I definately caught my first swarm!! check out the pic

[nathan-D]

Just went out and checked again and now there were alot more bees in the box. I remembered that the frames were sliding around when I put up the trap so, I decided to take it out of the bushes and set it on a bucket. I opened the top and it was packed with bees pouring out all over, I straightened the frames and put the top back on. In shorts, tshirt and no head gear, didn't get stung once! My only problem is the box is 11" deep with medium frames. My question is should I transfer to a medium hive right away or should I give them some time. I can almost feel them attaching all kinds of cross comb from the bottom of the frames.



IMG_20130316_170250.jpg

Just for the heck of it, here's a pic of by TBH,

IMG_20130224_150555.jpg

[julysun]

That is an interesting TBH, will the frames fit into a Lang?

[bevy's honeybees]

Very nice!
If it were me I'd leave them alone for at least 2 weeks. My first swarm catch, left after I moved them into a nuk from a box which I did the next day. Now I use hives for bait boxes too, and don't move or do anything with them for 2 weeks. None have left since I made the change.
I'm on the opposite coast, waiting for my own swarm catches. They're a blast.

[psfred]

If there is space below the frames and a lot of bees, you need to get them into a proper sized hive as soon as possible, otherwise you will have a lot of burr comb to deal with. They will make several inches of comb in a couple days, very likely most of it hanging off the bottom bars.

If there are more bees that can cover the medium frames, use two boxes. Creative comb is hard to manage compared to comb in frames....

Peter

[nathan-D]

Julsun - the frames in the trap are regular medium lang frames to go into a 10 frame medium set up. I can also put top bars across the shortside since my tbh is built with 1 x 12s. I thought I'd try both types of hives. I put frames in the trap because I had no bees in the lang. This week I bought a package and installed into the lang and moved my trap from the sun to shade. I didn't know I'd get a swarm the next day. So now it looks like I'm going to have another lang. The trap design is from a you tube video by OutOfaBlueSky. It hangs from a big nail and will stay level that way.

Bevy's Honeybees - I'm originally from Port Charlotte so I'm very familiar with Ft. Myers.

[bevy's honeybees]

I want to add, as you have lang frames in the box, in some of my deeps I have medium frames here and there for whatever reason not sure. What they do is build down off the bottom bar, and every one of them is nice straight comb which I have not touched and it's going on year two. I just leave the frames as is. If I ever need them to be medium frames again I will carefully cut off the comb and reframe.
Keep us posted on your new swarm. Last year I got 5 swarms, and 4 of them are my strongest hives and good natured.

[BeeGhost]

Sweet, nice catch! I would leave them for a couple weeks, then transfer them when they have drawn comb and brood, then they won't leave!

[mtndewluvr]

That is awesome! I would give them at least a few days too. We're still about 2-3 weeks from swarm season, but I've got several traps out already. I captured several scout bees checking out one of my traps in a friends yard yesterday and posted it to my blog. I can't wait till I'm in your situation and beginning to bring swarms home from my traps! Good luck with them! http://jorgedenton.blogspot.com/

[nathan-D]

I think I'll give them a week in the trap and then transfer them to a box, the worst case is I have to clean some comb from the bottom. Thanks for everyones comments!

[nathan-D]

Ok, the really docile bees that needed no smoke a few days ago, got really defensive when they had some comb to protect. Got about 15 stings yesterday.Didn't think I needed smoke, made this same mistake twice with the same outcome. LOL. I transfered them to a 10 frame medium box and noticed the 5 frames in the trap were about 1/4 or less built but they were all consistant in size and all started from the front of the hive working towards the back, no burr comb on the bottom of the bars.

[Rader Sidetrack]

> Got about 15 stings yesterday.Didn't think I needed smoke, made this same mistake twice with the same outcome. LOL.

I don't always agree with Beemandan, but his signature line is priceless:

"Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards"