Swarmin in the Florida Keys

KeyLargoBees · February 29, 2016, 08:41:11 AM

Had my first swarm move into one of my traps some time this past week and discovered them this past weekend :-) Relocated them to my yard yesterday and now I need to get them out of the trap NUC (its flimsey and has a solid bottom) into another NUC....unfortunately this trap was one I threw up in a hurry (of course they would move into this one) and is just an empty box with no frames....so I am going to assume they are building on the top lid...not sure how long they have been in or if the queen is laying yet...but its going to be a dump and scrape. At least I do have some drawn comb to give them to offset me rousting them out of their other box.

BeeMaster2 · February 29, 2016, 12:53:07 PM

Jeff,
I would let them bee for a bit so that they have some comb built. Make sure they are bringing in pollen before you try to move them. It is a sure sign that they have settled in. If there is a good flow on, do not wait to long, another week or so, so that you move them before they attach to the sides.
Good luck.
Jim

mtnb · February 29, 2016, 01:10:29 PM

Great job Jeff! Why did you throw it up in a hurry and why do you think they chose it? I like your box. Its green blended in well and I like that round opening contraption. I wanna get some of those.

KeyLargoBees · February 29, 2016, 02:54:30 PM

Well I moved them over before I saw your Reply Jim...so we will hope for the best. The had 2 hand sized combs and then another about half that size...the queen had laid in the comb but nothing had hatched so I am thinking they were there at most 2-3 days. The NUC was a DCoates job and they were very pleasant as I bumped them off of the hanging comb into the new box....Must have got the queen on the first bump cause as I checked the comb pieces she was no where to be found.....was very careful and laid out white sheets around the area and made sure she was in the box and not on the ground....Looking out my back window now....4 hours later ...between the removal I did on Sunday which is in a 10 fram deep and the new NUC there are a LOT of bees in the air doing orientations LOL. The addition of this swarm and the removals makes me +1 on hive count for 2016 after the two absconds.

Visit my Facebook page in the signature for videos and photos ;-)

Its a happy sunny 75 degree Key Largo day with a gentle breeze off the ocean at 5-10 MPH.....blissful day to be a BEE in paradise.

BeeMaster2 · March 01, 2016, 12:56:43 PM

Glad to hear it worked out Jeff.
I checked my weight of my hives last night. 4 out of 5 need a super. 3 of 4-2 medium box hives are very heavy and a single medium box is very heavy.
I immediately went into my work shop and pulled 4 drawn supers out and put them on my work bench in from of a fan to clear out the moth crystal smell. I wish I had them ready last night. They need it. I cannot do it tonight unless I do it after dark. Maybe I will.
Jim

KeyLargoBees · March 01, 2016, 03:26:54 PM

Sounds like things are heating up in NoFla too Jim :-)

Had some serious scouts on my trapline at another site on Sunday and went back today and voila....another swarm into a Trap. Will bring it back to the Yard and let it be since this trap has frames in it. I will take a peek inside and if they are drawing straight and on the center line I will leave them in it for a bit so as not to disturb.....the area these swarms are coming from have feral hives in power poles about every 200 yards.....over a 6 mile stretch...10 traps along that line...this might be a busy swarm season for me ;-)

GSF · March 04, 2016, 12:23:07 PM

Way to go Jeff!

KeyLargoBees · March 04, 2016, 12:32:58 PM

Brought the girls home last night and popped the lid for a quick peek this AM with no smoke and minimal disturbance. Its a pretty small swarm. May be a secondary and I missed the primary off this feral colony (grrrr) They are drawing straight comb on 4 frames and its about halfway between the size of a grapefruit and a Cantelope. Going to give them a few more days and move them from the trap box to a NUC this weekend so I can re-use the trap box. Hopefully I will be able to find her majesty or at least see if there are eggs present by then.