[Brad Bee]

Last week I hived a swarm. I put a frame of brood in with them. I knocked the nurse bees off the frame of larvae in front of the hive. Mass casualties of bees from fighting.

I hived a swarm yesterday. Today I put a frame of brood in with them. I got smart edumacated last week so I sprayed the nurse bees with sugar water and put them in the hive with the swarm. An hour later, MASS CASUALTIES on the landing board and in front of the hive. I just hope the bees off the brood frame don't kill the queen. I am rushed for time because I have a funeral to be at this afternoon, but I left them in the nuc without a queen for about an hour. They got loud and I figured they knew they were queenless. Maybe they did, but the bees in the swarm were not accomodating at all.

So, I guess the only way to properly put brood in the hive with a swarm is to BRUSH THE BEES off the frame? Either that, or I've got some mean swarms...

 

[whiskeytripping]

Lol, im glad to hear that im not the only one that have had swarm issues this year. Im thinking next time you pull a frame of brood, i would sweep ALL the bees off inside the hive you robbed it out of then take off with that frame to install in the swarm hive, i learned the hard way myself, but ive been reading to put a screen on the entrance of the swarm hive (after you installed them) and leaving them cooped up in that hive for 2 days solid. Feeding them syrup water. Then remove the screen at night time and let them go at it the next day. Im really hoping this works next time. Ive had 2 swarms leave this year. One was definitely my fault due to having it next to a strong hive and a entrance too big. Hope some of this helps. Losing bees PISSES me off, but im also learning with every screw up

 

[Vance G]

Using that frame of brood does indeed anchor a swarm like nothing else. Personally, I wiggle/shake the bees off the brood frame as I take it out of the donor colony. Banging the frame of brood does not do the larvae any good at all if you can avoid it. Swarming will start here in a couple weeks but it was a very hard winter and lots of colonies won't be strong enough to swarm this year here is my guess.

 

[Brad Bee]

Oh, you can bet that the next time it happens there will be a bee brush or goose wing involved. That's twice that I've added brood and twice with the same end result. Bad both times. I have a nuc that I've robbed the brood from both times and it could have used the bees that I took from it.