post swarm orientation

[BugsInABox]

When fliers swarm do they retain their location memory or do they have to re-orientate? Asking 'cos I just caught a swarm; having no out apiary and restricted space I imagine I'm best putting them back were they were.
Thanks in advance
Neil
BIAB

 

[beeno]

When fliers swarm do they retain their location memory or do they have to re-orientate? Asking 'cos I just caught a swarm; having no out apiary and restricted space I imagine I'm best putting them back were they were.
Thanks in advance
Neil
BIAB

A swarm is happy to reorientate to a new location within a week. If they lose the Q they will go back to the original hive within that time. I have successfully re-homed a swarm back into the origial colony after removing all the QCs.

 

[BugsInABox]

Thanks Beeno, the box is empty just original position. Fingers crossed.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

When fliers swarm do they retain their location memory or do they have to re-orientate? Asking 'cos I just caught a swarm; having no out apiary and restricted space I imagine I'm best putting them back were they were.
Thanks in advance
Neil
BIAB

The swarm as an entity wipes it's collective memory of 'home' once it takes off, it will then orient itself to wherever it ends up although I'm a bit confused, if you are putting the swarm back where it came from, how's the box empty? - what happened to the brood, QC's and nurse bees that they will have left behind?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Thanks Beeno, the box is empty just original position. Fingers crossed.

What have you done with the hive the swarm came from?
As for bees going back to their original hive if they lose the queen?
I’ve had a swarm lose a queen in a mating flight and go on to become a laying worker colony.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

As for bees going back to their original hive if they lose the queen?
I’ve had a swarm lose a queen in a mating flight and go on to become a laying worker colony.

Had swarms which, in retrospect I believe were queenless on collection.

 

[Erichalfbee]

A swarm is happy to reorientate to a new location within a week. If they lose the Q they will go back to the original hive within that time. I have successfully re-homed a swarm back into the origial colony after removing all the QCs.

How long before they made swarm preps again?

 

[ShinySideUp]

Connected to this subject, so I'll not start a new thread, is a quick question. I lost a swarm yesterday morning. Well I say lost, I know exactly where it is, it's in a tree in my garden. The swarm is hanging in a tree nearby and is still there as I write this.

What is the longest a swarm will stay in it's first 'landing' before moving on to a new home? Other swarms have gone within hours.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Connected to this subject, so I'll not start a new thread, is a quick question. I lost a swarm yesterday morning. Well I say lost, I know exactly where it is, it's in a tree in my garden. The swarm is hanging in a tree nearby and is still there as I write this.

What is the longest a swarm will stay in it's first 'landing' before moving on to a new home? Other swarms have gone within hours.

I've had one stay in an inaccessible tall holly tree ( now a fence post) that stayed there for over a week.

 

[ShinySideUp]

I've had one stay in an inaccessible tall holly tree ( now a fence post) that stayed there for over a week.

Well for their sakes I hope they've gone by Thursday as they are forecasting thunderstorms and bursts of heavy rain.

 

[beeno]

How long before they made swarm preps again?

They didn't.

 

[Erichalfbee]

They didn't.

Well every day is a learning day
I would never have thought that would work
How do you introduce the swarm back into their hive?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Thanks Beeno, the box is empty just original position. Fingers crossed.

Ah
I think I see what you have done
The swarmed hive has been moved away and the swarm in its new box is in its place.
That’s a good move. It means you pick up a lot of the foragers from the old hive.

 

[ShinySideUp]

Well for their sakes I hope they've gone by Thursday as they are forecasting thunderstorms and bursts of heavy rain.

They've gone. My neighbour saw them at 12.30 in a cluster and when I went to take photgraphs at 14:10 they'd gone. Sod it, missed another departing flight.

I always wonder where they've gone, will they be alright, will their new home be as safe as the one they left? Silly bees, don't know when they are on a good thing.

 

[BugsInABox]

Yes that's more or less it - though actually I'll be combining the swarmed-hive with another.
The reason I'm asking about the orientation of the bees in the swarm is because I'd actually like to swap them with another hive that needs the second post AS move. I'd like the hived-swarm to pick up the stripped fliers - the AS hive goes into the position the hived-swarm currently occupies. This won't work if the swarm retains its orientation as they'll return to the location now occupied by the AS hive, defeating the objective of stripping this hive of fliers. A tangled web I know but space is tight.
JBM's post leaves me thinking worth a try though I'm confused by the swarm as a whole caveat.

Cheers
Neil
BIAB

 

[Erichalfbee]

Wherever you have now put the swarmed hive if it's been there for a day that's where their foragers will return

 

[BugsInABox]

Ok thx. I'll have to come up with a different plan.

 

[beeno]

Well every day is a learning day
I would never have thought that would work
How do you introduce the swarm back into their hive?

Shook them in from the swarm box.

 

[BugsInABox]

Well - every day is learning day; but unhappily they've gone. Dani out interest, and so I'll know next time, why did you assume it wouldn't work in reply to Beeno able. It seema in my case at least you were right.

 

[beeno]

Well - every day is learning day; but unhappily they've gone. Dani out interest, and so I'll know next time, why did you assume it wouldn't work in reply to Beeno able. It seema in my case at least you were right.

You should have had a QX on for a few days.