Worldwide Beekeeping
Beekeeping => Swarms, Cut Outs, Trap Outs and Bee Trees => Topic started by: JanO on June 06, 2014, 12:36:25 am
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OK, got a newbee question here. Today I've been putting guide wires on most of my frames. Going total 100% foundationless if I can. Anyway, I wired up some new/used frames and put in a trap today. Just got back from setting it back up and there was a small cluster of bees on a branch right about where the trap sets. I was thinking they were stragglers from a colony I pulled from that trap on Tues., but would they stay that long? Then when I was watching them after I hung the trap back up they were moving their way to the entrance, but I noticed that they were still balling up in one spot kind of like they were protecting a queen. But, there were so few of them I don't know... a small secondary swarm perhaps? It was maybe softball size, if that.
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This is a question for Scott/LazyBkpr ~ watch for his input :)
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This is a question for Scott/LazyBkpr ~ watch for his input :)
I'm just one guy.. I'll give my thoughts, but the group mind is much better..
From the description it sounds like a cast, probably with a virgin queen. If they DO move into your box, it will be hard for them to build up with so few bees.
What do you want to do if they take up residence?
Do you want another hive? Is it worth the struggle to save them?
If you do.. Adding a frame of brood with bees will give them a better chance.
If you have a queen you want to replace.. remove her, let them go queenless for 10 - 12 hours and combine this small cast with the newspaper method.. another three or four hours as they begin to remove the paper and slowly combine...
Make sure there is a queen in this cast and its not what you thought originally, stragglers.. I'm sure others will have input and different ideas strategy.
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i think scott's answer pretty much covers what i would say jano ;)
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Thanks for you replies. I knew I could count on all of you in here.
After thinking about it I've decided that, although I really don't need another hive, I could put them in a nuc and feed the heck out of them to give them a chance if there is a queen in there. If I find that there isn't a queen, or it appears that they won't be able to build up enough by Fall, I will combine them with another hive. I really don't have another frame of brood that I feel comfortable moving since all of my other hives are swarm captures and carve outs collected this year and they are busy building up their own stores.
I still have at least one more carve out that I'll be bringing home, and another full swarm trap that needs to be installed into a hive, so it's not like I'm hurting for bees.
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best wishes to ya jano!
post an update in the future and let us know the outcome!..... ;)