Swarm Hanging outside Hive

[Bobl]

Hi, I gathered a swarm from a nearby village yesterday and dropped them into a brood box. I left the entrance open so the bees who were flying around the hive could enter. This morning they are hanging underneath the hive. I have an open mesh floor WBC. Can I just drop them into a box and put them back in the hive or do you think they will go again?

Thanks

 

[enrico]

Yes but put a queen excluder under the bb for 48 hours
E

 

[JWF]

Assuming the Q is in the brood box and not sitting under the mesh floor - also close off the OMF for a couple of days so they can figure out where to entrance is and stop them getting confused (they can smell the queen through the mesh floor).

If she's underneath they're probably already drawing comb under there, and you'll need to transfer the Q and cluster into the BB - brush them into a cardboard box or a bowl and tip them in.

 

[Bobl]

Thanks for the advice, I have now put them back in the brood box, I will close the OMF as advised. Fingers crossed they want to stay.