[HopCar]

There were a couple of pieces of comb in the middle of that ball. I stuck a frame of brood and pollen in the box and brushed the bees into it. I hope they stay.

 

[fieldsofnaturalhoney]

Looks like they thought about the box, isn't that wax pearls on the front?

 

[HopCar]

Looks like they thought about the box, isn't that wax pearls on the front?

I’m pretty new at this so I’m not familiar with the term “wax pearl”. I noticed those markings but didn’t know what they are. They could be wax. Do scout bees mark a potential new home that way?

 

[fieldsofnaturalhoney]

Do scout bees mark a potential new home that way?

Wax pearls or wax pebbles is what I call them. They are usually formed because the bees are so filled up on honey they begin to secrete wax while stopped or waiting to see if they are moving. I regularly see them in swarm transport containers, and if I ever see them on a side of a box, I know I missed a swarm

 

[HopCar]

Good to know. I seem to have gotten them from the wall into the swarm box. In a day or two I’ll setup a nuc box right below the swarm box and see if I can move them into that.

 

[HopCar]

Good to know. I seem to have gotten them from the wall into the swarm box. In a day or two I’ll setup a nuc box right below the swarm box and see if I can move them into that.

 

[Saltybee]

You posted on the 8th. that's no longer a swarm, it's a cutout.

 

[fieldsofnaturalhoney]

I hope there is more than one frame in that box

 

[HopCar]

There are four frames in the swarm box. I hope to be able to just move the frames. If I didn’t have frames in the box, how quickly should I move the swarm to a nuc or hive box?

It wouldn’t be horrible if I had to do it as a cut out. I recently did a cut out from a bird house that seems to have worked. I’ve been building special hinged frames that clamp the cut comb and hold it in place. Much easier than rubber bands.

 

[fieldsofnaturalhoney]

You posted on the 8th. that's no longer a swarm, it's a cutout.

More like a transfer Hopcar, if you didn't have frames in the box, for me it is about the same time line if I did. Around two weeks, but a lot depends on the size of the swarm, and if no frames, I suppose you could wait longer for the comb to "harden". However, always have frames in your swarm traps, been there done that..,Does this trap only hold four frames?

 

[HopCar]

Moved them into a nuc today just below where the swarm box was. They had drawn comb on the three empty frames I gave them and there was quite a bit of capped and uncapped brood. Gave them another frame with foundation so now they have five frames to play with. Once they’ve settled in, I’ll move them to a friends house and then back to my apiary.

 

[Saltybee]

Good to hear. thanks for the follow up.

 

[fieldsofnaturalhoney]

Trust you reduced that entrance? Why all the moves?, when you can just move them once?

 

[HopCar]

Trust you reduced that entrance? Why all the moves?, when you can just move them once?

I didn’t reduce the entrance on the nuc box. Do you think I should? It’s already half the size of a ten frame entrance.

My bee yard is about fifty feet from where the nuc box is. I figure if I just move the box fifty feet, they’ll go back to where the swarm box / nuc was. If I move them to my friends house, two miles away, they’ll reorient to that location. Then I can move them two miles back and they will reorient to my bee yard.

 

[odfrank]

They likely did not move in due to over applying lure. Two sprits of Swarm Commander for a few drops of LGO is plenty. They would have been as likely a catch set up on a stand in your apiary as up on that ceiling. Make life easy for your self.

 

[HopCar]

They likely did not move in due to over applying lure. Two sprits of Swarm Commander for a few drops of LGO is plenty. They would have been as likely a catch set up on a stand in your apiary as up on that ceiling. Make life easy for your self.

You’re probably right. I was pretty heavy handed with the lemon grass oil plus there was one of those little plastic swarm lures in there.

Just went back to look at them. Saw some bees going in and out of the nuc box.