1st swarm

[Mikey N.C.]

Wife seen this at 8:30

[Les]

Woohoo!  Good for you.  I have yet to ever have any of my hives swarm.  I would love to experience it just
once. 

[Lburou]

Nice swarm, I hope they are still in the box in a few days. 

[Mikey N.C.]

Lee, gave them another 10 deep with new foundation and Miller feeder on top

[Mikey N.C.]

First box has 3 frames of old dark drawn comb 1 with pollen and nectar. Didn't put in frame of brood.

[Lburou]

First box has 3 frames of old dark drawn comb 1 with pollen and nectar. Didn't put in frame of brood.

You've stacked the odds in our favor, good luck!

[Mikey N.C.]

Lee,  why are you skeptical of swarm staying in new hive?

[Lastfling]

Swarm round 2 .... well my second hive took to trees today.  Luckily this one was in a little sapling about waist high.  As hopefully the pics show I got the bulk of them in the hive.  It’s now approximately 45 min later in 3rd pic.  As you might tell the ground hive is on isn’t exactly level.  My question is - how long do I leave hive in this position before moving to a more level and permanent resting spot? 




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[Lburou]

Lee,  why are you skeptical of swarm staying in new hive?

Didn't intend to be skeptical...I've done everything and still had them leave after a couple nights in a clean dry hive with brood frames, and frames with foundation.  You just never know.  I never 'count' the hive until after a few days of sticking around. 

[iddee]

LF, I would move them tonight

[Wandering Man]

Lee,  why are you skeptical of swarm staying in new hive?

Earlier this month I caught a swarm and put it in a box.

The next day I caught another swarm and put it in another box.  Turned out to be the first swarm.  That swarm is still in the 2nd box.

The next day I caught another swarm and boxed it.  And the following day I found a new swarm in a tree I couldn't reach.  It turned out to be the 2nd swarm.  It has now left me.

During all of this swarming, while I was convinced that I was catching a swarm every day, I rushed out and started buying equipment to hold all of my new hives.   

Well, I'm ready now for the next swarm.  Actually.  It took a few days, but I did catch a swarm at the house, which seems to be staying.  And I've got one in a swarm trap in a tree that I plan on moving into a hive soon.  So, I guess the equipment I bought won't go to waste.

[neillsayers]

Lee,  why are you skeptical of swarm staying in new hive?

Earlier this month I caught a swarm and put it in a box.

The next day I caught another swarm and put it in another box.  Turned out to be the first swarm.  That swarm is still in the 2nd box.

The next day I caught another swarm and boxed it.  And the following day I found a new swarm in a tree I couldn't reach.  It turned out to be the 2nd swarm.  It has now left me.

During all of this swarming, while I was convinced that I was catching a swarm every day, I rushed out and started buying equipment to hold all of my new hives.   

Well, I'm ready now for the next swarm.  Actually.  It took a few days, but I did catch a swarm at the house, which seems to be staying.  And I've got one in a swarm trap in a tree that I plan on moving into a hive soon.  So, I guess the equipment I bought won't go to waste.

Fickle little outfits!

 

[Lastfling]

LF, I would move them tonight

ID thanks.   I moved them last night around 6 to the stand.  Today will tell I guess.  I did notice they were pulling some debrisfr the hive, which I can only believe were from the two frames of comb I had added, so hopefully they’re setting up housekeeping.  Remainder was foundation and box is new.  I’ll keep an eye on today and see how it goes.  After today they’ll be on their own for a few as I’m off to Portsmouth Island with my son for a little fishing adventure.


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[Wandering Man]

Fickle little outfits!

 

Things I learned:
Queen excluders help keep a swarm.
Queen excluders don’t help if the queen is outside of the hive.
Plastic queen excluders don’t work between the bottom board and the deep if they sag in the middle.

[Lastfling]

Fickle little outfits!

 

Things I learned:
Queen excluders help keep a swarm.
Queen excluders don’t help if the queen is outside of the hive.
Plastic queen excluders don’t work between the bottom board and the deep if they sag in the middle.

I hadn’t thought of Queen excluder.  I’ll slap one on top of the bottom board.  Pretty sure I’ve got her in the hive as I had all in but about a hundred milling around outside when I moved it.  As I’m going to be gone a few days I’d like to think I ‘d stand a chance of them being here when I return.  LOL.  Thanks again for the idea!


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[Wandering Man]

If you're using a plastic excluder a bit of duct tape in the middle keeps the gap from letting the queen escape.

On the first swarm that I caught twice, I got lucky.  I thought I had the queen inside my box because I saw the bees going inside with just a small cluster outside.  I went back later in the day and saw a lot of the bees were hanging out under the hive.  I decided to let them find their own way in.

We went back out the next day and found ALL of the bees under the hive. 3Reds wanted to scoop them up and put them back in the box.  She was worried because it was going to drop into the 40's and rain that night.  We tried that and got stung for our efforts.  We weren't wearing full suits.

We left, and on the way home, I realized that the queen excluder was on, and I had probably locked the queen out.  I turned around, removed the queen excluder, and went home.  The next day all of the bees were in the hive.

[Mikey N.C.]

Wm&3Reds,
Didn't understand bed sheets, but if you shake low swarm in say bucket or tub (Rubbermaid)  10 frame box in first post had 2 old dark drawn combs and 1 empty frame , no foundation. The sheet , I believe if under box you shake bee's in you can watch bee's walk in the box. Use to do it without but it makes sense to me.