Re merging swarm

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Compostcritter

House Bee
Joined
Jul 22, 2011
Messages
104
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Location
Wellingborough
Hive Type
14x12
Number of Hives
5
Hi
One of our colonies swarmed today after an inspection. There was no queen cells but we did take out the drone brood and insert fresh drone foundation. I really would like to put the swarm back into the hive as I do not want to loose the bees and do not want anymore colonies. Could anyone advise if this would work?
 
if they swarmed there must have been at least one queen cell you missed.If you merge now they will swarm again,let the original hive bring on the new queen and you can merge in september keeping the best queen [usually the youngest]and removing the other queen before you combine
 
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Hi Compost,
Have you found the swarm and boxed it?
We tried this a week ago but although I did manage to get lots of the swarm into a cardboard box, I then put a sheet of newspaper under the QE and then added a super with three empty frames of foundation.
I coaxed the swarm into the super, crown board on, then roof. Opened it up next day...................gone, vanished, scarpered.
Luckily in the brood box we had left just two Queen cells and looking, very briefly yesterday, all seems ok. Just have to wait a couple of weeks to find out if the Virgin Queen has been mated.
Fingers crossed.
Hope this is of help.
 
The thing is I only have a nucleus. Will they live ok in a Nuc for five weeks if the weather is hot as it is a box with no floor ventilation.
Could they have swarmed because we took to long on the inspection? The blasted smoker ran out.
 
Do you mean the swarm left the hive again. Or they merged ok? I am not sure what to do for the best really. Thanks for your response :)
 
I would think that they swarmed because there were, or rather, are, Queen cells on a frame.
You don't HAVE to use a smoker.
 
put the swarm in the nuc,it should be fine until you combine
 
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The thing is I only have a nucleus. Will they live ok in a Nuc for five weeks if the weather is hot as it is a box with no floor ventilation.
QUOTE]

That really depends on the size of the swarm. If they have room then it should be fine. If not you may find they abscond rapidly because the space is too small.
Cazza
 
Have located in a Nuc after drilling holes in the bottom and locating greenhouse mesh for ventilation. The swarm was of medium size so should be ok. Missed about 200 bees but they headed back to their original home. Thanks for your help.
 
...
Could they have swarmed because we took to long on the inspection? ...

No.

They wanted to swarm, and (almost certainly) made one or more swarm QCs that you didn't spot.

However, the fact that they made swarm cell(s) does nothing to explain why they made them - which is ultimately the reason that eventually resulted in the swarm.
Likely causes would include (there can be others) overcrowded bees in the hive (needing another super) or lack of empty cells for the queen to lay eggs in (needing more brood space).
What did you notice during your long inspection?
 

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