Beeline
House Bee
- Joined
- May 1, 2011
- Messages
- 408
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Surrey
- Hive Type
- National
- Number of Hives
- 6
I have never seen a swarm in our area for nearly 10 years now so it came as a complete surprise to find a football size swarm hanging off a branch in our back field.
Fortunately I had taken the forums advice and made up a spare hive for "in case of" situations. Being a total novice and only starting beekeeping in May this year, with a nuc, I was surprisingly calm cutting the branches on which the swarm had gathered but i wasn't prepared for the explosion and black cloud that encircled me as I shook them into the box. I was half tempted to run but I held the line
Anyways they're happy (I think) in their new hive for 3 days now. My beekeeping neighbour inspected them and marked the queen and estimated the numbers at 20,000 - apparently a good sized swarm? I've got them on a brood and a half due to their size.
They're taking down 1:1 syrup at a huge pace. I didn't feed for the first 48 hrs as my neighbour had said I shouldn't as it encourages them to draw foundation? Should I continue feeding until they have drawn out all the comb or just enough so that they have 2-3 frames of stores only? My only problem is that I am abroad each week Mon to Fri and don't want them starving if we happen to have terrible weather all week.
I'm so chuffed I now have two hives without having to spend another £160 on another nuc. Just sit back and watch them grow
Fortunately I had taken the forums advice and made up a spare hive for "in case of" situations. Being a total novice and only starting beekeeping in May this year, with a nuc, I was surprisingly calm cutting the branches on which the swarm had gathered but i wasn't prepared for the explosion and black cloud that encircled me as I shook them into the box. I was half tempted to run but I held the line
Anyways they're happy (I think) in their new hive for 3 days now. My beekeeping neighbour inspected them and marked the queen and estimated the numbers at 20,000 - apparently a good sized swarm? I've got them on a brood and a half due to their size.
They're taking down 1:1 syrup at a huge pace. I didn't feed for the first 48 hrs as my neighbour had said I shouldn't as it encourages them to draw foundation? Should I continue feeding until they have drawn out all the comb or just enough so that they have 2-3 frames of stores only? My only problem is that I am abroad each week Mon to Fri and don't want them starving if we happen to have terrible weather all week.
I'm so chuffed I now have two hives without having to spend another £160 on another nuc. Just sit back and watch them grow