Stragglers from a swarm

[newbeemerlins]

Hi all

I picked up my 3rd swarm in as many weeks yesterday from my garden, about 20 metres away from my existing hives.

The collection went ok, but unlike previous times there were some bees left flying (not swarming) so we left the box close to the location until as late as possible last night.
We then moved the box to the apiary and all seemed settled last night and also this morning. But there is still a number probably 50 or so bees flying in the tree where the swarm was.
I’m assuming they didn’t follow the queen and are now a little lost.

Is there anything we can do or will nature just take its course?

Any advise would be appreciated

 

[pargyle]

They will probably find somewhere to go ..50 bees in the scheme of things is not a lot to worry about.

 

[newbeemerlins]

Thank you, thought as much.

 

[dn170221]

If the site you moved them to is within about three miles of where you collected them then some of the bees might return to the swarm site the next day. It has happened to me and within a couple of days they had moved on.

 

[beeno]

They will return to the original colony in due course. Approx 1-3 days.

 

[Waveney Lodge Honey]

The bees will be returning to the area as it will still smell of the queen and her pheromones. We try to "wash" the area where a swarm settled after we have collected a swarm to encourage the stragglers to dissipate more quickly.
We had one swarm land on an apple tree in our garden and after we hived it many bees repeatedly returned to the area. After we sprayed the tree with water the flying bees were happy to stay with the queen in the hive...

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

If you spray the landing site with air freshener (avoiding spraying bees) they tend to not go back. Did this today with great success using Febreze all natural spray. Got some on my bee suit and it made a nice change to smoke!

 

[Stiffy]

If you think about how a swarm naturally acts you will see that returning scout bees can find the swarm even if it has moved location. The same happens when you box ie artificially move a swarm, as long as it’s not too far from original place they landed. Watched it happen last weekend, marvellous little bxxxers!
S

 

[gmonag]

2 days ago one of my previously artificially-swarmed hives threw a sizeable cast, despite my best efforts pulling VQs and destroying all the remaining cells!

Anyway I quickly captured them from my neighbours' garden (luckily they are very understanding) and put them in a nuc box with an OMF. I left them closed up for the night to settle down but in the morning when I went out to re-hive them I found a cluster, presumably consisting of stragglers, under the OMF. Inside the nuc all the bees were dead of suffocation. The cluster had completely covered and blocked the OMF.

Perhaps I had captured them too quickly, before everyone had the chance to join the cluster.

 

[beeno]

2 days ago one of my previously artificially-swarmed hives threw a sizeable cast, despite my best efforts pulling VQs and destroying all the remaining cells!

Anyway I quickly captured them from my neighbours' garden (luckily they are very understanding) and put them in a nuc box with an OMF. I left them closed up for the night to settle down but in the morning when I went out to re-hive them I found a cluster, presumably consisting of stragglers, under the OMF. Inside the nuc all the bees were dead of suffocation. The cluster had completely covered and blocked the OMF.

Perhaps I had captured them too quickly, before everyone had the chance to join the cluster.

Maybe they needed a full sized hive. Also it would have sufficed just to have had the QX on so that the workers could have bearded on the outside if too hot. So, sorry that this happened.

 

[gmonag]

Yes it was a hard lesson to learn. I shall not leave a cluster in a nuc box overnight again if I can avoid it.

The main lesson I think, is to allow time for a cluster to form before collecting it, so that all the stragglers have time to join it.