Hiving a swarm

twintrades · July 23, 2011, 02:01:15 AM

When hiving a new swarm should i screen off the entrance for a day or two ? It will be a new box/frames/foundation ect

Or should i be good to just hive them and let them do as they wish ? No reducer ?

BlevinsBees · July 23, 2011, 04:27:14 AM

Don't block the entrance. They need to get oriented and start foraging. Place a frame of brood and another frame of honey in your new box to get them started and reduce the chances of them absconding.

VolunteerK9 · July 23, 2011, 02:14:07 PM

I would keep the queen locked up in a queen catcher for a day or two to deter absconding and/or use a frame of brood mentioned above.

L Daxon · July 23, 2011, 02:27:38 PM

If you don't have a queen catcher or aren't good at finding the queen, you can put a queen excluder between the bottom board and brood nest for a few days to keep the queen from leaving. You can take the queen excluder after a few days, after the girls have gotten used to the new box.

Adding a frame of brood and/or honey stores, if you have other hives you can take them from, is also very helpful way to make the swarm want to stay in its new digs.

Kathyp · July 23, 2011, 02:35:28 PM

the excluder under the bottom box is the easiest. i'd keep the entrance reduced to some extent for a few days but not closed. the frame of brood and/or honey is a good way to go.

twintrades · July 23, 2011, 02:52:29 PM

Due to the weather and the fact that i didnt have a excluder i dumped them in and just hoping for the best. its raining now. So they should hold tight this weekend.

Kathyp · July 23, 2011, 03:19:39 PM

if they stay, leave them alone for a week and then check for a queen. if you don't see signs of one put a frame of eggs in there. if it's raining and you don't think they are going to be able to forage, you'll want to think about feeding them.

twintrades · July 23, 2011, 05:50:08 PM

I gave them a 1:1 sugar water when I hived them.

kedgel · July 25, 2011, 11:03:34 PM

I've had mixed results using a queen excluder as an "includer". When they swarm, the queen is slimmed down for flight and can sometimes get through the excluder! A queen cage or a queen catcher with SMALL slots is a safer bet.

twintrades · July 25, 2011, 11:23:35 PM

Went out to give them more feed. And they were for the most part inside !! :-D

I shure hope they stay. I mean they were living on a fence post for 2 dyas. This hive has got to look better ! The Buck wheat and other flowers are about to bloom all around them. Aprox 1 acer worth and there located directly across from a nurcery farm with tons of flowers ! What better could they want ?

BlevinsBees · July 26, 2011, 12:08:50 AM

I have never had a swarm abscond when I put a frame of brood and honey in the box. They don't leave what they think are their babies. :delivery:

twintrades · July 26, 2011, 12:29:16 AM

Wish I could just buy one frame of each it would make things easyr.