View Full Version : The Fruits of Neglect - Swarm
I was unable to work my hives for a couple of weeks due to an illness and my strongest hive swarmed yesterday. The interesting part is that my 83 year old father was sitting in his chaise lounge reading a book about twenty feet away when it happened. He called me immediately after and was as excited as a school kid. He said they were flying everywhere, but he just sat quietly and watched in wonderment. While I'm sorry to have lost the bees, it was worth it for the stories from my dad. He loved it! He described the sound as a light buzzing that kept building to unbelievable porportions. I keep three hives in his back yard and we both enjoy sitting and watching the comings and goings of the critters. I need to get a super on this one quick!
searcher
06-18-2005, 03:18 PM
Jack Johnson
06-18-2005, 04:47 PM
It is a great sight to see them swarm, but even a greater sight to see the same retrieved swarm go again the next morning.
They first swarmed about 09:30 hrs when I arrived at the yard. I retrieved them about two hours later and put them in a deep with 2 frames of brood and 2 honey frames. I went back to see them the next morning about the same time and I'll be darned, there they were up in a tree. By the time I got back to try retrieving them again they were gone.
The local Bee Insp said they generally will settle down the first time but he has seen this happen a few times before. Has anyone else had this experience??
Michael Bush
06-18-2005, 05:27 PM
Sure. Usually they stay. Sometimes they leave. smile.gif A swarm is quite a rush either way, but it's really a rush to get them in a hive. smile.gif
Drifter
06-18-2005, 10:14 PM
Sure is a rush to hive one , but is a heart break to see them gone next check .
Drifter
honeyman46408
06-19-2005, 04:40 AM
BEEN THERE DONE THAT
My mentor says to NOT put frames of honey in the box for a swarm? Any thoughts on this Michael?
TX Ashurst
06-19-2005, 01:23 PM
Hey LET, I thought I heard that you had to move your hives out of your Dad's yard?
FYI, we now have 5 bait hives hanging in trees in the area surrounding the farm. We are hoping your swarm comes all the way out here to live in one of them. That might be expecting a bit much, though, so we'll settle for a Honey Grove swarm or two or more.
Michael Bush
06-20-2005, 10:05 AM
A frame of brood in the box doesn't hurt. A frame of honey in the box doesn't hurt. Just remember, though, they aren't looking for a hive, they're looking for a home. That means a dark box with an entrance that preferably smells like a hive and has bees fanning Nasonov to get them to congregate. smile.gif
I usually settle for one or two old empty combs in a box for the swarm.
COUNT ZERO
06-20-2005, 01:51 PM
Michael,
Two frames of old comb? I have several swarm traps out which consist of two medium supers each with 9 or 10 frames of old comb per box. Is this bad? should I remove most of those frames? I assume this is a space issue- giving the appearance of more space in the new abode.
Several of these traps are just shots in the dark but one of them is out where a swarm landed last year. I don't want to screw up!
Brian
Michael Bush
06-20-2005, 04:08 PM
>Two frames of old comb? I have several swarm traps out which consist of two medium supers each with 9 or 10 frames of old comb per box.
You can do that. When I'm hiving them I don't like to take up that much room. Some foundationless frames in the center give them somewhere to cluster.
>Is this bad?
In a bait hive, I don't like that much old comb because the wax moths tend to tear it up. But then you could spray it with certan (Bt). AND I like to have some open space in them also, so I use foundationless or starter strips on the center frames.
>should I remove most of those frames?
It will work ok. If it's convenient, you can. I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.
>I assume this is a space issue- giving the appearance of more space in the new abode.
That too.
>Several of these traps are just shots in the dark but one of them is out where a swarm landed last year. I don't want to screw up!
I just had one that moved into a deadout from last winter. The hive blew over in 70 mph winds in a blizzard last winter and froze. The bees moved in this spring. Nice little black ones. smile.gif That was all empty drawn comb that had been robbed out.
The comb isn't going to run them off, will probably add to the attractivness, but will also draw the wax moths. It's all a trade off.