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Capturing swarm, and siting back in original apiary

PostPosted:16 May 2019, 21:57
by buster
So I went down to check my bees today, and immediately spotted a swarm hanging from a tree not far from my (one) hive.
I managed to collect them in a box, leave them to all gather together, and have now successfully managed to transfer them to a nuc box with a some drawn comb and some new foundation. Just been down for a final check and there's still a few bees out the front fanning their Nasonov glands, calling in any stragglers.

But, as this was a genuine swarm of flying bees, I'm assuming I should close the bees in for a day or two, or they'll just return to the original colony nearby when they fly tomorrow? Is this right, or would the instinct to stay with the queen take priority?

Re: Capturing swarm, and siting back in original apiary

PostPosted:16 May 2019, 22:16
by NigelP
When Bees swarm they loose all sense of their original location. Your bigger worry is them absconding again...a queen excluder between the floor and brood box until queen is laying will sort that out.

Re: Capturing swarm, and siting back in original apiary

PostPosted:17 May 2019, 10:10
by Chrisbarlow
I'm with NP in this. Don't close in, QE underneath if it's prime swarm. Feed after a couple of days depending on flow if they're on foundation.

Re: Capturing swarm, and siting back in original apiary

PostPosted:17 May 2019, 13:01
by AdamD
The bees that swarmed will remain with the queen they swarmed with. They may try to move to a nest site of THEIR choosing rather than the box you have put them in, so a queen excluder will stop her leaving and after a few days the colony will be settled in their new home and the excluder can be removed.
You now need to look at the colony they came from....

Re: Capturing swarm, and siting back in original apiary

PostPosted:17 May 2019, 14:29
by Jim Norfolk
Buster you mentioned you put the swarm in a nuc. If it is a large swarm it would need something larger or the bees may decide to leave. A brood box is the ideal size.