Collected Swarm swarms again

[Southern Drone]

Yesterday I had received a swarm from my Apiary Club presidents' bee yard. He called and asked if I had a nuc box ready to receive it. I did and so off I went with my nuc that had three frames of drawn comb I was letting my yard bees rob out. The swarm had gotten bigger, the president said, sense the time he called me and me getting there. " It was a good one for sure; about three and a half to four pounds to my judgment." Then a person came and told him of a swarm that was in a yard a few miles off. So we both left mine and went to get the reported swarm. Prior to leaving I placed a entrance stop just big enough to allow a single bee in or out. We took his nuc with four frames of foundation to gather them in. That swarm was pretty small only about 3/4 to one pound. He let me have them too, on a promise to return his nuc after the queen got settled in enough to move them into my own equipment.
To back track, while I was getting the swarm out of his yard he was busy mowing his lawn and didn't see how full my nuc was with all those bees, very over crowded. Anyway on our return from getting the small swarm he resumed his lawn mowing and I went back to herding the larger swarm in my nuc, corralling the large number of bees that was all over the front, top and sides, with my gloved hand smoke. On my departure to my yard with both swarms, the Club President Beekeeper suggested I let both swarms settle in before transferring them. Right there and then I thought in my mind I was presented with a problem. For the drawn comb I put in the nuc was going to be temporary just to get the swarm in and moved to my yard, then transfer the swarm onto a full hive body of foundation. I didn't like the idea to waste the comb building ability a swarm has. When I got home I had to make up the frames of foundation but only had nine frames I could make up. Instead of putting a drawn comb that was in my nuc to make a full ten frame deep, I put some frozen Drone brood wondering if they would clean it out as well. Anyway it took me some time to make up the nine frames, for I work slow and all the while the bees stayed crowded in my nuc. I shook the nuc full of bees into the full deep frame hive and all seemed well and wondered what was the harm to do that against the experienced advice of my friend. All was well until 1:30 P.M. I was in the yard fixing equipment and all of a sudden I heard a swarm start up and saw it was the large swarm I had transferred. Felling as sad as losing a girlfriend, I panic seeing a potential future  honey crop fly up into the air. "Last year I let one swarm in my yard and they clustered up fifty feet in a tall oak tree loosing them."  Fearing that episode happening again, I said a little prayer and I remembered as a young boy overhearing an old timer telling another old timer, something about banging on a pan to make them cluster closer to the ground or to stop swarming. It would make them do something to that matter, I don't remember for it was many years ago. So here I go looking crazy banging on a pan alarming neighbors and people driving by wondering what's going on with that guy. Why is he looking in the air and banging on that pan, I imagined their thoughts. Anyway the sound of the swarm persisted and I didn't see a cluster form anywhere high or low in any tree or bush, but I looked down again upon the box they came from and there they where all over it and the other hive boxes. They went back in it appears and some had to have drifted for sure so, this morning I see a few drone pupa on the ground apparently they all flew back in.
Me of little faith, now can anyone tell me why they swarmed again in the first place and did doing my "Pan Dance" make them go back in and can I expect them to swarm again some time today and if so what can I do to prevent myself from doing that dance again?

[Brian D. Bray]

The reason "panning" or "tinning" works is that it stimulates a thunder storm.  The bees will often return to the hive of origin if the replacement queens haven't hatched yet.  If the swarm trigger happened as s result of a virgin queen hatch the swarm would have clustered nearby.  A little water from the garden hose helps--rain with the thunder.  The bees will try again when they think the have better weather--sometimes as soon as later that same day. 

[Cindi]

Southern Drone, nice little story, I could feel your panic in the thoughts, glad all is well.  I think when they swarmed that the queen didn't go with them, that is why they returned.  Have a great and beautiful day, lovin' our life we live.  Cindi

[Southern Drone]

Just to update, the hive has settled in and staying with no attempt to leave again. However the Bee Club President feels they were just orienting themselves to my yard. Both the thunder and queen not leaving with the swarm therory sounds more logical to me though.  What a relief to feel lucky for a change.