Swarm problems...

[strawberryzoe]

Hello,
I'm looking for some advice about a swarm I picked up on Monday. It's the first swarm I have collected and I currently have one other hive.

Having collected it I put them in a poly nuc with five undrawn frames and within half an hour they absconded. They were in a nearby hedge so I collected them again and changed the entrance to the queen excluder.

On Tuesday a lot were on the sides and underneath. I fed them at this point.

The next day they were all on the underside of the nuc, hanging off the mesh. The queen was inside with two other bees only! so I put them back in and put the nuc on a board to decrease the gap below as well as putting up a ramp to stop them flying under the entrance. The food was gone and no comb was drawn out on the frames.

This morning I checked on them again. I topped it up the food and put the ones I could back in the nuc. Quite a few were feeding but I expect they will all leave again.

So as far as I can tell some further options would be
1. to swap in a brood frame from my other hive. I have just seen this suggestion on another post.
2. Leave them and see if they figure it out
3. Increase the size of nuc/hive? I don't have any thing else available at the moment so would need to order. Having never collected a swarm before I can't really judge the size but if it was too small would they all leave and beard ?
4. Let them go....

Any advice greatly appreciated (other than don't collect a swarm in July )
Many thanks
Zoe

 

[drex]

If you have an open mesh floor and the nucs is shaded, it might be an idea to block the floor for a day or two. They get the scent of the queen through the mesh and think they are in the hive. A frame of brood will usually anchor them to the hive.
You might need a bigger box but by the time it arrives, if they have their minds set, they will have gone anyway.

 

[Stiffy]

Hello,
I'm looking for some advice about a swarm I picked up on Monday. It's the first swarm I have collected and I currently have one other hive.

Having collected it I put them in a poly nuc with five undrawn frames and within half an hour they absconded. They were in a nearby hedge so I collected them again and changed the entrance to the queen excluder.

On Tuesday a lot were on the sides and underneath. I fed them at this point.

The next day they were all on the underside of the nuc, hanging off the mesh. The queen was inside with two other bees only! so I put them back in and put the nuc on a board to decrease the gap below as well as putting up a ramp to stop them flying under the entrance. The food was gone and no comb was drawn out on the frames.

This morning I checked on them again. I topped it up the food and put the ones I could back in the nuc. Quite a few were feeding but I expect they will all leave again.

So as far as I can tell some further options would be
1. to swap in a brood frame from my other hive. I have just seen this suggestion on another post.
2. Leave them and see if they figure it out
3. Increase the size of nuc/hive? I don't have any thing else available at the moment so would need to order. Having never collected a swarm before I can't really judge the size but if it was too small would they all leave and beard ?
4. Let them go....

Any advice greatly appreciated (other than don't collect a swarm in July ���&#56837
Many thanks
Zoe

Nothing wrong with collecting a July swarm, you probably wont get a great deal of honey but it will provide a good introduction for next year.
If you have access a frame of brood it will most certainly keep the bees in the box, I have never lost a swarm when brood was added.
The other thing to consider is that, unless the swarm is very small a poly nuc is too small to house a swarm, a full hive is a much better option.
S

 

[madasafish]

A used drawn brood comb anchors a swarm in a nuc...

 

[Wingy]

Just had very similar, collected a swarm in a Nuc and I immediately set it to Queen excluder. Day after a large cluster under the floor and the bees were stressed. However when I collected them I knew the Nuc was too small to keep them. I put them in a full brood box and decided to leave the entrance open. At this stage I wasn’t really bothered if they absconded. Few days later they have settled down and drawing comb at a great rate. I’ve not fed them yet as they have a great flow on. I will however give them a feeder full of wax cappings to clean up tomorrow

 

[strawberryzoe]

Thanks all for your advice.

I went to switch in a brood frame and when I got there they were in! I'm not sure what help change their minds but probably the food. They've taken most of it now so I'm thinking that I keep feeding them until they've drawn out the frames they have. Fingers crossed...

 

[masterBK]

Generally advice is not to feed a collected swarm of unknown origin right away so they can use up the stores they bring with them. This reduces chance of EFB bacteria surviving to infect first batch of brood.

 

[strawberryzoe]

Thanks, I have since seen this advice too and it does make sense. It seems my optimism was short lived as the swarm has left! I guess the queen left while I was attempting to return the swarm to the nuc and the remaining few are just enjoying the food! Oh well, you live and learn...