Three days ago, while still feeding my bees, I set up a large swarm trap in the barn. It was just a few feet away from the feed. I put one full deep box with old drawn foundation and below that I put 1 medium and one deep empty boxes. The bees started checking it out within hours. Yesterday we stopped feeding because I was no longer just feeding my bees, bees started coming from the opposite direction from mine. Today I went out to the barn and there were lots of bees coming and going from the trap. O opened the screen top and it is full of bees. I wanted to move the top deep to a new base because but suspected there may bee bees hang down below the top box. Initially I just lifted the top box with my hive tool. I could see there was bees under it. Then on a bunch I of set the empty box below it and looked under it. There is a large cluster, the size of a football, below the top box frames. I just put a strap around the whole hive and plan on. Moving it tomorrow. By then I will probably have lots of cross cut comb in there and will have to do a cutout.
Jim Altmiller
Here is a picture of the new hive.
Good catch even if you do have to do some cut out work
Quote from: BeeMaster2 on March 27, 2023, 01:08:41 AM
Here is a picture of the new hive.
You couldn't just take off the top two boxes and put the frames in the bottom deep? Then move a day later.
Thats a good one Jim. I also had one show up last week. Last sat. I waxed plastic foundations and had them in boxes stacked to move. When I went to move them there was a hole chewed in between the 2 bottom ones and had about 4 frames of bees in them. Needless to say I kept those ones.
Ace,
I wanted to do that but I would have to handle a deep full of bees and bee able to scrape off a full swarm from underneath it with no help. Not sure easy.
Jim Altmiller
This swarm is one of the hardest working hives that I have had in a while. It looks like I?m using I for a feeder hive. I added another drawn medium box on top of it. I have decided to keep this t in my barn for now. I?m betting that this hive is going to make a lot of honey this year.
Here is a picture of it today. Hard to see all of it he bees coming and going but it is almost the same as the bees going to the feeder last week. The flow is on.
Jim Altmiller
Your feeding and the flow is on? Don't want any of that honey.
I stopped feeding them before this swarm moved in. The flow just started.
Jim Altmiller
Good Job Jim!
Just saw/heard a Holly tree in full bloom.
Jim Altmiller