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Swarm

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tai haku

Joined: 17 Apr 2011
Posts: 472

Posted: Mon Apr 28, 14 2:30 pm Post subject: Swarm
Just nipped out of the office with a colleague to collect a swarm from her hive that'd wound up in a neighbours' hedge - door to door in an hour or so. Will stick them in a hive this evening. Nice easy way to replace the hive I lost last year!

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Mon Apr 28, 14 2:53 pm Post subject:
Jammy. Good luck with them.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16149

Posted: Tue Apr 29, 14 6:59 am Post subject:
And happy colleague too I should think. Most people get quite panicky about swarms.

tai haku

Joined: 17 Apr 2011
Posts: 472

Posted: Tue Apr 29, 14 8:17 am Post subject:

Mistress Rose wrote:

And happy colleague too I should think. Most people get quite panicky about swarms.

she was very relaxed as was her 19 year old son who noticed the bees were swarming. It's the first time me or he had collected a swarm but I have to say it was really easy (touching wood that I've not messed up somehow and hurt the queen).

Here's a photo of my new little darlings....

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16149

Posted: Wed Apr 30, 14 6:01 am Post subject:
Bees are quite docile when in the swarm, although they sound scary. A swarm is the only time son will go near bees. Hope you got the queen; all looks good there.

Nature'sgrafter

Joined: 22 Feb 2012
Posts: 527
Location: Sanday , Orkney

Posted: Wed Apr 30, 14 8:32 am Post subject:
Please tell me you left moving the box until after dark as there would have been drones out looking for a new home during the day. If you didn't you run the risk of a mini swarm forming in the spot where the main swarm was and getting very angry causing problems.

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Fri May 09, 14 7:12 pm Post subject:

Nature'sgrafter wrote:

Please tell me you left moving the box until after dark as there would have been drones out looking for a new home during the day.
If you didn't you run the risk of a mini swarm forming in the spot where the main swarm was and getting very angry causing problems.

Drones do nothing apart from helping to maintain brood temperature & obviously trying to mate with any virgin queens that may be around.
Scout bees are all female workers.
I try to leave swarms near to where they settle till the evening if I can but any left behind won't be lost, if they can't find the swarm they just return to the original hive they emerged from.

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