Swarm too big for the bait box?

[RichardK]

I'm 10 days off being in my second year of bee keeping.....& I'm in a similar situation to when I first started! I'm beginning to wonder if my entry holes are two small? I have 2 @ 20mm wide from memory.

I've had a swarm arrive today which compared to my 2 last year is very big. This picture is about an hour after they arrived. As I work with Dadant I think the best way to describe the bait hive is that it's a deep with 5 frames. 1 drawn comb, 1 wax sheet, and 3 strips. Then there is a gap of around 20 cm underneath the frames. They're going to be rather cosy in there....

Should I leave them to get on with it (c. 2 hours in and still at least 50% outside the hive) or just put them into a 10 frame hive? Granted the hive would be on the ground c 1.5m below the bait hive though.

 

[Erichalfbee]

If you can get them down like that knock them into your hive

 

[RichardK]

Sounds like a plan. What's your thinking here...that I risk them absconding if not?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Difficult to say but I get really twitchy when they are like that well after arriving. The entrance size is ok by the way. Once you have them in the hive if you have the queen they should stay put at least for tonight. Take the bait hive away.

 

[RichardK]

What do you think about moving them 7 metres at the same time to their final position? Or better to leave them at least in the same approximate position they arrived to for the time being? Thanks for your real time help by the way!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes. Move them and pop a bit of Queen excluder over the entrance for a couple of days.

 

[RichardK]

Thanks for that - all done. In my inexperienced experience...(!), that was one big swarm. I didn't move them to their final position in then end, however, as they're so close I'll just move them a metre or two at a time, a few times a day and may even get them to their new spot tomorrow.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Thanks for that - all done. In my inexperienced experience...(!), that was one big swarm. I didn't move them to their final position in then end, however, as they're so close I'll just move them a metre or two at a time, a few times a day and may even get them to their new spot tomorrow.

You can do them in one go.
Swarms have no memory. They reset when they start foraging.
I’d put them where you want them tonight.
Oh and well done! Phew!

 

[The Poot]

Good one Richard! That looks like one heck of a swarm...