Very strange mini-swarm

[REDWOOD]

True but so could drones having a visit

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[Dishmop]

If you dont collect them you will be haunted and have sleepless nights..

 

[ichbinpaul]

Close to my home in London is a tennis-ball-sized swarm of bees hanging from a tree. They've been there for the last 2 weeks or so, and during the day, bees fly to and from it, as if to a hive. Any ideas why they are doing this?- why haven't they found a cavity to settle in by now? And is it worth collecting them and putting them in a mini-nuc, or are they simply too small in number to survive the winter?

From little acorns do tall trees grow, and when they don't grow, don't stop planting them just because of dissapointment

 

[HM Honey]

""A Tennis ball sized Swarm" ?
Their dead already, leave them be."

sure - but why not give them a chance - tennis ball sounds good enough for an apidea and there's time for a little more brood rearing before winter.

I guess if you have a spare apedea then nothing to lose by putting them in it.

As someone said, they are probably the remnants of a previously collected swarm so will most likely have no queen.

I certainly wouldn't shake them in front of a hive as someone suggested. I would compare that to stepping into the road with your eyes closed (you might get hit, you might not). A risk not worth taking, just to save a few bees.

If you really must, put them in an apedia and keep them away from your existing colonies. TBH though, a waste of time IMO.

 

[HM Honey]

From little acorns do tall trees grow, and when they don't grow, don't stop planting them just because of dissapointment

A great saying but it doesn't change the fact that if you plant dead acorns, you're still wasting your time....

 

[thebhoy]

Still no idea of the location in London.......

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Still no idea of the location in London.......

The OP was talking about taking the swarm themselves.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

They've just massively downgraded our weather forecast from a cold day today to a rainy week starting tomorrow.

 

[Beauhawk]

Well I guess we will never know the outcome here and the bees probably died following the weather we have just had.

I did pm 'hive got bees' to find the location as well as asked, along with others on this thread where the swarm was located but every question was ignored!

Waste of time......

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I did pm 'hive got bees' to find the location as well as asked, along with others on this thread where the swarm was located but every question was ignored!

Waste of time......

Maybe fell off the ladder trying to collect the 'swarm'