideas, some were overflowing! So it sounds like these are stateless.

I'd say add a frame of brood and feed a bit and hope they sort themselves out. I gave mine an api frame of brood cut into a brood frame and they drew down four nice QCs. And stayed where they were put.

 

[beesleybees]

When you collected the swarm, did you just shake them into a box and leave (roughly speaking) or did you turn the box/skep over a sheet and let the rest join the queen....as in did you see meaningful fanning indicating you had the queen?

I have a strong prime swarm which is extremely busy pulling out the latter half of a super over a commercial brood after just on two weeks. Their movements are meaningful and saw (pre)marked queen yesterday

I rescued a smaller swarm under red light from an attic cavity in June and there was not the opportunity to let them march in normally. The upshot was that 24 hours later there were ten bees in the box with QE under.....they had moved into the nearest of my hives and had to be repatriated back again as that was two stands of apideas, some were overflowing! So it sounds like these are stateless.

I'd say add a frame of brood and feed a bit and hope they sort themselves out. I gave mine an api frame of brood cut into a brood frame and they drew down four nice QCs. And stayed where they were put.

cut a long story short, i just ended up banging them into a brood box.

Im a total newb who has done quite a bit of research. One thing however is, that i cant find anything on this site that shows how to collect a swarm step by step and what things i need to look out for. obviously, swarms end up in different place but some kind of 'idiots' guide would be great

 

[susbees]

cut a long story short, i just ended up banging them into a brood box.

Im a total newb who has done quite a bit of research. One thing however is, that i cant find anything on this site that shows how to collect a swarm step by step and what things i need to look out for. obviously, swarms end up in different place but some kind of 'idiots' guide would be great

With all due respect swarms should never be collected by beekeepers who don't know what they are doing except perhaps on your own property.

Earlier this week I was called to take a swarm which was sat at shoulder height on a paling fence ten feet from a beekeeper's door. He had no idea what to do and even though it was a caste he did the right thing asking to be shown. He now has a much better idea of what to do with his unwanted aftershave if nothing else!

Whatever one's opinion of the BBKA, the insurance cover is essential for collecting swarms unless you have adequate cover from employment as a pest controller/builder/tree surgeon/whatever. Anything that involves pulling bits off someone's house is best avoided unless you are qualified to repair the damage or work alongside a suitably clad builder. Working high up, likewise. BBKA insurance covers up to ten feet, I use pole loppers and saw and buckets on poles above that.

Simple reason there is not a how to is that it ought to be learned in the field for if it goes wrong it is bad news. I was half way to an airport last week when I got a call from the wildlife trust in town.....woman with swarm, dog stung multiply and at vets. Phoned her and some beekeeper had come two days previously at 3pm and taken the swarm leaving all the foragers and the queen scent on the branches. Two days later angry hungry bees. Not good. Had to do a rapid ring round.

 

[herefordshirehoney]

cut a long story short, i just ended up banging them into a brood box.

Im a total newb who has done quite a bit of research. One thing however is, that i cant find anything on this site that shows how to collect a swarm step by step and what things i need to look out for. obviously, swarms end up in different place but some kind of 'idiots' guide would be great

Im starting out like yourself and have just been reading Haynes Bee Manual - im very impressed with it lots of pictures and clear information, it does list how to handle swarms in it. (Bear in mind they will be other books!).

Chris

 

[Moggs]

Hi BeesleyBees. I have to ask, why did you contemplate collecting a swarm with, by your own admission, so little preparation? It's not just a question of banging them into a brood box. It sounds to me as if you have missed the queen, which could prove to be costly, both for your Q- bees and anybody in their flight path.

A newly-captured swarm can be hived anywhere, within reason, as they lose their 'homing instinct'. Their energy then goes into comb building to reestablish a brood nest. That doesn't involve many bees hanging or flying around outside the hive. Something seems to be fundamentally wrong with yours - but then, you already know that.

