Swarm gone?

[glenn c hile]

Had a call for a swarm removal Friday evening.  Arrived and it was a huge swarm on a small apple tree hanging 2 feet off the ground.  WOW thought I had found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  Homeowner thought they had recently arrived.  Bees seemed unsettled.  I put a large box under and shook them in.  I noticed that the swarm was very loud and fanning with their tails in the air.  Due a rapidly approaching thunderstorm I closed the box and headed for the apiary.  It was nearly 8 pm and the storm was bearing down so I quickly dumpped them into a hive getting 75% in.  Again they were very loud, fanning and not showing much interest in moving into the hive.  Since the road leading in is not paved I needed to get out before the storm hit.  Went back Saturday morning and as I had feared they were gone.  Anything I could have done differently?

[asprince]

Rotten luck! A frame of brood always for me. Syrup in addition does not hurt either. Some place a queen excluder under the under the hive to trap the queen. I personally, I have never tried that.

Better luck next time.

Steve

[Kathyp]

i have been in that position with storms moving in.  better to get them before the storm, but it cuts your time to make sure you have the queen, and to get them settled at home.  a frame of brood is great.  feeding i always do. excluder under hive body if i remember :-).

sometimes when storms are coming in, i find they are harder to get in the first place. they either won't come out of the tree (or wherever) or they won't settle in the catch box.  they also seem to be cranky especially after they get wet....so am i.

[asprince]

Another thought.......look around, they may not have gone far. I had a swarm this year leave and go to the neighbors back yard. I hived them again and gave them some brood. They are now in two deeps.

Steve

[glenn c hile]

I drove around and around and saw no signs of them but it is out in the country with many places to hide.  Will try the frame of brood next time.  Pretty sure I had the queen if she was with them as there were virtually no bees left.  If there wasn't a queen with them and I transported them a number of miles from their original home, what are those 10,000 bees going to do now?