Marching Bees

[Wombat2]

Do bees only march into a box for the queen or will they go for the food/attraction (old honey,wax and lemon grass oil) left behind?

Called to a large swarm to day and was unprepared due to bad information and it was a bit higher than expected, managed to knock about a quarter of the clump down but half of it fell in the box and half on the ground but within minutes the ones on the ground were marching up the sides of the box and into it - couple more attempts with a palm frond got some more down but the remainder moved further up out of reach.

So is it possible the queen was in the first drop?

[GSF]

Yes, it could be two queens as well. Watch the swarm ball in a tree. If they are nervous acting then they don't have a queen on the branch. If they just gather together all cozy then there's a queen with them, at least that's been my experience.

[Wombat2]

They spread over about a meter so without a long handle broom and a ladder there was no way I could reach them. Just dumped what I have in a Nuc and put the lid on. At first I thought they were absconding most were in the air all over the place - now they are settling down on the lid - hope they can work out where the entrance is.

[Lancej]

If you got the queen and it's the only queen the rest will follow in time

[Michael Bush]

Not food...