For all my trouble they up and absconded on me.

[David McLeod]

Did a cut out Saturday. Two stories up, used both my 36 and 28 footers plus ladder jacks and walk plank. It was a beast just to get set up to get it out. The cut out was a piece of cake just getting to it was the hard stuff. Got three full deep frames, the queen and a really nice sized bunch of bees, I expected them to do well for me.
Off loaded them into the yard Saturday evening, checked on them Sunday morning and added some 3;2 feed, went to check their progress yesterday and they're gone!
Not sure just what I could have done different other than locking their butts in for a few days.

[D Coates]

I had a 4 or 5 day old cut out abscond on me a week ago.  It was a swarm whose queen had just begun laying eggs.  The comb was not usable so I foolishly put them in on undrawn foundation.  I fed and the next day they're gone.  I ignored my first rule of putting an open frame of brood in there to lock them down (I was in a hurry).  I was reminded why it's the first rule in my books.  Did your cut out abandon brood?

[D Semple]

I've had 2 out of the 17 I've done this year abscond, it sucks. Figured in my case it's because I hardly ever see the queen and don't get her caged.

Wishin I had some of them "Eagle Eye glasses".

At least you got paid for your hard work.

...Don

[D Semple]

I had a 4 or 5 day old cut out abscond on me a week ago.  It was a swarm whose queen had just begun laying eggs.  The comb was not usable so I foolishly put them in on undrawn foundation.  I fed and the next day they're gone.  I ignored my first rule of putting an open frame of brood in there to lock them down (I was in a hurry).  I was reminded why it's the first rule in my books.  Did your cut out abandon brood?

Not the swarm I passed on to you I hope?

[AllenF]

Gotta cage up that queen one way or the other for a few days.

[D Coates]

I had a 4 or 5 day old cut out abscond on me a week ago.  It was a swarm whose queen had just begun laying eggs.  The comb was not usable so I foolishly put them in on undrawn foundation.  I fed and the next day they're gone.  I ignored my first rule of putting an open frame of brood in there to lock them down (I was in a hurry).  I was reminded why it's the first rule in my books.  Did your cut out abandon brood?

Not the swarm I passed on to you I hope?

Nope, Lee's Summit City metering services.  This fresh hive/old swarm was in a meter box.  This meter box was 2 foot deep and was a underground vertical 12 inch PVC pipe with a city cover on it.  It was so easy and I'm still kicking myself for losing that one.  The swarm you passed to me is in my back yard.  It has outgrown it's 5 frames so I put another 5 frames on it that it's drawing out nicely.  It took a week for the queen to start laying so she could have been a virgin but she's marked and doing well now.

[schawee]

david, i would love to see some pics of that hive .sound's like a monster of a hive.    ........ schawee