Small swarm

terry jones · Apr 2, 2012

I appear to have a new arrival in my garden. A relatively small swarm have taken residence within the bottom an old plastic header tank that the wife usses as a plant holder. They are using the old pipe inlet as the entrance to the new home. Personally I would leave them where they are but the wife is extremely nervous because of its location near the house and where the niece plays.
Any idea how I can lure them into a nuc or other methods.It's not very practical I dig them out.

itma · Apr 2, 2012

terry jones said:
... A relatively small swarm have taken residence within the bottom an old plastic header tank that the wife usses as a plant holder.
They are using the old pipe inlet as the entrance to the new home. ...
Any idea how I can lure them into a nuc or other methods.It's not very practical I dig them out.

How long have they been there?

Sounds like you could do some 'plumbing' ...
Because they are using the pipe as their entrance, you can attach more pipe to the fitting. And then take that up into a nuc or similar box with its own entrance/exit to the outside world.
Some old comb, maybe some lemongrass in the 'bait box', no other way in/out ... and they ought to eventually move up into your box.
Do you have any opportunity of introducing some discouragement from staying where they are? Maybe you could use some hose down the same hole to send a bit of smoke in there?

rae · Apr 2, 2012

Could you plumb in a nuc - and once they have got used to it...stick a frame of brood in the nuc? Depending on whether the existing brood nest is a long way back into the header tank, they might merge the nests, once you have the queen in the nuc put some sort of QE in the pipe, and wait for the brood in tank to hatch out.

terry jones · Apr 2, 2012

I have only noticed activity in the last 4 days, therefore asumme it's only been that long since they took residence.
Yesterday i placed the nuc about a foot away from the entrance
I did consider some sort of pipe work into the nuc.

itma · Apr 2, 2012

terry jones said:
I have only noticed activity in the last 4 days, ...

Yesterday i placed the nuc about a foot away from the entrance
I did consider some sort of pipe work into the nuc.

Unless they go through your nuc, they'll most likely ignore it.
They've moved in.
They will be very reluctant to move out once they have any brood. The race is on!

A bait hive will tempt a swarm that has not moved in elsewhere, but once they have moved in, they think that is home, and need to be tricked (as with Rae's suggestion of a frame with brood) or forced out.
They won't swarm again to move over to your nearby bait hive. (For a few months at least.)
That's why you have to "plumb" them to go through your nuc.
The sooner that is happening, the better.
And having the nuc higher than their hole would use the bees natural instinct to 'start at the top'. Should be much easier to persuade them to move upwards than downwards or sideways.

Your problem now is somewhat similar to that of people who have a swarm that has settled inside a chimney.
You have two advantages though - the pipe fitting and the fact that its not 40 foot up in the air ...
Good luck!