Caught the biggest swarm I've ever seen and then...

Oblio13 · June 30, 2021, 04:34:52 PM

Got a call about a swarm. It was huge. And it was low. Caught them with no trouble. Hived them and the next day they were gone. Wish I knew what they didn't like.

.30WCF · June 30, 2021, 05:09:58 PM

Did they get an egg frame or just foundation?

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30 is right, an egg frame might have helped?

Ben Framed · June 30, 2021, 06:12:45 PM

Quote from: .30WCF on June 30, 2021, 05:09:58 PM
Did they get an egg frame or just foundation?

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30 is right, an egg frame might have helped?

30 is right, an egg frame might have helped?

FloridaGardener · June 30, 2021, 07:01:17 PM

I use a queen excluder as a queen INcluder for the first 10-14 days, between bottom board and brood box.

BeeMaster2 · June 30, 2021, 07:18:00 PM

FG,
That works great if the swarm has a mated queen. If she is a virgin, that is too long to keep her in the hive. I usually try to remove it in 3 to 4 days.
Jim Altmiller

Oblio13 · July 01, 2021, 09:21:10 AM

Quote from: .30WCF on June 30, 2021, 05:09:58 PM
Did they get an egg frame or just foundation?

No, I put them in a Warre hive with fixed top bars, so there was no practical way to give them a frame of brood. I'm kicking myself now.

Ben Framed · July 01, 2021, 09:28:40 AM

Quote from: Oblio13 on July 01, 2021, 09:21:10 AM
Quote from: .30WCF on June 30, 2021, 05:09:58 PM
Did they get an egg frame or just foundation?
No, I put them in a Warre hive with fixed top bars, so there was no practical way to give them a frame of brood. I'm kicking myself now.

I have lost a swarm also in the past. I posted of it here just as you are doing now. Either iddee or Beemaster2 suggested I may have had a virgin swarm and I agree.

.30WCF · July 01, 2021, 11:35:19 PM

Quote from: Oblio13 on July 01, 2021, 09:21:10 AM
Quote from: .30WCF on June 30, 2021, 05:09:58 PM
Did they get an egg frame or just foundation?
No, I put them in a Warre hive with fixed top bars, so there was no practical way to give them a frame of brood. I'm kicking myself now.

If you have brood, could you rubber band a piece of comb and brood to a top bar?

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BeeMaster2 · July 03, 2021, 10:56:24 AM

.30,
Yes. The bees will connect the comb and remove the rubber band. I use this technique a lot with cutouts.
Jim Altmiller

Leoj900 · July 03, 2021, 09:37:03 PM

I just tried the rubber bands on a cutout and the bees built comb on the rubber band. Is that normal?

The15thMember · July 03, 2021, 09:51:23 PM

Quote from: Leoj900 on July 03, 2021, 09:37:03 PM
I just tried the rubber bands on a cutout and the bees built comb on the rubber band. Is that normal?

Do you mean that they embedded the rubber band in the comb? I've had bees do that. I am all foundationless and sometimes I have to cut out and straighten crazy comb, so I have used rubber bands often. Most of the time the bees chew through them and dump them in a little pile off the landing board, but sometimes they'll build the band into the comb and leave it there.

Ben Framed · July 03, 2021, 10:21:49 PM

Quote from: Leoj900 on July 03, 2021, 09:37:03 PM
I just tried the rubber bands on a cutout and the bees built comb on the rubber band. Is that normal?

I am always excited about catching swarms, I am sure Oblio13 is also. To bad this one did not work out.
Leo I got my first bees via cutout. That was taking the plunge! lol
Have you done other cutouts before this one?

.

Leoj900 · July 04, 2021, 12:40:08 PM

The rubber bands were cut, but then they already were added to some structural comb so they just stayed there. I do have it in an observation hive, so it is a bit different than if it were a langstroth. This was my second cutout and they had only been there for 3 weeks.

Ben Framed · July 04, 2021, 01:10:44 PM

My experience with rubber band use is most times they remove them. Form time to time they 'cut' a few that remain. I suspect the reason is, the workers have already embedded part of the rubberband in wax and when cut the rubber band just dangles. As stated, most are removed by the bees in my experience. When I inspect and find cut remaining ones, I simply remove those then. No problems...

The15thMember · July 04, 2021, 02:07:20 PM

Quote from: Leoj900 on July 04, 2021, 12:40:08 PM
The rubber bands were cut, but then they already were added to some structural comb so they just stayed there. I do have it in an observation hive, so it is a bit different than if it were a langstroth. This was my second cutout and they had only been there for 3 weeks.

Quote from: Ben Framed on July 04, 2021, 01:10:44 PM
My experience with rubber band use is most times they remove them. Form time to time they 'cut' a few that remain. I suspect the reason is, the workers have already embedded part of the rubberband in wax and when cut the rubber band just dangles. As stated, most are removed by the bees in my experience. When I inspect and find cut remaining ones, I simply remove those then. No problems...

I've seen this happen sometimes too. Just a miscommunication between the workers, some of them working on the wax and some of them working to remove the rubber band. I do as Phillip does, just remove any stuck ones for the bees if they seem like they'll be a nuisance.