[ericweller]

Hi,
I watched, today, as one of my hives swarmed. Fortunately, they landed in a tree top about 20 feet up and I was able to capture it and put it into a box. The box has a queen excluder on it to prevent the swarm from leaving and I see bees going in and out of the box so I can assume that they are accepting the box.
However, the hive that the swarm originating from has a softball sized ball of bees hanging out under the bottom board.
Are they going to swarm again?
Could it be bees from the original swarm? Should I do anything?
Thanks in advance!

 

[Rader Sidetrack]

It certainly is possible that the parent hive can issue more than one swarm. The succeeding swarms are often called secondary swarms or afterswarms.

"Should" you do something is a question that has multiple answers.

If you are of a mind to have more hives, you may be able to move a frame with a capped queen cell with more frames/bees to a new hive in a split. More info:

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesswarmcontrol.htm
- and -
http://www.bushfarms.com/beessplits.htm

 

[ericweller]

If you are of a mind to have more hives, you may be able to move a frame with a capped queen cell with more frames/bees to a new hive in a split. More info:

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesswarmcontrol.htm
- and -
http://www.bushfarms.com/beessplits.htm

So you're saying to collect the bees under the hive and put them in a box with brood? How can I be sure that the bee ball is not part of the hive and a new swarm?
Thanks for the advice!

 

[Fl_Beak]

check in ten days for eggs in either box. If you can give eggs to either box; a queen less colony would likely generate QC's.

a new queen might need to mate, sounds like maybe a secondary swarm under the hive with a virgin queen.