Swarm help please

[AlanK]

I started keeping bees last year and so quite new to this, I have 1 hive in the garden, yesterday a swarm appeared and settled in a tree near the house, I collected them in a box and put them in a new broad box with frames next to the existing hive, the old hive appears to be full of bees so I don’t think there came from there? But today when I checked the new bees have taken up home under the original hive. What should I do?

 

[luckydunny]

Hi

Experts will be along here soon

So in meantime if me, (as a 1st year novice) I would collect swarm and rehouse them in brood box again but with a Q/E under to prevent queen going again. Orientate hive entrance at least 90 degrees from parent hive.
Give them drawn comb or foundation and feed with 1 to 1 sugar syrup - and remove Q/e after about three days - OH and do not forget to pray for some nice weather.
Good luck.....

 

[ultreen1]

Is ur queen clipped?

 

[drstitson]

have you checked your hive for QCs????

 

[susbees]

There seem to be quite a few cases of swarms hiding under OMFs at the minute. Also of swarms dying of cold.

So...put bees in either a brood box with QE under and perhaps five frames of foundation. Dummy the rest including thick insulation outside the dummy boards (or even just Kingspan on its own cut to fit the box) OR stick them in a nuc box with a disc set to queen-at-home.

Do not feed for two days (three minus the one they've been out) then feed 1:1 syrup in a feeder. You can't tell if they're yours or not but an inspection of that box on the first warmish day is sensible.

HOWEVER it is possible the queen died whilst they were out or after arrival - in which case they would aim for the nearest hive with a queen. A week or so should tell you this.

 

[AlanK]

Thanks for the quick response, I will answer a couple of your questions?

1 My queen was not cliped.
2 There were some QC in my hive which I squashed.

Thanks again.

 

[drstitson]

have you left a single QC in original hive? if not they are now hopelessly queenless.

 

[REDWOOD]

Please read and understand this little book you will find it a great help in the future
http://www.wbka.com/pdf/a012queencells.pdf

 

[chrismcd]

Please read and understand this little book you will find it a great help in the future
http://www.wbka.com/pdf/a012queencells.pdf

Cheers Redwood that was very useful - I have sent it on to all the people who teach our courses

AlanK - Could I suggest that the next stage is reuniting the swarm and the original colony. Fear not, you are not the first to get into this pickle!

http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/unitenewspaper.html

Do check that there really are no queen cells left in the old colony, there is always a chance you missed one in all the excitement. But, if there are no QC's, it sounds like a uniting job is the best solution since there were probably no eggs/larvae at the right stage for emergency queen cells unless your timing was really unlucky.

if the weather is as bad where you are as it is here the bees will probably have lost a fair number of workers in all the upheavals and will be happy to settle back down as a merged colony.

In fact, I would use newspaper, but make sure it had a lot of holes to speed up the merger.

One thing about this weather, there is no need to go at it in a mad rush. Take your time and do it when the weather is reasonable.

Lets see what other opinions are out there?

Good luck

 

[richardbees]

" they are now hopelessly queenless."

you've been listening to too much Kylie M

(but i agree with your diagnosis.....)

 

[Hachi]

That is a very informative book Redwood thanks for posting.

 

[REDWOOD]

If there are no Qs or QCs and no eggs then you need to do 1 of two things first reunite with newspaper as above then buy a new queen or borrow a frame of eggs (the younger the better, standing up straight is best) and the bees if queen less will produce a new queen. A new queen is probably best as she can start laying straight away, however if the strain of bees are to your liking then let them produce their own queen
Good luck

 

[drstitson]

"you've been listening to too much Kylie M"

how did you guess? - but only "where the wild roses grow" with nick cave so is that ok????

re the OP - if defo no queen cells in original hive then certainly can reunite BUT as finman would say you're back to square one with a full colony in swarm "fever" mode. I'd welcome input from the experts but wouldn't you be expecting prompt swarm preps to start over again?

so IMHO:
unite and be ready to check for QCs at 5 days and regularly again thereafter
or
take a frame a eggs newly laid by HM in the new box and give it to parent colony.

 

[richardbees]

"hopelssly devoted to you" by Kylie....... best ever!

As you infer; it's never good to squash ALL the QCs as the bees made them for a reason. The only solution is to unite, introduce a frame with eggs or a new Q.