swarm catching help

[Cedar]

Sitting in the van eating scampy and chips waiting for all the bees to go in with the queen., some are still loitering in the greenhouse we found them on., Should we catch them all. Only its getting late and dark. Not to mention its raining. It is a big swarm. Will send photos later. Thanks C

 

[VEG]

You should try to get them all as otherwise the bees left can hang around for days and cause probs for the house owner and neighbours.

 

[REDWOOD]

You could give them a puff of smoke to move them

 

[the beehive lodge]

bag of crisp with a drink

go to the pub till last order make sure the driver has a soft drink though
then pick up later good luck

 

[Cedar]

Thanks guys,
we have most of them. we have left a skep wedged In the window and will return tomorrow to get them. Our dogs have been left Long enough today because of bees. C

 

[Outlander]

The swarm myself and Village Girl caught yesterday went very well, rain helped as not too many flying. Could not leave a box and pick up later as kids night before were throwing stones at them apparently. We went back in the evening and there were quite a few flying about. Left it until dark and went back and found a pile of bees huddled together on the path on a twig that must have had sent on it, pitiful sight really. Any way picked them up and taken back to swarm. Checked today not one be flying around that spot felt really good as job well done for first caught swarm.

Good luck.

 

[Cedar]

Going to go back this morming to see if they moved in to skep we left behind, will also take nuc box with frames and lemon grass oil as I believe it might attract the stragglers

 

[Cedar]

Pics of swarm

 

[Cedar]

More pics, Feeling quite elated

 

[Cedar]

Thanks Guys for your moral support. Going out to add feeder now as is raining cats and dogs Drought what drought Bees are still flying though

 

[tonybloke]

The swarm myself and Village Girl caught yesterday went very well, rain helped as not too many flying. Could not leave a box and pick up later as kids night before were throwing stones at them apparently. We went back in the evening and there were quite a few flying about. Left it until dark and went back and found a pile of bees huddled together on the path on a twig that must have had sent on it, pitiful sight really. Any way picked them up and taken back to swarm. Checked today not one be flying around that spot felt really good as job well done for first caught swarm.

Good luck.

well done Paul, hope they do well for you

 

[Cedar]

Another question, assuming the remaining bees are still there and we manage to catch them will they be accepted by the main swarm if we leave them on the doorstep or should we do a newspaper unite with them??

Thanks

 

[tonybloke]

they should be accepted, no problems ( especially if they've read the same books I have )

 

[Outlander]

The ones I collected the other night marched straight into hive no problems but I still think you should have gone back near dusk to of been sure to have got all of them. I went twice first time they were flying about where the main swarm had been. After dark found them huddled together and boxed them. Next day on checking no bees.

 

[Cedar]

The swarm myself and Village Girl caught yesterday went very well, rain helped as not too many flying. Could not leave a box and pick up later as kids night before were throwing stones at them apparently. We went back in the evening and there were quite a few flying about. Left it until dark and went back and found a pile of bees huddled together on the path on a twig that must have had sent on it, pitiful sight really. Any way picked them up and taken back to swarm. Checked today not one be flying around that spot felt really good as job well done for first caught swarm.

Good luck.

Yes Well done from us too. Hope they are a nice gentle colony for you. Our swarm seems to be a nice colony, been out to feed them and they are happily flying.

c

 

[Cedar]

Yet another question the nationalbrood box looked rather full of bees, do we need to worry about they swarming again, should we give them more space!

 

[oliver90owner]

should we give them more space!

If it is only full of bees (and there are going to be no more for at least three weeks), the weather is good, etc, you may well be fitting a super inside a week (the exception I use to prove PH's '8 full frames of brood' recommendation before supering).

They will be drawing comb and expanding the brood nest rapidly, as well as hopefully bringing in a good surplus of forage (there willnot be not any large voracious larvae until after the first week).

If they have the space, they will no longer be crowded and also have no excuse to be naughty by congesting the brood box with stores.

RAB

 

[Cedar]

"If it is only full of bees (and there are going to be no more for at least three weeks), the weather is good, etc, you may well be fitting a super inside a week (the exception I use to prove PH's '8 full frames of brood' recommendation before supering).

They will be drawing comb and expanding the brood nest rapidly, as well as hopefully bringing in a good surplus of forage (there willnot be not any large voracious larvae until after the first week).

If they have the space, they will no longer be crowded and also have no excuse to be naughty by congesting the brood box with stores.

RAB "
Thanks Rab Common sence really, We think these bees might have come from a ferel colony, is there any treatment we could give before the HM gets into lay.

 

[VEG]

In the pictures there seems to be a lot of old hives to the right of the greenhouse did they come from an old hive in this garden?

 

[Les]

We think these bees might have come from a ferel colony, is there any treatment we could give before the HM gets into lay.

I Oxalic Acid new caught swarms after about 5 days – it’s prudent to treat bees against Varroa at every opportunity.