Swarm not sticking to the rules.

[SixFooter]

There was quite a large swarm on the allotment on Bank Holiday Monday. I shook it into a 5 frame nuc, but they came out again and sat on the outside of the nuc for a whole day. Another beek shook/brushed them into his nuc, with his own frames (not mine) and the bees stayed in the box overnight. The next day, though, they came outside the box again and spread out on the front of the box for a day, then swarmed again into a nearby apple tree.

Last evening,I shook them into a box and put a QX over the entrance. This morning, most of the bees are inside the box, but there are quite a few on the front (enough to completely cover the front ). It would be difficult to move the box and it's by a path, annoying the non beekeeping Allotment holders.

Any ideas how I can get them into the box so I can move them or do I just wrap the nuc and the bees outside it in a sheet to take it away?

Do the knowledgeable experienced experts have any ideas what is going on ?

 

[Finman]

.
Large swarm and 6 frame nuc? Perhaps the swarm is not big or nuc is small.

Put it into normal box and you see how many frames it covers.

Some stay out tells that box is too full.


Just opinion. I have not seen the case.

 

[Antipodes]

I tend to put a frame of brood (from another colony) into a hive that I put a swarm into. Actually, they more or less go in themselves with the brood in it. That should keep them all in I reckon.

 

[Poly Hive]

It's quite possible that the five frame box is not big enough. I rather think the bees hanging out are trying to drop a hint....

PH

 

[SixFooter]

Thanks. I'll replace the nuc with a hive then. I didn't think the swarm was too big for the box, but maybe I'm wrong and that's the problem.

 

[eltalia]

Thanks. I'll replace the nuc with a hive then. I didn't think the swarm was too big
for the box, but maybe I'm wrong and that's the problem.

Yes, I'd reckon you'd know soon as you dropped them in - bees too would
know, quicktime, like minutes.
The observation of a time lapse says the heat build in respiration is not being
dealt with by the box, so is ventilation present in both boxes tried enough?

Bill

 

[SixFooter]

They went in and stayed in the brood box, so thanks.
Every day's a school day!