Established wisdom advises to capture the Q, then leave upturned box, skep, etc in position so that all 'residual' bees move into the space with the Q (probably involving a revisit later that day when all flying bees have returned). I would be tempted to go back to your swarm site to see if there is a Queen and a small cluster there.

 

[Moggs]

Afterthought - could your addition of sugar syrup have provoked robbing from another nearby colony? And, of course, it may be far too late to go looking at the original site.

 

[madasafish]

One alternative is a virgin queen eg a cast - and she's on a mating flight - hence all the agitation. bees fanning to attract her back to the hive.

Seen that - twice.

 

[beesleybees]

I totally understand what you guys are saying but having attended courses and read countless things, in still having trouble finding someone who knows their stuff to dhow me the ropes. I've asked countless times with not one reply. Even trying to get the regional bee inspector to come and have a look at my bees is hard enough! Countless excuses from him and I've almost give up.

 

[MuswellMetro]

One alternative is a virgin queen eg a cast - and she's on a mating flight - hence all the agitation. bees fanning to attract her back to the hive.

Seen that - twice.

 

[beesleybees]

Anyway, regarding the swarm, I tried to spot the queen but it was really difficult considering the numbers. ( o admit, that's probably because of my inexperience). I tried to get them to walk up the wall into a box but they where very reluctant.

In the end I took a handfull at a time off the wall and placed then in my broodbox with frames and foundation. When most was in the box, I closed it up and allowed 2 hours before removing to catch as many flyers as I could. This was at 9 pm. I give the area a wash with jeys fluid(from a resident) filled by a good smoking

 

[Andre cardona]

10pm mite of been beter i got a swarm last friday in the car going home 10.15 last of the bee in nuk im very happy with all my swarm i have lost 1 and homed 9 in the last first year of being a bek a bee gek. so i think robbing i love my bees you can fined me by googleing cardona and son hitchin good luck with your bees it there not some were you can move them to they setall

 

[kazmcc]

I tried to spot the queen but it was really difficult considering the numbers. ( o admit, that's probably because of my inexperience)

I wouldn't say that. The queen we had from March to just recently was never seen! lol

Spotting queens.....don't get me started

 

[Moggs]

Anyway, regarding the swarm, I tried to spot the queen but it was really difficult considering the numbers. ( o admit, that's probably because of my inexperience). I tried to get them to walk up the wall into a box but they where very reluctant.

In the end I took a handfull at a time off the wall and placed then in my broodbox with frames and foundation. When most was in the box, I closed it up and allowed 2 hours before removing to catch as many flyers as I could. This was at 9 pm. I give the area a wash with jeys fluid(from a resident) filled by a good smoking

BB - you can't really hope to spot a queen in a swarm cluster - you just don't have time. If your technique was 'messy' you could have lost her. After two hours on a cool evening I would have hoped to have seen very few bees free flying, if the queen was safe in the box. A brood box is not really suitable for capturing a swarm, better to have one-piece, fully enclosed, dark box with relatively small entrance so that the bees can climb up into the dark. If I use anything to get them to settle in this early state of capture, it's perhaps a part frame of old comb. Hiveing comes later. My swarm capture kit consists of nuc box and cardboard box, duct tape, bunjee, smoker, quilt cover, comb, fabispray for occasional use (don't like it), secateurs, and odds n ends.

Use of Jeyes fluid would have seriously peed them off I would imagine.

Regarding your comments about lack of help - a question on here before you embarked on your adventure might have saved you a lot of grief.

So, where to now? Can you inspect the colony to see if it's queenright? See what you've got in there. How many bees? It would have been advisable to leave them alone but it may be better to try to determine what you've got. Only then will you be able to take appropriate action. Consider your options carefully according to what you find and what resources are available to you.

 

[m100]

A brood box is not really suitable for capturing a swarm

Depends on the size of the swarm. I usually collect in a 6 frame nuc box but I've had one a few years back that was too big for a national brood box.