Just moved swarm home.

1564 Views 6 Replies 4 Participants Last post by Buzzlightyear, Jul 7, 2014

Buzzlightyear

Discussion Starter · Jul 6, 2014

Got a call from a friend about a swarm at their family farm.
Nice size prime swarm.
Stood in tractor bucket with 5 gal pail, TBH in the tractor bucket. Shake bees into 5 gal bucket and dump into hive. Red Neck as it gets. I guess I was wearing full PPE.LOL

Swarm came from a older house on the property.
I had a hard time getting them all in so I left one bar out and put the top on.
Showed up the next night and there were still bees clustered around the bar hole and under the roof.
Took a little persuading to get them all in but I was successful. Stapled a screen over the entrance and loaded them into the back of the wifes van.
Placed them and leveled the hive.
Hears today.

Hive is 46" long 12 sides 10 bottom. 18" bars 90 V in bottom of bars.
Im about as green as it gets so I was unsure on how many bars to give them as there were about 2.5 to 3 gallons of bees.
I think I gave them about 2'.
Perfect timing to go on a 10 day holiday. Im hoping I don't have a mess when I get home LOL.
Buzz

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RayMarler

· #2 · Jul 6, 2014

Sounds like an adventure with great results. Beekeeping is kind of like fishing, and looks like you hooked into a big one there. Have fun on your holiday!

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Buzzlightyear

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jul 6, 2014

Ya have to cross the fingers and hope they stay put.

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Marysia2

· #4 · Jul 6, 2014

Nice catch! If you have anything to make the new hive more attractive, use it: lemongrass extract, some old comb, or new comb with brood from another hive. After I hand extracted comb, I had a big ball of honey/wax/pollen left over - I've been rubbing that on the top bars and inside of the hive. If they don't like your hive, they'll leave so make it homey. Good luck and hope you have a nice hive percolating along when you return.

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Buzzlightyear

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jul 7, 2014

Good signs tonight. Lots of activity. Pollen coming in probly nectar too. We have awesome flow happening now so things are on my side. Can't wait to have a peak inside. I think I will wait till we get back.

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jwcarlson

· #6 · Jul 7, 2014

Pollen is a good sign. Hauling it has seemed to mean that the swarm queen was laying (first year and caught four this spring) in my limited experience. This void if brood was donated.

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Buzzlightyear

Discussion Starter · #7 · Jul 7, 2014

This is my first top bar and I don't want to cut up a brood combe out of my lang. I plans on putting a swarm in from the get go. Too much work cutting up combe.I have a gut feeling they will stay.
I was watching them last night and they do look smaller than my bees that are on foundation. They must have been on their own for a while. I can't wait to see what the queen looks like. That are darker than my other bees.

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