New Swarm caught today

[clare p]

Hi,
I have a new swarm in a box in the shed, picked up today in my parents garden. I am going to leave them in the shed tonight and hive tomorrow.
They have 2 frames with them, what would be the best method to hive them in the morning?
lift them in on a frame or tip them out and let them walk in.
Should I block the entrance to the hive for a while or just let them start flying?
thanks
Clare

 

[VEG]

the evening tends to be best as they are getting ready to settle down for the evening. Lift the frames into the hive then any bees left in the box shake them into the hive.

 

[the beehive lodge]

better doing it in the evening they will be less stressed instead of leaving it till tomorrow happy hiving
i like to shake them in and any left in the box let them walk on a board i like to watch them plus its a good sign to see bees fanning plus the queen has the best chance to fall in the hive and on the frames you have put in before the shake

 

[drstitson]

do bees fan at entrance only if queen has gone in? ie can a queenless batch of bees (half a swarm) happily head into a hive and fan despite being queenless?

 

[mandabow]

do bees fan at entrance only if queen has gone in? ie can a queenless batch of bees (half a swarm) happily head into a hive and fan despite being queenless?

naturally thats what they do...s couts find the hive, tell more bees on outsode of cluster where to go, word spreads , some bees sit outside hive fanning to encourage them all in, queen goes in with the bulk of the swarm, not the first in.

but the bees have to want it..

if the queen is in there they will fan to bring in stragglers as they are conned into thinking as queen (or even jsut majority of colony -already in it must have been chosen by other members of the colony.. so in effect they are taking over from the original fanners who ahve now gone in.


walking them all in is a little more risky. if they really don't like it they will fly of. in the eve this is less likely. but most of the time, they want to head up, when the first few find an inviting home they will fan to bring the others in.. of only as somewhere good to rest out the night / a few days while scouts are sent out..

put on a QX and the'yre stuck in, given a few days they have enough of a vested interest in staying you can take it off