[Brad Harrison]

Came home today to a swarm ball in a limb beside my hive, I finally managed to get it into my extra 10 frame hive I had on hand at about 6pm. Temps are currently 55 with a low in lower 40s predicted. I stuck the entrance reducer on to help hold in more heat. Its setting beside my other hive. I have to go to work early in the morning so want be able to do much to them except maybe move hive if I need to. I'm wondering what's my chances of them staying?

 

[Vance G]

If you could put a frame of brood from your other hive in with the swarm, it would about be guaranteed. Wouldn't need any bees on it.

 

[Brad Harrison]

They survived and taking up residence. Lots of coming and going. I opened up the hive they swarmed from and you can't tell bees are missing, in fact there seems to be more bees than there was a week ago when I opened it up.
How long should I wait before taking a peek at the new swarm hive?
Not a bit of foundation so curious to see how they build on my frames. I glued thin wood slats in the grooves to encourage the comb building from there.

 

[grozzie2]

They survived and taking up residence. Lots of coming and going.

Until you see comb with brood in it, dont count your chickens on them sticking around. I hived one swarm a couple years back, and was confident they were going to stay after they had been in the box for 2 days, lots of coming and going. The next day, the equipment was empty.

Since then, every swarm I've put in a hive, has got a frame with open brood from one of my other hives. None have left.

 

[oldiron56]

I make it a practice to put a queen excluder on the bottom board,. and put the box on that , she wont go any where. Then when you see brood take it out. I lost too many swarms, Not anymore, I lost a tree cut out also after all that work, not good,,,,,,,Pete,N3SKI

 

[JakeDatc]

I make it a practice to put a queen excluder on the bottom board,. and put the box on that , she wont go any where. Then when you see brood take it out. I lost too many swarms, Not anymore, I lost a tree cut out also after all that work, not good,,,,,,,Pete,N3SKI

unless you have a virgin queen and she can't get out to get mated.

Not a bit of foundation so curious to see how they build on my frames. I glued thin wood slats in the grooves to encourage the comb building from there.

make sure the hive is level side to side and you have a nice foundationless brood area. they will love it.

 

[oldiron56]

unless you have a virgin queen and she can't get out to get mated. ........................Your right, the big ones go in med hives and small ones I put in nucs, Also I have a few boxes that hold 13 half frames of foundation for mating nucs I put swarms in to get them drawn out, Feed 1 to 2 syrup for drawing comb.............Pete,N3SKI

 

[doug reed]

Same thing happened to us two weeks ago. Coming down the driveway we saw them swirling out side the bigger of two hives. They landed in a low branch {lucky} of a oaktree about thirty feet from the original hive. We put a ten frame box with some older drawn frames on a tv tray under them and shook them in. Haven't moved them to their new home yet, but they seem very happy where they are. Hope yours stick around. Always great to catch your own.

 

[GaryG74]

I had a large swarm leave a new 8 frame deep last year but was able to recapture it. Put it in a ten frame older deep hive with a frame of older drawn comb. I put a queen excluder under it for about a week and they stayed that time. It was a large swarm, not sure if it was the new smell of the eight frame or they liked the smell and size of the ten frame box. I have eight and ten frame equipment because I'm trying to go to the smaller, lighter hives.