[BoWo]

Yester day one of my hives swarmed and landed on the trunk of a apple tree.
I scraped all of them I could off into a hive body after they settled down I moved
them to a new spot where I wanted to keep them.
My question is will the ones that were left die or go back to there original hive?
Tks
Harold

 

[imthedude]

could do both or they could stay there. last year i caught a swarm and couldn't get all the stragglers. i told the homeowner that they'd leave eventually. a week later i went back and got the majority of them. best if you can leave the box until dusk/dark and then collect it in hopes that the stragglers will eventually join the rest of the swarm.

 

[Bees In Miami]

If you got the queen in the box, and left the box there for a bit, the stragglers would have followed her. I always leave swarms I hive up close to the swarm spot until dusk/dark, then make the move. Never have any stragglers this way.

 

[BoWo]

Thanks.
I went back out there this AM, they were all gone.
From now I will wait till dusk to move them.
The hive had a lot of bees coming and going this morning, looks like I was successful.
THS

 

[Michael Bush]

They move in with someone. Some will go back, some will find the new location. Some will drift into the first hive they find when spiraling outwards...

 

[Intheswamp]

BoWo, it sounds like you did good. I'll echo what was said about leaving the box there until after dark...seems those left flying or re-clustering don't want to be left outside come nightfall. You noticed probably some bees fanning...calling those lagging sisters (and a brother or two) to the new home. Something else to do if it happens again is to put the entrance of the hive body right up against the tree with it touching the swarm...the bees usually start marching right in. I had a small swarm on the ground the other day and just nudged the hive entrance up against them...they head right on inside (most of the time!).

Keep an eye on that apple tree...you may find another swarm there.

Best wishes,
Ed