My first swarm

Bee Intrigued · May 26, 2014, 01:16:31 PM

I've had one colony of bees for a year now. It has two deep boxes, with a honey super.

I got up this morning, got a cup of coffee, went to go out and sit next to the hive as normal. Looked over the hive, and 60' passed in a tree, was a huge swarm. I put on my gear, and opened my hive, and things look normal. More bees in my hive, than I've ever seen. Bees coming and going. My mind is telling me, that this must be my swarm, right? The local guy that has raised queen bees for many years tells me, I can either let them go, and check my hive for a queen in four or five days, or capture the swarm, and move it several miles away.

Suggestions?

BeeMaster2 · May 26, 2014, 01:26:39 PM

Congratulations on your first swarm. Even if that swarm came from that hive, you can put it in a hive and place it right next to the parent hive and it will still bee like they are total strangers. They will only go back if they lose their queen right away.
Jim

Bee Intrigued · May 26, 2014, 01:47:44 PM

Problem is, I have nothing to put them in. A friend of mine is wanting to start a hive, and I called him. He's trying to locate someone who has some boxes and frames, but I don't know if that'll pan out. It's a shame I wasn't prepared for this. What is strange to me, is that activity around my hive looks normal. Yet, 60' away is the swarm hanging in a tree.

BeeMaster2 · May 26, 2014, 02:21:50 PM

It may not have come from your hive. Was this hive bearding real heavy before this happened?
If it was then there is a good chance it is yours. I had my observation hive beard up real heavy and then swarm. After wards other than the lack of a beard, you could hardly tell it had swarmed.
For now, get a box about the size of a nuc box, put the swarm in it. Put a hole in it and protect it from the rain in a raised location. They may
Stay until you get the equipment.
Jim

Bee Intrigued · May 26, 2014, 03:11:52 PM

No bearding, other than a fistful hanging out on the doorstep yesterday afternoon. They bearded heavily last summer, during the evenings when it was humid, just a few months after I started the hive.

I'm going to inspect the hive in more detail here shortly. Going to look for swarm cells.

BeeMaster2 · May 26, 2014, 06:03:28 PM

Quote from: Bee Intrigued on May 26, 2014, 03:11:52 PM
No bearding, other than a fistful hanging out on the doorstep yesterday afternoon. They bearded heavily last summer, during the evenings when it was humid, just a few months after I started the hive.

I'm going to inspect the hive in more detail here shortly. Going to look for swarm cells.

That should let you know is they are the ones that swarmed. If you had one of those inspections cameras, you could look in under the entrance to see if they are there without disturbing the hive.
Jim

Bee Intrigued · May 27, 2014, 11:36:14 AM

I did find a couple of swarm cells, but didn't look inside them. I did post the pics on the FB page for this site, and one fella replied a few times, believing that the swarm didn't come from my hive. Said I would miss that many bees from my hive, and my hive is completely full of bees. The swarm left yesterday afternoon, but this morning, there is a fistful of bees on the limb, where the swarm was hanging yesterday. Are they stragglers from the swarm, or are these my bees being attracted to the scent of the swarm?

BeeMaster2 · May 27, 2014, 12:04:14 PM

Quote from: Bee Intrigued on May 27, 2014, 11:36:14 AM
I did find a couple of swarm cells, but didn't look inside them. I did post the pics on the FB page for this site, and one fella replied a few times, believing that the swarm didn't come from my hive. Said I would miss that many bees from my hive, and my hive is completely full of bees. The swarm left yesterday afternoon, but this morning, there is a fistful of bees on the limb, where the swarm was hanging yesterday. Are they stragglers from the swarm, or are these my bees being attracted to the scent of the swarm?

They are straglers that were in the field when the swarm left for their new home.
Jim

GSF · May 28, 2014, 07:21:48 AM

Check out the fistful of bees to make sure it's not an after swarm. You may get lucky and find a queen.

DMLinton · May 28, 2014, 08:13:44 AM

Don't let a shortage of equipment on hand stop you from collecting a swarm that you would otherwise collect. The Langstroth if for us beekeepers not the bees.

There are usually lots of options laying about:

there are some picnic coolers that a langstroth frame will fit in perfectly;
a large flower pot with a piece of plywood for a top;
the kid's toy box;
a 55 gallon (food grade) barrel cut to 1/4 or 1/3 height with a piece of plywood for a top or cut in half length-wise with many many 1x2 slats for a top (top bar hive);
your toolbox;
that old steamer trunk in the back of the garage that you don't want to throw out;
that old shop-vac that died and you haven't had time to discard
a five gallon bucket;
any bucket;
a PC tower case
a beer frig
anything, like an old dresser, with a drawer in it

When you have a chance to get your hands on the equipment you prefer, think of the bees in one of the above as a cut-out. Here in Ontario, a nuc is $150 minimum (in numbers) and closer to $200 for less than 8 or 10. A double deep hive with bees will run close to $300. If your time is worth $40/hr, you have at least four hours to burn in the extra work - if it's $20/hr, you have all day at minimum.