Swarm usurped by another swarm

[rrog13]

On Saturday, My wife spotted a swarm close to our bee yard.  We captured the swarm and initially set it up in a nuc.  Today, I went out to check on it and just as I was walking away, another swarm entered the bee yard and has apparently decided to usurp the nuc.  I've heard of this occurring but have never seen it happen.  I ran and grabbed another box hive box and set it up beside the nuc.  I’m sure they’ve already balled the queen and the  damage is done but figured I’d try something to spare the original swarm.  I setup a video cam and will post some picture later this evening.

You never know what's going to happen when you go out to the bee yard!    

[Jen]

Hi rrog    a fellow beek in my town asked me the same question. He was standing in his bee yard watching his new swarm in the cardboard box, and witnessed that swarm move into the swarm that he caught the week earlier, which was hived. I went to the forum and asked if two swarms would join together, and the answer was yes. But let's see what the rest have to say as well 

[rrog13]

Hey Jen!

Either way, I think I’ll end up with at least one hive.  It’s very interesting to watch it happen.  If hadn’t been standing there, I’d probably never know.  It’s too bad the new swarm didn’t discuss it with me first though, I could have given them some prime real estate from the get go. 

[Jen]

Go to 'Swarms, Cut Outs, Trap Outs, and Bee Trees' and read New Swarm Moved Into The Hive Next Door.
   
    There is a wonderful explaination of Efmesh there 

   

[rrog13]

I walked back out to see how things were going.  The nuc is sitting on a bench and the second swam decided to cluster on the front side of the bench.  Looked like a good portion of the bees from the first swarm were out at the entrance but, there wasn't any fighting go on.   I put a couple drawn out frames in the other hive body, took a scoop of bees with both hands from the underside of the bench and put them in the hive and closed it up.  Within 5 minutes we had "butts in the air" and a march on, going to the second hive box.  Sweet stuff! What a fun day.  Hopefully things will keep going my way.  If not, oh well, I've still enjoyed it. 

[efmesch]

To guide you from Jen's post #3, link to:

http://www.worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/index.php?topic=3794.new#new

see reply #1 and then #5.

[Jen]

Thanks Ef 

Rrog- Thinking too that one of the two swarms is queenless, which makes for a more cordial mixer 

[Ray]

The second swarm could have been a virgin swarm from the same hive the first swarm came from. Maybe there not and the two queens will fight it out. Maybe the two queen are now in separate hives.  Not wishing anybody bad luck, maybe the second one was AHB and is trying a hostile take over.

[Perry]

Go to 'Swarms, Cut Outs, Trap Outs, and Bee Trees' and read New Swarm Moved Into The Hive Next Door.
   
    There is a wonderful explanation of Efmesch there 

   

I wouldn't have thought that was possible! 
(Sorry Ef) (just teasing, Jen)

[Jen]

Aaahahah! I see it know 

   There is a wonderful explanation 'from' Efmesh there 

[Slowmodem]

Within 5 minutes we had "butts in the air" and a march on, going to the second hive box.  Sweet stuff! What a fun day.  Hopefully things will keep going my way.  If not, oh well, I've still enjoyed it. 

That is such an excellent picture!     Thanks for sharing.

[rrog13]

I went out later this afternoon, spotted the queen from the 2nd swarm and got them set up on a hive stand.  We've got some wet weather moving in so I'll open up the nuc later this week and determine if it has queen also.  Below is a snip of the video I took of the fun. 

[LazyBkpr]

heh! Thats just amazing!

[Jen]

Wow! Just Wow! They weren't marching in! That looked like a dead run to me HA! Soo Cool!