swarm won't all go into hive

[Susan Kuchinskas]

Hi, there. My bees swarmed yesterday and I captured a huge amount of bees. We housed them in a new hive at my friend’s house. Configuration is:

 

New deep box on top

Old deep box with drawn-out comb on bottom

Screened bottom board under that

 

It was late, getting dark and windy by the time we got to her house and set up the hive. I got 85 percent of the bees into the hive and closed the lid. There were several large clumps (size of a grapefruit) clustered in four places around the hive, as well as a big backup at the entrance.

 

This morning, there are still a few small clumps. Can we assume that they will figure it out as it warms up more or should we try to pick them up and push them in?

 

Thanks!

[Dan Wood]

I think they’ll find their way in (as long as the queen is inside).

I had a similar issue last month where many bees stayed right outside of the hive (often clustered on the hive that is a foot or so away) but by the end of the second day after, they were all in, and the hive is doing fine.

(I’m thinking of making a rectangular cardboard “funnel” to make it easier to dump bees out of a collection box into the top of a hive.  I think the reason so many ended up outside of the hive in the first place was that they spilled onto the ground when I was dumping the box into the hive initially.)

Dan Wood

d...@gigliwood.com

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[Susan Kuchinskas]

Thanks, Dan. That is definitely the case that I spilled some out instead of into the hive. Best, Susan

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[Andre Kruglikov]

When I collect a swarm, I use a box with frames in it.  This makes transferring bees into their permanent dwelling a simple matter of transferring frames with bees attached to them and then shaking a few stragglers out of the box.  

I am sure there are as many ways to do it as there are bees, but this is what works for me.

Cheers

Andre

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Andre, Chief Bee Herder, Honey Squeezer and Beeswax Melter

Twin Bee Apiaries

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[Dan Wood]

I like to do that too … if the swarm is low to the ground.  However if I’m going to have to climb up a ladder to bang a branch, it’s nice to have a nice lightweight box. :-)  Actually I think my collection box is the box that an assembled deep came in many years ago…

On May 13, 2015, at 9:15 AM, Andre Kruglikov <twinbee...@gmail.com> wrote:

When I collect a swarm, I use a box with frames in it.  This makes transferring bees into their permanent dwelling a simple matter of transferring frames with bees attached to them and then shaking a few stragglers out of the box.  

I am sure there are as many ways to do it as there are bees, but this is what works for me.

Cheers

Andre

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[Susan Kuchinskas]

Agree with Dan. I’m just not strong enough to climb up on a ladder and support the wooden box and frames with one hand.

 

[Andre Kruglikov]

I am a bucket-on-a-stick kind of guy, so even if the swarm is high up, my feet (and my box) are still on the ground, but I can definitely see the virtue of not climbing a ladder with any more weight than you absolutely need to.

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[Andre Kruglikov]

A use a cardboard nuke box.  Light, big enough for most swarms, easy to plug up the entrance.  I also have a large (10-15 frames) cardboard box that I use for large swarms, but that one never leaves the ground

On Wed, May 13, 2015 at 9:25 AM, Susan Kuchinskas <su...@kuchinskas.com> wrote:

Agree with Dan. I’m just not strong enough to climb up on a ladder and support the wooden box and frames with one hand.

 

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[Andrew G. Miller]

As long as the queen is inside the hive, they will figure it out.  The problem is being sure that the/a queen isn't hiding in one of the small clusters.

I would use my bee brush to sweep these clusters into a bucket, then dump them into the hive with the rest.  Sometimes, even simply disturbing the small cluster with the brush will cause them to search out the main cluster.

I would not have left them overnight in those disparate clusters.  They have now scented those locations and will be more likely to return there.  Smoking the old locations might be required to get them to vacate.

Last bit of advice is to not worry too much about these few bees, instead make sure the super-organism is happy.

- A -

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Hi, there. My bees swarmed yesterday and I captured a huge amount of bees. We housed them ..... I got 85 percent of the bees into the hive and closed the lid. There were several large clumps (size of a grapefruit) clustered in four places around the hive, as well as a big backup at the entrance.

[Susan Kuchinskas]

Good advice, thanks, Andrew!

 

From: the-alameda-county-b...@googlegroups.com [mailto:the-alameda-county-b...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Andrew G. Miller
Sent: Wednesday, May 13, 2015 10:31 AM
To: the-alameda-county-b...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: swarm won't all go into hive

 

As long as the queen is inside the hive, they will figure it out.  The problem is being sure that the/a queen isn't hiding in one of the small clusters.

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[Mark Burlingame]

Nice to see some activity on this little ol' discussion group!!!  If those bees are still on the outside I would check for a queen in their little groups, Susan, you had said that the original swarm was in 2 balls on the branch, so there is a small possibility of more than one queen there...  

[Susan Kuchinskas]

Yeah there is that small possibility, but … then what if there were another queen? The clusters are waaaay too small to be housed separately and I don’t have anything I could do with another queen or two. I have to leave it to my buddy whether she wants to try to sweep the rest onto the entrance where, I guess, if there is another queen, they could fight it out.

 

The queen who swarmed was young and very strong.

 

 

 

[Mark Burlingame]

If there is a queen in either of those swarmlettes I'll take her or both, I can set up a nuc and shake in some bees from my hive, cage her and see how she does, she's probably a virgin, if the other bees are staying in the hive there is definitely a queen there.  If you brush them into a container just push away the workers and look for the queen, might not be one, but never know till you look. Mark

On Wed, May 13, 2015 at 11:33 AM, Susan Kuchinskas <su...@kuchinskas.com> wrote:

Yeah there is that small possibility, but … then what if there were another queen? The clusters are waaaay too small to be housed separately and I don’t have anything I could do with another queen or two. I have to leave it to my buddy whether she wants to try to sweep the rest onto the entrance where, I guess, if there is another queen, they could fight it out.

 

The queen who swarmed was young and very strong.

 

 

 

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[Basham, Vicki]

I go a step further and bring an entire hive.  I'll bring a medium, about 2 or 3 frames with some comb, an inner cover and a screened bottom board.  When I've got the bees inside, I duct tape the hive components together, close off any openings, put it in the trunk, get it home, place it on its stand, put the rest of the frames in and I'm done.

 

Vicki

 

From: the-alameda-county-b...@googlegroups.com [mailto:the-alameda-county-b...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Andre Kruglikov
Sent: Wednesday, May 13, 2015 9:15 AM
To: the-alameda-county-b...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: swarm won't all go into hive

 

When I collect a swarm, I use a box with frames in it.  This makes transferring bees into their permanent dwelling a simple matter of transferring frames with bees attached to them and then shaking a few stragglers out of the box.  

[Susan Kuchinskas]

You must be a strong woman, Vicki, plus I had more bees than would fit in a medium. It was A LOT

.

[Susan Kuchinskas]

This might be beyond my friend’s expertise, which right now is close to zero, and I can’t get over to Concord today, so probs no queens for Mark. : <

 

[Basham, Vicki]

True - my collection hive wouldn't be practical for a large swarm!  But I wouldn't think one needs to be strong to carry a medium box of bees - unless my exercising is more effective than I thought!

 

Vicki

 

Vicki Basham, GRI

Realtor, Broker Associate

Sereno Group   BRE#01434695

(831) 601-4758

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