Why did the bees die after swarm extraction?

[omnimirage]

Recently I went and captured a swarm. During the extraction process, a fair amount of dirt, leaves and twigs fell into the box. I moved the bees into a clean box, and tipped them all out of the messy one. Pecuilarly, they weren't eager to move into the new hive. I thought the bees were supposed to all follow after their queen, but instead, they gathered into clusters where ever they happened to be placed. There were about five clusters of bees, all piled on each other.

I tried to retrieve my cloth which I used in the extraction, and there were numerous bees on it that were particularly passive and immobile. I eventually thought that perhaps they needed honey for some energy, so I gathered half a dozen jar lids and filled them with honey, and put it near the bee clusters. Wanting to motivate them to move under shelter, I got a branch and put a tarp over it, and placed most of the honey underneath. They ate the honey fairly fast, but many bees stayed on top of the tarp and were rained on. I also poured honey into their hive, to encourage them to go into it, which was unsuccessful. Realising that the bees weren't going to move, I picked up the bees that I could and put them in the hive, and did my best to provide shelter for the less mobile ones. A few days later, many of the bees died, including all the bees in the old box with the dirt.

I don't know why they died. I think I must have done something wrong, but I'm really not sure what. I estimate I've lost 60% of the bees. Any idea on why this happened? Should have I provided the bees with sugar/honey as soon as I collected them? Should have I left them in the box with all the dirt in it? Could it be that the queen died, which is the reason the bees didn't follow after her?

 

[Anduril]

It is your spring now. The bees could be a starvation swarm or possibly sprayed with insecticide before you got to them. How many hives do you have? Your profile says none. Did you feed them your own honey or was it shop bought?

 

[dexter's shed]

sorry to say, but it sounds like you made a right pigs ear out of it

removing a swarm,was it a swarm, or wild bees living somewhere ?

did you remove the comb they had built, you say you thought they followed the queen, does that mean you captured the queen first and caged her??

what was they doing on the ground and on a tarp?

 

[Arfermo]

Sounds as though they might not have a queen and also might be starving. Got a mate or local contact who can have a look? Spraying with weak sugar syrup might revive them a little but without a queen that will not do much for any time at all. Best of luck - just sorry I am not there to help. Love Oz - 3 trips each 3 months long. Hired a car and just went...................

 

[Madge]

Recently I went and captured a swarm. During the extraction process, a fair amount of dirt, leaves and twigs fell into the box. I moved the bees into a clean box, and tipped them all out of the messy one. Pecuilarly, they weren't eager to move into the new hive. ...

How did you catch the swarm? Did you leave the catching box with a small opening for a while to see what the bees are doing in order to tell you whether you've caught the queen or not?

 

[beeno]

A swarm of bees clustered in a tree will survive in the rain, but break the cluster and they get wet they might die. It sounds like you did not get the queen.

 

[omnimirage]

I have eleven hives. It was honey that I extracted that had dirt mixed in with it, and unsuitable for human consumption because of so.

It was a swarm.

They had built no comb by the time I got to them.

I never spotted the queen and didn't cage her.

I tipped the bees out of the box with the dirt on it, and they landed on the ground. I expected them to then move into the new box, but they stayed where they fell instead. I put a tarp over them so that they'd have shelter from the impeding rain.

I snapped the bees off a branch, and put them into the box. I waited around to observe their behaviour; the bees outside the box were crawling into the box, which I took as an indication that the queen was inside the box.


The bees are slowing drawing comb and filling it with honey. I saw no queen activity, though the comb is probably too undeveloped for her to lay eggs in it. I went to my other hives to find some eggs to give to the hive, in case the queen died, and after an hour I couldn't find any eggs, only sealed brood and larvae. I can go to another site to check, but my experience was quite disheartening and I'm wondering if it's worth it. I read that the eggs need to be less than three days old for them to make a queen out of it. Many bees were flying around a few days after catching the hive. They seemed more disorganised than they usually are; they flew around in circles and climbed up the walls, didn't seem to venture out much.

 

[Anduril]

I have eleven hives. It was honey that I extracted that had dirt mixed in with it, and unsuitable for human consumption because of so.

It was a swarm.

They had built no comb by the time I got to them.

I never spotted the queen and didn't cage her.

I tipped the bees out of the box with the dirt on it, and they landed on the ground. I expected them to then move into the new box, but they stayed where they fell instead. I put a tarp over them so that they'd have shelter from the impeding rain.

I snapped the bees off a branch, and put them into the box. I waited around to observe their behaviour; the bees outside the box were crawling into the box, which I took as an indication that the queen was inside the box.


The bees are slowing drawing comb and filling it with honey. I saw no queen activity, though the comb is probably too undeveloped for her to lay eggs in it. I went to my other hives to find some eggs to give to the hive, in case the queen died, and after an hour I couldn't find any eggs, only sealed brood and larvae. I can go to another site to check, but my experience was quite disheartening and I'm wondering if it's worth it. I read that the eggs need to be less than three days old for them to make a queen out of it. Many bees were flying around a few days after catching the hive. They seemed more disorganised than they usually are; they flew around in circles and climbed up the walls, didn't seem to venture out much.

You may have a virgin in there so it could be a few weeks after her mating flight before you see any eggs. Try to look through your other hives with a torch to find eggs to give to the swarm to see if they could be queenless. When you open up the hive to look at the swarm find out if there is a queenless roar, if the bees are fanning their wings on top of the frames, another indication. Or are they quiet and content when you manipulate them.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I have eleven hives. It was honey that I extracted that had dirt mixed in with it, and unsuitable for human consumption because of so.

It was a swarm.

They had built no comb by the time I got to them.

I never spotted the queen and didn't cage her.

I tipped the bees out of the box with the dirt on it, and they landed on the ground. I expected them to then move into the new box, but they stayed where they fell instead. I put a tarp over them so that they'd have shelter from the impeding rain.

I snapped the bees off a branch, and put them into the box. I waited around to observe their behaviour; the bees outside the box were crawling into the box, which I took as an indication that the queen was inside the box.


The bees are slowing drawing comb and filling it with honey. I saw no queen activity, though the comb is probably too undeveloped for her to lay eggs in it. I went to my other hives to find some eggs to give to the hive, in case the queen died, and after an hour I couldn't find any eggs, only sealed brood and larvae. I can go to another site to check, but my experience was quite disheartening and I'm wondering if it's worth it. I read that the eggs need to be less than three days old for them to make a queen out of it. Many bees were flying around a few days after catching the hive. They seemed more disorganised than they usually are; they flew around in circles and climbed up the walls, didn't seem to venture out much.

They don't sound very healthy bees. You may be wise not to pin too much hope on them surviving. I'd be very wary of them contaminating other hives.

 

[enrico]

Sounds like they are hungry, feed them!
E

 

[beeno]

QUOTE=Gilberdyke John;502259]They don't sound very healthy bees. You may be wise not to pin too much hope on them surviving. I'd be very wary of them contaminating other hives.[/QUOTE]