OH NO! They swarmed! Link to pictures

[weldredge]

I had written that we had 20+ queen cells and we destroyed them 2 weeks ago. Last week, we had only a few, but no eggs that we could see (inspection and in macro photos) so we assumed I was queenless. Well, today I drove in my driveway and saw them leaving me! I have shots of the beginning and the result. The swarm is at least 75 feet in the air in the tip top of an old oak appx 50 yards from the hive.

Anyone near Harvard, MA and want them?

What does one acctually do for a hive after a swarm?

*sigh* very sad my bees left me despite my by the book parenting. :(:(

Guess I wasn't queenless after all???

Pictures are here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/harvardma/

[Sarge]

I've often been told that once they decide to swarm they will swarm. Come Hell or high water. Too bad though.

[Meadow Stone Farm]

Yeah, that stinks. Sorry. Once you see the cups the best you can do is split the hive (so I've been told). If the swarm is out of reach, you're out of luck. They'll be gone tonight or tomorrow. See if you can follow them, maybe their new home isn't far off and more accessible. I live a few hours away and could lone you a nuc if you have a really, really, really long ladder.

Kris

[timgoodin]

You might try putting out a swarm box and see if you can coax them into it. Search this board for swarm trap or swarm box. I had great success with one this spring. It has been said you can use lemon pledge as a lure to simulate the scent of a queen in the trap. I just used a cardboard box taped up and some old burr comb.

Sorry to hear about the swarm, good luck with it.

Tim

[Meadow Stone Farm]

I used lemon grass EO in my nuc for my swarm....didn't work. Problem was the crappy cover warped in the rain and they were able to sneak out, even though I screened them in that night. I was planning on taking the screen off in the morning and caging the queen....

[timgoodin]

Once I got my swarm out of the trap and in the nuc I gave them a frame of brood and they took to it immediately. I've heard this will help keep them in the box.

Tim

[AstroBee]

...but parenting books can't teach you all the things you'll need to know to assess a real-world hive situation. Just think how much you've learned with this experience. Next year you're going to look through a hive with much more insight. If beekeeping were so easy it wouldn't be nearly as interesting :)





*sigh* very sad my bees left me despite my by the book parenting. :(:(

[peggjam]

I'll bet that is an afterswarm, and there is a virgin queen in it;).

[deknow]

Hi Wendy,

I replied to your post on the organic list a few weeks ago. Feel free to give me a call anytime (978 257 5324), I'll be happy to bring by a "bait box" in case they can be coaxed, and see if there is any hope to catch them. I'm just in Leominster.

deknow

[Ravenseye]

Just got in and need to be up in 4 hours for work. Weldredge...you're along for the ride now. I say, get inside that box and see what you have. Find the queen...assess the brood strength and build that hive up. I still have brood for you and that will help. My bet is that you have plenty of time to get the colony up to strength....you'll winter over fine...and you'll be great for next year!