I gave a swarm that moved into a nuc of mine to a friend. I took them over at dusk yesterday.
Today there is a cluster of foragers who weren't with the hive when I moved it, clinging to an old comb from the hive. I sprayed them with sugar syrup and put the frame in front of another hive, but a few hours later they had congregated on an empty old frame in the carport where their nuc had been.
I thought tomorrow if they are still gathered that I would spray them with sugar syrup and dump them into an existing hive - might that work?
Linda T in Atlanta
Thats sort of like taking a frame of bees with brood and eggs and putting it in another hive so they can make a queen and be made whole. Maybe someone else knows about this and if it will work.
Good luck, Linda!
your friend,
john
it's worth a try spraying them with sugar before dumping them in might help mask the oder and help them be accepted. in theory it should work just make sure you put a branch or some grass at the hive entrance so they will reorient themselves. like i say it should work as hives accept bees from other hives into thier own due to drifting. let us know if it works i'm pretty interested to find out myself.