New swarm

[MLuskin]

Two weeks ago, to my surprise, a swarm moved into my hive. I haven’t inspected yet because of a herniated disc.

There is a decent amount of traffic at the entrance. I saw bees carrying pollen. There was already a lot of drawn comb. Given the time of year, do I need to feed them?
Merry

[Nils Joseph Kauffman]

“A swarm in May is worth a load of hay; a swarm in June is worth a silver spoon; but a swarm in July is not worth a fly.”

I wonder what the october Swarm îs Worth??

Nils Kauffman

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[Mimi Edwards]

Feeding is dependent on your local forage.  For my location, no feed is necessarily if larger hive (1 plus box of bees) has 2 plus frames of honey/nectar.  Smaller nuc needs less resources and will do fine even without additional resources as long as they have wet nectar coming in.   Robbing is a huge issue for me and feeding ProSweet attracts robbers.  I don’t do patties - just attracts ants & SHB.  Mimi 

On Fri, Nov 7, 2025 at 11:15 AM Nils Joseph Kauffman <njk9...@gmail.com> wrote:

“A swarm in May is worth a load of hay; a swarm in June is worth a silver spoon; but a swarm in July is not worth a fly.”

I wonder what the october Swarm îs Worth??

Nils Kauffman

On Friday, November 7, 2025, 'MLuskin' via The Alameda County Beekeepers Association <the-alameda-county-b...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

Two weeks ago, to my surprise, a swarm moved into my hive. I haven’t inspected yet because of a herniated disc.

There is a decent amount of traffic at the entrance. I saw bees carrying pollen. There was already a lot of drawn comb. Given the time of year, do I need to feed them?
Merry

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[Catherine Edwards]

I would feed it drivert and treat for mites. The rain that's coming will keep them from foraging, so they could go hungry. Some pollen patty would do no harm. With some TLC, an October swarm might become a thriving colony come spring. That saying was more accurate for a different time and place.

Catherine Edwards

(510)421-7206

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[Gerald Przybylski]

https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780198609810.001.0001/acref-9780198609810-e-6888
(must be a subscriber to unlock the whole thing) 
says the adage dates back to the mid 17th Century. 
...meaning that the later in the year it is, the less time there will be for bees to collect pollen from flowers in blossom.... ...
The adage applies to a temperate climate were summer swarms didn't have the time or available resources
to fill a skep with comb before it snows, and produce enough honey to make it through the winter.  
Why waste the skep if it's hopeless. 

I agree with Catherine.  feed them something. Heavy syrup is probably OK. 
House them in a volume that's not too big. Keep them warm.  Sung would use a germination heater pad.

Fall is NOT the season for reproductive swarms anyway.  
So where do they come from?  
Absconding colonies leaving behind a dead-out most likely.  Virus loaded.  
Driven out by ants perhaps. 
Their tree fell down and broke apart perhaps. 

Great queens are produced naturally in strong hives during the spring nectar flow, when plenty of drones are available. 
We can force good queens in summer;  they can get well mated through September.  Iffy after September in our climate. 
Wally Shaw says his summer Anglesey queens have Nosema.  That could be a factor in the adage too. 

that's my 2¢

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[Gerald Przybylski]

Drawn comb is good.  If it's really old black comb, change it out for
something
that's lighter brown just in case the old comb harbors pathogens.
If they already have eggs and larva in it, leave it 'til later.

I'd suggest keeping them in a single box, and yes, giving them a syrup
feeder with 'heavy syrup.' 2:1 sugar to water.
Start with a pint or quart.  Inspect the brood frames when they've
emptied the first jar.
You'll be able to tell by then whether there is a queen laying eggs.
Make sure the entrance is robber proof. one or two bees wide and easy to
defend.
When they have a frame full of capped and uncapped "honey,"  you can
back off on the feeding.
Look for pollen coming in with foragers.  Essential for raising larvae.
If they're bringing in plenty of pollen, you probably don't have to
bother with protein supplement.
When pupae start hatching out, look at brood frames.  Bald brood is a
good sign they're dealing with Varroa on their own.
that's my 2¢

On 11/7/25 10:07 AM, 'MLuskin' via The Alameda County Beekeepers

[Catherine Edwards]

As Jerry said, it is not a reproductive swarm but likely came from a hive with issues. Likely mites and viruses. The brood break will help but, given the winter rains are upon us, I  would at least put in oxalic sponges to head off varroa production. 

Catherine Edwards

(510)421-7206

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[Maryly Snow]

Merry’s swarm moved into a long lang. Maybe they could use a follower board to mimic a smaller space and maybe some external foam

insulation on the roof.

I still have 13 old super frames needing new wax foundation and 2 deeps. These are still sitting across

the street from my house at 7325 Chabot road, Oakland. They’re leaning against a Cal Trans retaining wall.

They’ve been there (along with 3 partial pieces of 1” thick construction foam good for insulation).

If they’re not gone by Thanksgiving, they’re going in the trash.

Maryly Snow

7325 Chabot Road

Oakland

1+ mile east of College Ave 

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[Catherine Edwards]

Follower board and insulation are good ideas.

Catherine Edwards

(510)421-7206

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