Swarm collection gone wrong ?

[lusklabs]

Last Monday I collected my first swarm, brought it back home and all appears to be going well albeit I havent had a look at the frames yet.

Anyway, this afternoon I got a call from the person where I picked the swarm up from saying that about 12 inches away from the first swarm another swarm has now appeared. I am due to go back on Saturday to pick them up if they are still there allthough am a bit apprehensive as there is a filthy great wasps nest next to the swarm.

My questions are:

Did I do anything wrong when I picked up the first swarm ?

When I collect the new swarm, what should be done with it. Place in new hive or with the original lot ?

 

[Polyanwood]

hello.

i think if it is someone else's bees repeatedly swarming, then it is them that needs to think about what is going wrong, not you.

You need to put the new swarm in a new box. If you post the size of both swarms someone might talk you through combining them.

 

[BKF Admin]

It sounds like the second swarm could be a cast swarm from the original hive headed by a virgin Queen.

I would expect it to be a lot smaller than the first swarm.

Did you feed the original swarm ?
Regards combining them it would depend on factors such as swarm size etc.

Because they are in swarm mode they will pull out comb if fed,if the second swarm is a good size they still have a chance to expand before winter.

 

[lusklabs]

hello.

i think if it is someone else's bees repeatedly swarming, then it is them that needs to think about what is going wrong, not you.

You need to put the new swarm in a new box. If you post the size of both swarms someone might talk you through combining them.

The first swarm was approx 18x6 inches (sorry PH, bear with me ) and having spoken to the chap today he reckons the secondary swarm is slightly smaller than the first.

It sounds like the second swarm could be a cast swarm from the original hive headed by a virgin Queen.

I would expect it to be a lot smaller than the first swarm.

Did you feed the original swarm ?
Regards combining them it would depend on factors such as swarm size etc.

Because they are in swarm mode they will pull out comb if fed,if the second swarm is a good size they still have a chance to expand before winter.

The first swarm has been fed.

I have read both good and bad about combining