Caught a swarm this am, my brother in law called me, about size of cantaloupe , dropped them into a nuc box and had to go to work, for 24 hr, planning on keeping them closed up 24 hr, then feed and add a brood frame. Any suggestions
Thanks first swarm ever whoooo
1
https://flic.kr/p/UQ9RQh (https://flic.kr/p/UQ9RQh)
Always a lift to get free bees.
(https://flic.kr/p/UQ9RQh) sorry link problems
Following this thread for guidance. :wink:
Swarms are a great bonus. I've nearly doubled my hive count with swarms this year. Caught 18 so far. 16 have stayed. I normally don't close them up at all. If you do make sure there is plenty of ventilation. I put a frame of old drawn comb in with the swarm. The drawn comb is usually enough to make them stay. The 2 swarms that didn't stay were put on only foundation(I ran out of comb at the time).
Still looking to catch my first one!
Put my first swarm in the hive last night. Put a frame of honey with them, but they had really built a lot of comb and stored a bunch of honey in just the 5 days or so they were in the trap, so they probably didn't need it.
They are staying inside. Even though it is early there is a lot of activity with my other hive. No one is coming out of the swarm hive. Is this normal?
Quote from: cao on May 17, 2017, 09:41:19 PM
Swarms are a great bonus. I've nearly doubled my hive count with swarms this year. Caught 18 so far. 16 have stayed. I normally don't close them up at all. If you do make sure there is plenty of ventilation. I put a frame of old drawn comb in with the swarm. The drawn comb is usually enough to make them stay. The 2 swarms that didn't stay were put on only foundation(I ran out of comb at the time).
Cao,
Instead of using foundation, use foundation less frames with a waxed wood strip in the top slot. When the bees measure the space inside of the hive, the foundation makes it look too small.
I have dropped a very large swarm in a double box with the bottom frame full of drawn comb and the top frames foundation less and they made a lot of honey that year.
Jim
P
Well the have gone........ 5 day later poof, had just switched them from a 5 frame cardboard nuc to a wooden 5 frame nuc. And there gone. Now set up the swarm traps
Darn!
Quote from: jtcmedic on May 27, 2017, 04:53:32 PM
Well the have gone........ 5 day later poof, had just switched them from a 5 frame cardboard nuc to a wooden 5 frame nuc. And there gone. Now set up the swarm traps
:sad:
That's a shame.