Last weekend I went to collect a swarm. This is only my second time doing so and it all seems trial and error.
The swarm had been there for probably a week or more as they had begun building comb etc. We carefully removed the comb and shook the bees into a hive box. Once all the comb was removed there were still quite a lot of bees clustered where the comb had been so I figured the queen was probably still there with the cluster. I gently scooped up as many of these bees as I could and put them into the hive box. We then left the box there next to where they were so all the field bees could come in.
The next morning I got a call from the man whose house the bees were at. He said there were a lot of bees clustered outside on the ground, about three deep. When we got out there in the afternoon there were a lot of dead bees outside the hive but no live cluster, most of the bees were clustered back where the swarm had been with only a few hanging around in the hive box. We scooped those bees up again and put them in the hive. I was sure we must have gotten the queen that time.
Then I just happened to start poking around in the pile of dead bees and wouldn't you know I found the queen dead among them.
I have no idea what happened, why she ended up outside the hive. I put her on top of the hive box.
I still wanted to save this swarm so I went to an existing hive I have near by and got a frame of what I hoped was fairly fresh brood to put in with the swarm. When I came back to the swarm box there were so many bees clustered on top where I had put the dead queen. I decided to put her body into the hive with all the bees in hopes of keeping them there in the hive box.
So now I am wondering what the chances are that they will take one of the eggs from the frame I put in and make a new queen.
Also I only put one frame of brood, would it be advisable to put one or two more? The swarm is pretty small, probably a pound or so.
Is there anything I could have done better to prevent the death of the queen?
Thanks for your input.
Hi Stacie...
I am in Aptos, do you obtain your bees mainly from swarms, or do you buy them?
Hope it works out with your new swarm...
Sharon
I have bought almost all my bees. I have collected one swarm before this one and have been given a swarm.
All others I have purchased. I have three hives at the moment and hopefully on the way back to four.