Problem hiving a swarm

[Chris Tel]

Got called out to a swarm that was embedded in an old settee in the garden. Ripped open the settee to partially expose the bees but as they weren't clustered I tried to brush some into a nuc box and placed the box as close to the majority of the bees as possible. Went tonight and unfortunately they failed to stay/make it into the box and instead clustered quite tightly outside of the box. As they were better clustered I tried to scoop as many as I could into the box and noticed that there were plenty of bees fanning on top of the box. I also moved the box as close as I could to the bees that hadn't made it in. I'll pop by tomorrow and see whether I've succeeded. That said is there anything I could do to entice them into the box or am I better trying a small skep and inverting it on the ground as close to the settee as possible? Currently the nuc contains just fresh foundation. Should I replace with some old drawn out comb...?

 

[AndreaW]

you need to make sure you get the queen in the box,then the rest should follow, otherwise they will go back to her.

The fact that some are fanning on the top of the box makes me think the queen is in there and the bees are signalling to the rest to follow.

Only a novice so hopefully someone else will be able to give better advice!

 

[YorkshireBees]

As I found today, bees fanning on a swarm collection box does not ALWAYS mean the Queen is inside already as I found her walking about under the bush I had shaken off into the box!

However I believe they were probably telling the other bees + the queen they had found a nice place!

Or it may be that I have used the same box several times now and it has a nice swarm smell!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Abandoned settee in the garden eh?
Council house bees - you'll never get them off the couch!! try turning the telly off

 

[vermillion]

If they are fanning, make a little ramp of wood or cardboard for the ones still in the settee to walk on.


In this case, they had to walk down the ramp, but the effect is the same. They will fan as they get closer to the hive entrance, enticing the rest to join the parade. Its quite something....These ones were just sitting on the ground looking like lost bees, thought they were only two feet away from the rest. As soon as I put this piece of wood down, they took off like it was what they wanted all along!

 

[roymichaeldean]

Bees perspective

Hi

If I am a bee and someone has found me a new home I don't want to move in and find there's nothing to eat and also that I have to do lots of work....
Soooo...it makes sense to drop in a frame of honey and also drawn foundation.....at the very least....more frames if you can.....cos you want to make it comfortable and also you don't want the bees deciding they want to go and visit Auntie Nelly down the road cos she makes a good meal and has comfortable beds.
Also I think when you find them in a settee and other strange objects it also helps if you bcoolect and sweep them into the Nuc.....isn't it easier if you are a bee if you get a lift..... than having to fly around trying to find all my friends....it's just human nature...would you rather walk somewhere or have a car drop you off....
It's all very well to think that once you have chucked them out of their home ( the settee ) that they all switch on their SatNavs and key in Nuc...Hmmmm,....so they need parental guidance to find their new home

Advice over

roy

 

[Silly Bee]

abandoned settee in the garden eh?
Council house bees - you'll never get them off the couch!! :d try turning the telly off

lmao.

 

[enrico]

Hi

If I am a bee and someone has found me a new home I don't want to move in and find there's nothing to eat and also that I have to do lots of work....
Soooo...it makes sense to drop in a frame of honey and also drawn foundation.....at the very least....more frames if you can.....cos you want to make it comfortable and also you don't want the bees deciding they want to go and visit Auntie Nelly down the road cos she makes a good meal and has comfortable beds.
Also I think when you find them in a settee and other strange objects it also helps if you bcoolect and sweep them into the Nuc.....isn't it easier if you are a bee if you get a lift..... than having to fly around trying to find all my friends....it's just human nature...would you rather walk somewhere or have a car drop you off....
It's all very well to think that once you have chucked them out of their home ( the settee ) that they all switch on their SatNavs and key in Nuc...Hmmmm,....so they need parental guidance to find their new home

Advice over

roy

Or you can do all of that, drawn frame, food, nice new frames, a good strong home, actually given a lift to this nice new home and had help moving in . Queen is in there.... All going well ...... but they still prefer to leave it and live in a tree......

 

[roymichaeldean]

Kissing

Hi

Maybe they wanted more than a kiss........

One thing you discover is that they can make a decision........you can only suggest...... and recommend .......and try to persuade...


roy

 

[Chris Tel]

Thanks for everyones advice, including switching the telly off! Lol
Went this morning (6.30 am) and most of them were in the nuc box so quickly stuffed up the hole and made the journey home. Got them in the garden and started to ahve my breakfast feeling all clever and smug. Then out of the corner of my eye saw a few bees, then saw the swarm!!!!!!!!!!
I then spent the next hour and ahalf trying to rehome them out of next doors tree. I thought I had managed to get most of them back in another box (this time a full sized brood chamber with some drawn comb etc). But things suddenly got a lot worse one of my other hives in the garden which is a double brood decided to swarm. This swarmed into the adjacent tree and then noticed that bees from the other hived swarm began to come out the hive and joined forces with the other swarm. I had one all mighty swarm in the tree now and three lots of neighbours all querying what was going on and clearly not happy. To cut a very long story short got them in a 14x12 brood box and have just spent the last 2 hrs humping boxes into the car and to an out apiary. Other than 1hr off to go and get a lesson in keeping sheep I've been at it all day and completely knackered.