I dont understand this????

[danno]

Friday afternoon I had a hive swarm just as I was about to inspect it. It was a large swarm that blackened the sky.  They clustered in a large russian olive about 8-9ft high.  I cut my way in and shook them into a tub.  I poured them into two deeps with old dark comb in the bottom with a empty one on top and cover them up. I think I missed the queen or possibly they just had other plans but the next day they were gone.  The parent hive looked very active on Sat. and it wasn't robbing.  The hive had normal activity.  Last night I went up there again and there was another swarm in the same bush and as large as the first one Friday.  About the size of a basket ball but this one much easier to get at.  I shook this one directly into the hive and covered it.  I went through the hive that swarmed on friday again without useing any smoke.  They were suprizingly calm and busy.  There is 1/2 doz capped queen cells on one frame.  Now this is what I'm not getting.  Is it possible that the the friday swarm returned to the parent hive and then swarmed again on Monday.  Is it possible that the queen didn't join the first one so they went back after her.  From what I understand the 2nd, 3rd and even 4th afterswarms take a virgin queen with them but the cells are still capped so this shouldn't be the case.  The Monday swarm seems to be excepting the new hive.  I peeked in this morning and they were in a loose cluster

[Robo]

They could have went back to the original hive or they could have went off somewhere else and returned too.  When hiving a swarm,  an excluder on top of the bottom board for a few days keeps them there (assuming you got the queen).  Giving them a frame of brood also increase the odds of them staying.

[danno]

Thanks Robo!
I just checked them at lunch.  It has been about 20hrs and they are still there.  I had added a frame of brood to the first swarm but someone on here kinda shot me down for doing so.  This time I didn't but all is going well so far. thanks for the excluder tip.
The queenless hive is suprizing me.  They are acting normal just like any other day bringing in alot of pollen

[Frantz]

An excluder on the bottom board only if you don't have a top entrance. Stupid question I know, but I have both top entrances and bottom boards. Right??

[Jerrymac]

Excluder between the queen and the outside on all entrances  :-D

[Frantz]

10-4, Thats what I thought, thanks for the clarification.
F