[FollowtheHoney]

My son and I are going to try to catch a swarm in a tree. It just swarmed today and has moved once so it may be gone in am?

It is about 12-15ft up at the end of a cedar tree branch. We attached a 5 gallon water jug with top removed to a pole and our plan is to try to knock them in, dump in the hive. It may take several bumps?

We are hoping to do this in early morning. Should we screen hive closed or leave open for stragglers?

I was thinking we leave it open and if we caught the queen we would know because they would go in the hive and we could screen it shut and move to its new location when it was dark. ?

I have a new hive started from a nuc two weeks ago which has a nonlaying queen and several supercedure cells, although no eggs to make a viable queen, or I am just wrong(inexperienced). How soon could I combine the swarm with hive? Newspaper combine and remove virgin? Queen.

It is a decent sized swarm, bigger than a football. Would it make sense to remove the queen with a couple frames of bees to make a nuc? Assuming she gets herself mated/laying at some point. I guess I don't like disposing of her. Despite the hives queen issues it does have a decent population.

 

[tomkat]

Close the entrance. If the bees you bump start heading inside the hive you should have the queen.

 

[Saltybee]

I have a new hive started from a nuc two weeks ago which has a nonlaying queen and several supercedure cells, although no eggs to make a viable queen, or I am just wrong(inexperienced). How soon could I combine the swarm with hive? Newspaper combine and remove virgin? Queen.

Little confused, nuc started 2 weeks ago with mated queen? Supercedure cells are emergency cells from split? No eggs now is normal unless it was mated queen and not laying yet, if she was not laying when introduced, is also common.

 

[FollowtheHoney]

Little confused, nuc started 2 weeks ago with mated queen? Supercedure cells are emergency cells from split? No eggs now is normal unless it was mated queen and not laying yet, if she was not laying when introduced, is also common.

This was a purchased nuc, installed on May 11. The following thread may explain a little.

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?298620-New-nuc-fanning-but-not-too-hot

I don't believe they are viable supercedure cells. My thought on making a new colony with the nuc's queen was to give her a chance. Alternatively I can keep the swarm separate and leave her with her nuc and try to be patient or combine them and dispose of her.

 

[Mr.Beeman]

May take several "bumps".

Leave open till dark then screen. Remove screen once it is in it's permanent position.

Hive it in the hive you plan on it staying in. Like a package.

 

[Cleo C. Hogan Jr]

I never close the entrance on a swarm catch until I am ready to leave the area. If you get the queen, the others will find her in short order and march inside. If you did not get her, they will fly to wherever she is and ball up again. Try again.

If you get her, and a good number of bees in the box, (box should have a couple of frames of drawn brood comb and a couple frames of foundation started against one side of the hive body and the other side left open) the other bees will find your box and come to it. Normally no more than 15 minutes you will have virtually all the bees. Then, screen the entrance and take them to your bee yard and leave them alone for 4 to 6 days. Rarely will the bees expand beyond the foundation you give them. If it is a very large swarm you might want to give them 3 frames drawn comb or 3 frames of foundation.

If you get the queen, (and you will know, because most of the bees are coming to her) and some others persist on returning to the limb, try to smoke the limb, cut the limb and remove, squirt some bee quick on it, spray some soapy water on it, anything to destroy the queen smell where she was. Then they will join the others.

Good advice from Mr. Beeman above.

This is how I do it. Others may do it differently. Whatever works for you.

cchoganjr

 

[FollowtheHoney]

Thanks to all. We gave it a shot. Got most of the bees in hive. Unsure about the queen, so we will see when we go back.