My first Swarm of the year

Haddon · April 28, 2011, 12:25:16 PM

Wish I had my camera but it was a tiny swarm they had already started putting wax on the branch. As most know we have had a rough time with weather this week in the south and that swarm had been stuck there for about 4 days. Yesterday was actually the 3rd day sense the home owner had called me the weather had just been to bad. Even yesterday the wind was around 20 mpg while I was cutting them down. They were swinging a good 2 to 4 feet with every gust :shock: I put the veil on because I was worried they would smack me in the face flopping around like that.

The swarm was around the size of 2 or 3 fist do yall think they can survive? :?

Michael

AllenF · April 28, 2011, 07:53:41 PM

Sure they will survive. Feed them a little to give them a boost. Gotta love them swarms.

Haddon · April 29, 2011, 02:48:37 AM

Well I put 2 quarts of sugar water on the swarm tonight. Tomorrow I need to put the shb traps I should know I have lost enough swarms to shb.

Haddon · May 01, 2011, 10:41:03 PM

Well I checked the swarm today No Eggs and I couldn't find the queen. Also they had not drawn out any comb and were filling all the drawn comb I gave them with the sugar water I had been feeding them.
Will check again wensday if no eggs will combine with a nuc.

hardwood · May 01, 2011, 11:02:02 PM

Slow down a bit and take a breath! :) The bees work on their schedule...not ours. Give them a week or so before doing any more checking to let them settle.

Scott

G3farms · May 01, 2011, 11:21:18 PM

I agree, sometimes checking on them too much will make a swarm abscond, at the very most I will only lift the top and peak in for a moment. Watching the landing board will reveal much about the hive. Bringing in pollen is a very good sign to look for. Also if this is an after swarm there will be a virgin queen in there, they are hard to see and will have to be mated before you will see any eggs.

Haddon · May 02, 2011, 12:34:48 AM

I don't think they are leaving if they set on that branch for a week in the storms we had here winds 20 plus they are some home bodies. In my experience its not a good sign to find that they are not making comb especially when I have been pumping the sugar water to them.

Kathyp · May 02, 2011, 12:57:52 AM

they make comb as they need it. you may have had a virgin in there and it takes time for her to get mated and start laying. leave them alone for a bit and then go back and check. i usually don't open a swarm for a week after i set them up. sometimes longer.

Haddon · May 03, 2011, 03:51:04 PM

Saw a little pollen going in yesterday so I am taking that as a good sign that there might be a queen in there. I just hope the top was okay I am using the coke bottle top feeder you know drill a 1 1/8 hole in the top and put a put a 20 oz or 1 litter bottle in the hole. The top was just wafer board with a heavy paint coat so I hope the paint kept the rain out last night.