Short sad story

[Mosti]

Swarm trapped, moved, absconded. 2 days later another swarm moves in the same empty nuc, another 2 days later and they abscond again. 2 swarms absconded from the same nuc.

Nuc looks ok to me but something is bothering them.

[Perry]

The size of the nuc box would be my guess. If it's not going to be big enough to accommodate an entire colony it will be used as a stepping stone. Bummer!

[Mosti]

I don't think it's the problem,  it wasn't a big swarm.

[Perry]

I may be wrong Mosti, but no matter the size of the swarm, they would look at the available space and its potential to be able to house a thriving colony, and if it appears to be too small for that, they might well move on. Just my theory.

[brooksbeefarm]

I quit using 5 frame nuc boxes for swarm traps because of what Perry said, wrnt to 10 frame deeps and haven't had that problem. What i agreed with Perry Jack

[G3farms]

I will second the nuc box being too small for a swarm trap.

Are you using any kind of lure?.........lemon grass oil?......just a drop will go a long way, too much will also drive them out also.

[Mosti]

This is just a regular used nuc. I have hived swarms in them before and never had them abscond.

[brooksbeefarm]

I had a 10 frame swarm trap last year that had two swarms abscond, when i took it down early this spring to clean it up i found a nest of dead RED Wasp in the back corner. Glad they were dead :yes:they can get your attention in a hurry. Now i know what happened. Jack

[Mosti]

It could be that they where annoyed by a leafy branch hitting their nuc with a certain wind. Don't know. I'll check it out.

[rober]

I lock all swarms down for 2-3 days minimum. I might put a small swarm in a nuc but when I unlock them they go into a single deep.
 a swarm I caught 3 weeks ago was large enough that I had to put them in a double deep.

[Mosti]

I lock all swarms down for 2-3 days minimum. I might put a small swarm in a nuc but when I unlock them they go into a single deep.
 a swarm I caught 3 weeks ago was large enough that I had to put them in a double deep.

Never knew that this could be done. Do you feed them? And how?

[riverbee]

mosti, like rober, i typically hive a large swarm in a hive deep.
feed, i do give them a little 1:1 sugar syrup.