Plan of action if/when catch a swarm

[Do224]

As some of you may have noticed from other threads, I’m just a bit excited about the possibility of catching a swarm in my bait hive in the coming days....

I’m a complete beginner though and would really appreciate some advice on what to do if and when the swarm arrives. Here’s my plan at the moment...

1. The bait hive is in my garden but the farm where I’ll be keeping my bees is approx 2 miles away. I plan to move the swarm trap up to the farm very early on the morning after the swarm arrives.

2. The bait hive is made up of one old brood frame and 9 other frames that have a 1 inch starter strip of foundation at the top. I plan to open the bait hive up when I get it to the farm and transfer the one old brood frame into a National brood box with OMF and varroa board. I’ll remove all the frames with starter strips from the bait hive and shake any bees off them into the new hive and then tip the remainder of the bees from the swarm trap into the hive. I’ll then add full frames of new foundation to the hive and put a queen excluder and crown board on.

3. Do I stuff grass into the entrance of the new hive and let the bees chew it out?

4. Do I feed with syrup? If so how much and what ratio?

5. Close up the hive and leave for how long before going back in?

Thanks for any help, I really appreciate it. Please let me know if any of the above is the wrong thing to do.

 

[bingevader]

We tend to leave the swarm in the bait hive until the evening and move then.
They should then settle down and be active again the following morning.
If the bees are on suitable frames already, I'd be tempted to transfer them into the hive, but shaking them should be fine as long as you have the queen in there.
We don't put anything in the entrance of the new hive, not sure why you would?
You want the bees to get out and forage as soon as possible.
Which leads onto the next question!
We've never fed a swarm.
It depends what you mean by 'going back in'!
We wouldn't be back in fully inspecting, if that's what you mean, you can tell a lot just by watching from the outside.
But, if you feel you have to, then inspect as you would ordinarily.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Do I feed with syrup? If so how much and what ratio?

None.

There's a flow on and even if there was a dearth, best wait 24 hours while bees use the honey they brought with them to draw foundation: any disease in the honey will be embedded in the combs.

add full frames of new foundation to the hive and put a queen excluder and crown board on

Why the QX? You might want to put a QX under the BB for a couple of days, to make sure they move in rather than move on. Remove it to allow a virgin to fly.

 

[Erichalfbee]

This is what I do.
My bait hives are Payne’s 14x12s with the feeder cut out. The omf is blocked off with a removable slide.
Inside it has one wired starter strip then one old brood comb and another wired starter.
If I get a swarm I take them to the apiary drop in foundation to make up 8 frames or fewer and a dummy if a cast. Finally I take the slide out.
I leave them in the box they have chosen till they are big enough to go into a full size hive.
Never lost one leaving them in the box they picked.

 

[Do224]

Great, thanks all. The bait hive they’ve taken an interest in is just made out of scrap 5mm plywood so is quite flimsy and is basically just a box....so I’m thinking it might be best to move them into a hive straight away (unless you think this will cause them to abscond?).

If I do transfer them into a hive, am I best doing this very early/late in the day when the bees are all at home or will it be too cool to do it then?

I’d rather replace the 9 ‘starter strip frames’ for full frames as I’m a beginner and may find future inspections difficult if the free comb under the starter strips is unstable. I’m also thinking that giving them full frames of new foundation would help them get started....but is the sudden appearance of 9 full frames likely to upset them and encourage them to abscond?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Move the box in the evening. Open up in the morning to let them fly for a while then do your transfer
Yes you need foundation in there or they will get creative
I posted my recipe only so that you might want to have a go at that next year.
My bait hives are all retired nuc boxes but if you make a new one they can actually live in for a while paint the inside with propolis. It really makes it smell like home.

 

[ericbeaumont]

very early/late in the day when the bees are all at home or will it be too cool to do it then?

If you hive early they'll have all day to clear off if they wish (unless you put a QX under the BB). Hive them late and they have all night to get on with drawing comb.

Don't worry about the cool: they won't.

 

[Do224]

If you hive early they'll have all day to clear off if they wish (unless you put a QX under the BB). Hive them late and they have all night to get on with drawing comb.

Don't worry about the cool: they won't.

Would I be best to leave them in the original swarm trap for a few days/a week and then transfer them? I’d be gutted if they absconded.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Once they start drawing comb you can assume they'll stay.

No need to put grass in the entrance when hiving. That trick is supposed to alert a colony moved within an apiary that something has changed, and persuade them to focus on the new location.

Once hived, inspect whenever you like, on a seven-day cycle.

I'm curious to know the difference between the bait hive and the National.

 

[Do224]

Once they start drawing comb you can assume they'll stay.

No need to put grass in the entrance when hiving. That trick is supposed to alert a colony moved within an apiary that something has changed, and persuade them to focus on the new location.

Once hived, inspect whenever you like, on a seven-day cycle.

I'm curious to know the difference between the bait hive and the National.

Ok, I think I’ll move them to the new location the evening of the day they arrive. I’ll then replace the starter strip frames for full frames and leave them in the bait hive for a few days/a week before transferring them into the proper hive.....hopefully that will mean they won’t disappear.

Proportionally the bait hive is about the same as a National brood box....it’s just that it’s botched together with 5 mm ply and a bit of a rough job. I might not have got the bee space quite right etc. so I’d rather get them into a proper hive if possible.

 

[ericbeaumont]

I’d rather get them into a proper hive if possible.

the bait hive is about the same as a National brood box

What is preventing you using the National as the bait hive?

 

[robmort]

......
Once hived, inspect whenever you like, on a seven-day cycle.
.....

If it's a cast swarm best not to inspect until the queen is laying, typically 14 days.

 

[Do224]

If it's a cast swarm best not to inspect until the queen is laying, typically 14 days.

Ok, thanks. How will I know if it’s a cast swarm?

 

[Do224]

What is preventing you using the National as the bait hive?

I am using the National bb as a bait hive as well but at the moment the bees are taking far more interest in my flimsy plywood box!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Ok, thanks. How will I know if it’s a cast swarm?

Look 3 days. Quick check for eggs.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Look 3 days. Quick check for eggs.

If the weather's good, mating can be very quick. I looked at a cast after 4 and there was half a sheet of eggs.

 

[Erichalfbee]

If the weather's good, mating can be very quick. I looked at a cast after 4 and there was half a sheet of eggs.

Yes it can. If you look in a bait hive the same day the swarm arrives you’ll find eggs if it’s a prime.

 

[robmort]

If the weather's good, mating can be very quick. I looked at a cast after 4 and there was half a sheet of eggs.

That sounds as if it was a prime swarm. How did you know it was a cast? Don't understand how a queen could get mated and start laying in 4 days.

Ok, thanks. How will I know if it’s a cast swarm?

Most people say don't disturb a virgin queen untill she's started laying so you shouldn't inspect after 3 days or 7 as you risk losing her. Instead look for pollen being brought in.

 

[ericbeaumont]

That sounds as if it was a prime swarm.

No, a tiddly cast on 2.5 frames in a 6f nuc box.

 

[ericbeaumont]

you shouldn't inspect after 3 days or 7

A quick 30sec check without smoke is different from a full inspection.