Mass Exodus

1250 Views 3 Replies 2 Participants Last post by mike haney, Jul 5, 2010

SledDog

Discussion Starter · Jul 4, 2010

On tuesday I was out of town. When I spoke to my better half I heard the bees were all hanging out on the front of the hive. I figured they were either just warm or going to swarm, but nothing I could do either way

Yesterday I went to feed the chickens and there was a swarm (or 2?) covering a couple of the poles. I scraped them into a box, got about 60 or 70% of them, covered it with a screen and put it in the garage. I ran up to my local supply place and got the makings for a second hive.

Today I went out to figure out where the hive should go, and found the same 2 posts again covered in a swarm. Also the front of the hive is covered.

Is this a mass exodus? Or maybe not a swarm at all and they just like hanging out on the post?

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mike haney

· #2 · Jul 4, 2010

likely they have swarmed and you havent hived the queen. put'em in your box and put the box next to the clump- maybe on a step-ladder, or put'em in your box and put a white sheet in the ground below with the box on it and brush'em down on the sheet in front of the box-they should march right in.
good luck,mike

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SledDog

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jul 5, 2010

Thanks Mike!

The ones I put in the box yesterday seemed pretty content, and a bunch of other bees have been covering the screen. So that makes me think there's a queen in there. I just put the lot of them in the new hive.

I tried adding the bees from the post, but in seconds the post was covered again, so i figure i didn't get the queen there this time.

I put a frame of larva from the old hive into the new one too.

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mike haney

· #4 · Jul 5, 2010

the original have may swarm repeatedly-called "afterswarms" and its known swarms often land at the same spot to let the scouts find a home. an inspection of the original have is recommended.
good luck,mike

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