Now what?...!

[PhilN]

I just watched my hive swarm. Have been away for a couple of days - did an inspection yesterday and full of capped swarm cells - as stood wondering what to do 1/2 an hour ago - they were off - thousands of the little blighters. I've managed to shake the biggest clump off the Ivy bush they had settled on into a nuc with four frames of old foundation. Still room for two more frames. It seems like its settling down (I think I got the queen into the nuc). - lots of bees going into the nuc.
Do I leave the entrance open for most of the bees to go in or do I close up the entrance. How long should I leave the nuc where it is, and should I fill the remaining frame space. (here's hoping they stay in residence!)

 

[Ian123]

I take it bees will remain in garden? If so I’d simply move nuc to desired spot as soon as the majority have settled. The bees left out will find the nuc IF! You have the queen. Also consider if the Nucs large enough.

 

[linoleum bonypart]

Put a queen excluder over the entrance so they wont abscond again if they decide to

 

[Boston Bees]

Leave the nuc where it is (under the bush where they were located) with the entrance open until evening. Then move it to where you want it. Assuming this isn't a big distance then you could put some grass in the entrance tomorrow morning so they realise something has changed, and reorientate to the new location.

Fill the nuc with whatever you have. One frame of drawn comb would help persuade them to stay, though they probably will anyway. If the weather stays fine probably no desperate need to feed.

I bet you won't close up and walk away from a hive with capped swarm cells again, without doing something

My advice - get a plan for dealing with capped queen cells (this will help Swarm control and elusive queens - The Apiarist ), put it in a Word document, print it off, and keep it under a lid in the apiary.

 

[PhilN]

Thanks for the replies.
Should I add the extra frames to fill the void straight away (will that make them less likely to re-depart) or give them time to settle?
Thanks again

 

[Boston Bees]

Thanks for the replies.
Should I add the extra frames to fill the void straight away (will that make them less likely to re-depart) or give them time to settle?
Thanks again

If all you have given them is foundation there is a high likelihood that they are currently building wild comb in the bit with no frames in (been there, done that). So, don't wait too long.

If you have a frame of drawn comb that will definitely induce them to stay, so get that in ASAP.

 

[linoleum bonypart]

Alot of us go on if queen cells are capped the queens either gone or on her way

 

[Erichalfbee]

I just watched my hive swarm. Have been away for a couple of days - did an inspection yesterday and full of capped swarm cells - as stood wondering what to do 1/2 an hour ago - they were off - thousands of the little blighters. I've managed to shake the biggest clump off the Ivy busy they had settled on into a nuc with four frames of old foundation. Still room for two more frames. It seems like its settling down (I think I got the queen into the nuc). - lots of bees going into the nuc.
Do I leave the entrance open for most of the bees to go in or do I close up the entrance. How long should I leave the nuc where it is, and should I fill the remaining frame space. (here's hoping they stay in residence!)

And.
Go back into the hive they swarmed from pick a nice big open cell with a larva in it ( or a nice fat queen cell if they are all capped) Mark the frame and destroy the rest. Open up again in 7 days to remove any more they have made. ( 3 days if all the cells were capped ) Leave alone for three weeks.
You have to get all the cells. Shake the frames free of bees but brush the bees off the frame with your chosen queen cell.

 

[BugsInABox]

Shake the frames free of bees but brush the bees off the frame with your chosen queen cell.

And don’t shake that one.

 

[PhilN]

I also have a DLQ in a 14x12 with drawn comb and stores - no worker brood or eggs in it that I need to sort out. Can I just evict them all by shaking out away from the hive and pour the swarm I have just caught into that Hive?
Thanks

 

[PhilN]

And.
Go back into the hive they swarmed from pick a nice big open cell with a larva in it ( or a nice fat queen cell if they are all capped) Mark the frame and destroy the rest. Open up again in 7 days to remove any more they have made. ( 3 days if all the cells were capped ) Leave alone for three weeks.
You have to get all the cells. Shake the frames free of bees but brush the bees off the frame with your chosen queen cell.

If I've got both open cells and capped cells is there a preference? Is this something that can wait til tomorrow or does it need doing now?
Thanks

 

[Erichalfbee]

If I've got both open cells and capped cells is there a preference? Is this something that can wait til tomorrow or does it need doing now?
Thanks

I like an open cell because I know when the queen will emerge and I know that I can safely go back in one week to remove any others.
I’d do it now. They might all be capped tomorrow

 

[GuyNir]

I like an open cell because I know when the queen will emerge and I know that I can safely go back in one week to remove any others.
I’d do it now. They might all be capped tomorrow

+ open cell to ensure (as much as possible) there’s a viable future Q in there.

 

[PhilN]

+ open cell to ensure (as much as possible) there’s a viable future Q in there.

new queen emerged from a capped cell as I was going through the hive.

 

[Erichalfbee]

new queen emerged from a capped cell as I was going through the hive.

I hope you didn’t leave any other queen cells behind.

 

[PhilN]

I hope you didn’t leave any other queen cells behind.

Me too!

 

[oliver90owner]

That a queen was emerging likely means the swarm was a cast - the prime went a week ago.

If a cast, you need to get a frame of eggs/larvae in there PDQ. Virgin queen (cast) swarms are notorious for absconding.

Expect further swarms if you don’t remove all the queen cells.

For the DLQ colony, just remove the dud queen and unite the colonies. Simple enough?

 

[Wilco]

Or if you want to make increase: in the original hive once all queen cells are capped, put a small metal frame over each one so they all hatch out but can't kill the others or reswarm; you'll need to recheck at the appropriate interval and collect them but you'll then get several virgin queens which you can make multiple nucs/mini nucs from.

Edit; just seen new Q already out. Probably too late now!