[Beeboy01]

Don't know if I screwed up but I boxed a swarm yesterday using drawn comb that had been in storage using paramoth. I was only able to air the comb out for one day before boxing the swarm and when I checked the box today all the bees were hanging off the underside of the hive strand. I put them back into the box but am wondering if they just don't like it. I put a queen excluder in between the bottom board and box this time to keep the queen from absconding. What do you think, did I screw up or will the swarm settle in?
Thanks

 

[G3farms]

Is your bottom board screened or solid?

You might have picked up a cast (or secondary) swarm that had a virgin queen, she might have been on a mating flight and returned to under the bottom of the bottom board.

More than likely they did not like the smell of the para moth.

 

[wildbeekeeper]

Paramoth will drive them out - put tehm in a nuc with clean undrawn foundation for a week while you air out the other comb.

 

[Beeboy01]

I didn't have much choice about using the para moth treated comb, there was a big old storm blowing in yesterday afternoon when I boxed the swarm and it ws all that was handy. We have had rain all day today. I ran out between storms and put a screened inner cover on the super and propped up the outer cover for more ventilation, so far the girls are flying and acting ok. The weather is getting better tomorrow and I'll move some brood frames out of one of the other hives to help settle the swarm in. Don't have a nuc box or any undrawn foundation handy so I'm working with what I have.

 

[johng]

You will probably be ok. You can use a frame of brood from another hive to hold the nuc in the hive very seldom will they leave once you put a frame of brood with them. I catch quite a few swarms with virgins so I'm always leery of using a queen excluder to keep a swarm in.