Swarm

[biggles]

Hi
Yesterday about 6.30pm the post man called me and told me, while walking his dog he had found a swarm in a tree. I set off with kit, to collect, but when I got there kids had been throwing sticks at it and knocked it into three or four parts.
I scooped up the easy ones and put them into a hive and as it was getting dark had no choice but to sweep the others off a large branch into a cardboard box. On about the fourth go I saw the bees around the entrance fanning and others walking in. The queen must have been in the early ones I scooped up. Lucky

Got them all in by 9.30 and now they have joined my other hives. I'll leave them for a week to settle in and them have a look to see what I have.

This makes up for one of my colony's that has already swarmed, much sooner than I thought they would. I wasn't keeping a good enough eye on them.

 

[Vergilius]

With some less good weather on the way they may want some 1:1 sugar syrup.


Ben P

 

[Mike a]

Congrates Biggles

 

[biggles]

Thanks and feed on them already.

 

[winmag270]

Out of interest, are you doing any pre-emptive treatment for varroa?

If so, what are you doing?

 

[biggles]

No pre emptive treatment. I will wait until they have been here for a few weeks and have a good look.
What do you do?

Pete

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

No pre emptive treatment. I will wait until they have been here for a few weeks and have a good look.
What do you do?

Pete

Pete - several do an oxalic treatment on capture as there will be no brood

 

[oliver90owner]

NEVER feed a swarm before 3 days. Risks increased due to any pathogens in their honey store. Well documented in all good bee books.

RAB

 

[itchyhives]

Agree with Rab, you want them to use up stores they have and start a fresh. Also It will increase the likelihood of robbing.

 

[biggles]

RAB In what honey?

Monsieur Abeille oxalic treatment on capture sounds good. I might try it next time.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Feeding a swarm,rather depends if they have just swarmed,or swarmed over a week ago, and still not found a new home.

 

[oliver90owner]

Biggles,

The honey they use by the first three days for comb building.

RAB

Hivemaker,

That may be OK if you know how long the colony has been clustering since swarming. If you don't, then the precautionary 3 day rule should still apply.

Regards, RAB

 

[Hivemaker.]

If you don't, then the precautionary 3 day rule should still apply.


I agree,and if they swarmed on a warm day,then the weather turns cold for a week and they die of starvation,during the furter three days of being starved,then there is no risk of disease,very natural.
Never had a swarm with a disease yet.

 

[drstitson]

biggles - to further clarify

swarming bees have filled up on honey beforehand as they don't know how long they'll be on the move so to speak.

you let them metabolise the old potentially infected honey (for energy and wax building) .

 

[biggles]

Thanks for all the advice. I'l have to sit back and think on this.

 

[richardbees]

Biggles,

RAB etc are correct...anyway, there's no need to feed them as loads of nectar available now in Kent!

and do not treat them with any chemicals!

richard

 

[Tom Bick]

Also think twice about this OA and the queen they may well have been dosed over the winter and then to do the queen again.

If we think about it a swarm at this time of year should be a reasonably healthy colony.

 

[clare p]

Boys throwing sticks at bees!! In Tunbridge wells!!!!
Frankly I am shocked and not a little disappointed!!

 

[richardbees]

Bless you, Claire, comments like that make this world a nicer place!

richard

 

[drstitson]

"Boys throwing sticks at bees!"

whilst it might offend our sensibilities as beeks it surely great to hear about some kids sticking to "wholesome" traditional activities (ie no machine gunbs, drugs or worse still elf and safety interference). with a bit of encouragement they might progress onto producing their own newspaper, apprehending burglars or torching romany caravans.

did they have an annoying red headed girl with a lisp in tow?