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Author Topic: My second swarm of the year  (Read 10163 times)

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Offline Bamabww

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My second swarm of the year
« on: May 04, 2014, 08:29:01 pm »
Not as happy with their new home as my first. I got them settled in with drawn comb, 1:1 sugar syrup and several frames of foundation with prior bee activity on them. Sprinkled lemongrass oil on the 3 new foundations and left them screened in for 2 hours. I removed the screen and several started fanning so I thought everything was good. So good in fact I didn't include the queen excluder between the bottom deep and the bottom board as I usually do. And it also happens to be the first swarm of 9 I've lost. Is that a coincidence? Maybe, maybe not.

Left for an hour and came back to an empty hive with only a small handful of bees left behind.  Looked around and couldn't find them anywhere. Bummer. But easy come easy go I reckon but it still sucks big time.

It was a good size swarm too,  probably volleyball size. Bummer again.

Is there anything I should have done different?
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Offline Jen

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Re: My second swarm of the year
« Reply #1 on: May 04, 2014, 08:44:20 pm »
Hi Bama  :)  You mean you lost 9 swarms because you couldn't catch them, or did those swarms flee after they were hived.

When you say sprinkled lemongrass oil, you mean you put several drops of lemongrass oil on each frame?
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Offline riverbee

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Re: My second swarm of the year
« Reply #2 on: May 04, 2014, 09:23:46 pm »
wayne, how much lemongrass oil did you sprinkle on the frames?

oops jen asked as well..... ;D
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Offline Bamabww

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Re: My second swarm of the year
« Reply #3 on: May 04, 2014, 09:32:15 pm »
Quote from: Jen on May 04, 2014, 08:44:20 pm
Hi Bama  :)  You mean you lost 9 swarms because you couldn't catch them, or did those swarms flee after they were hived.

When you say sprinkled lemongrass oil, you mean you put several drops of lemongrass oil on each frame?

Hi Jen, no, of the 9 I've caught this is the first one I've had that left after I had them in a hive body.

Yes, several drops of lemongrass oil on each side of the new, unused, not drawn out foundation.
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Offline Bamabww

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Re: My second swarm of the year
« Reply #4 on: May 04, 2014, 09:34:23 pm »
Quote from: riverbee on May 04, 2014, 09:23:46 pm
wayne, how much lemongrass oil did you sprinkle on the frames?

oops jen asked as well..... ;D

Several drops, not more than 8 to 10 drops per side. I've been doing that on all new foundation for some time now. This is the first time I've lost a swarm out of 9 I've caught.
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Offline Jen

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Re: My second swarm of the year
« Reply #5 on: May 04, 2014, 09:38:39 pm »
Several drops on each side of the frames would most likely be enough for all the bees in the world  :D  But if it works for you, who am I to judge.

Generally I've been told and follow, is one drop on a qtip and just rub it on the inside of the hive a bit.

But back to you swarmy swarm... have you looked around your property to see where they might have landed?
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Offline Bamabww

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Re: My second swarm of the year
« Reply #6 on: May 04, 2014, 10:27:17 pm »
Quote from: Jen on May 04, 2014, 09:38:39 pm
But back to you swarmy swarm... have you looked around your property to see where they might have landed?
Yes, all over my 4 acre wooded area and 16 acres of 8 to 10 feet tall hardwoods.  Rode up and down the road and alerted the neighbors but still no bees. Of course they may have already chosen a hollow tree in the 4 acres and I just didn't see them.
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Offline Jen

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Re: My second swarm of the year
« Reply #7 on: May 04, 2014, 10:38:34 pm »
Well Poo! I had one fly off as well, abscoded maybe  :sad:
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Offline Yankee11

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Re: My second swarm of the year
« Reply #8 on: May 04, 2014, 11:29:03 pm »
Had beek friend tell me the other day he saw the same thing happen with LG oil. He put it in the hive with a new swarm and they boiled out the front.
He put them back in and watched them boil out the front again.

He then put them in a different box without the LG oil and they stayed.
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: My second swarm of the year
« Reply #9 on: May 05, 2014, 07:34:34 am »
LG Oil goes a LONG way..  rubbing a bit of it in with a Q tip I can still smell it two weeks later.  1 drop of lemongrass oil in a gallon of syrup is VERY noticeable..   Cant imagine several drops per frame?  Like Brylcreem   a little dab will do ya!
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Offline blueblood

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Re: My second swarm of the year
« Reply #10 on: May 05, 2014, 09:53:00 am »
Bummer Wayne!  Speaking of the oil, I get it on my gloves every time I open the bottle.  I attract several new friends and they stick around for a long time, ha! ;)
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Offline riverbee

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Re: My second swarm of the year
« Reply #11 on: May 05, 2014, 10:03:52 am »
wayne, can't add much more than what jen and lazy said.  i think you may have 'gassed' them out with the lemongrass oil..... :D
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Offline Bamabww

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Re: My second swarm of the year
« Reply #12 on: May 05, 2014, 01:24:58 pm »
Quote from: riverbee on May 05, 2014, 10:03:52 am
wayne, can't add much more than what jen and lazy said.  i think you may have 'gassed' them out with the lemongrass oil..... :D

May have but the only difference in this swarm, as far as what i've been doing with my other swarms, is I didn't put the queen excluder in place. The only difference.  :'(

But, it may have been the other swarms would have left as well if her majesty could have gotten out.   :-\

But anyway, next swarm I'm using less / none LMG oil and a queen excluder.
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Offline Jen

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Re: My second swarm of the year
« Reply #13 on: May 05, 2014, 01:41:32 pm »
Yep! I had to put the excluders on as well, I do think it makes a difference.

fyi - one drop on the end of a qtip, run it around the inside of the hive and maybe a little at the entrance. LGO is neutron bomb strong.

Congrats on all your swarms as well  ;D
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Offline riverbee

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Re: My second swarm of the year
« Reply #14 on: May 05, 2014, 02:52:53 pm »
"But, it may have been the other swarms would have left as well if her majesty could have gotten out.   :-\"

LOL, thanks wayne!
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