What a weird start to the year

[Beewildered61]

 My only, best hive, swarmed three weeks ago. Last Sunday and Monday, I was watching the bees and they were pouring out, zinging back and forth to forage. I told my wife, well, even if they swarmed, it still looks healthy. Tues. I went out and there wasn't near as many bees zooming in and out across my property, I wondered what was going on and looked up... the pic you see, is what I saw straight above the hive at about 30 feet. I was like @#*&%$!!! So I watched them, moved my swarm trap into a tree, and checked my empty baited hive, there was a wasp trying to build in there so I killed it. I kept watching the baited hive, and was seeing several bees going in, but nothing else. Thursday we had bad storms during the night, raining and thunder and lightening, the next morning the bees were still there. I opened the baited hive Friday morning and there were four bees in it, one at the top was just sitting there, but got aggravated when I opened the hive and started buzzing, but stayed in the hive... So I kept my fingers crossed. Saturday night we had a temp of 34, this morning when I went out and checked the swarm they were still there, but looked like about 1/4 smaller than they had been. I couldn't understand why they were still on the branch after six days! I was out working in the yard all day, and about 3 pm, I went over that way and noticed more bees at the entrance to the hive... I was starting to worry, ok now what's going on? I look up and the swarm is gone.

 Only thing I can figure is they swarmed with the new queen? and maybe she died or something, so they went back to the hive? I have never seen a swarm stay on a branch more than 4 days around here, and that was because they got rained on one day, the rest all leave by the third day. I am going to open the hive tomorrow, the temp is finally supposed to be 78 with no strong wind, and see what is going on, if I can tell.

[mtnb]

I think I would have tried to shoot a rope over that limb with my bow and arrow. lol I saw a video of a guy shoot a limb down with a shotgun and it landed pretty much on the hive he had placed on the ground. lol Guess you wouldn't want to do that to your own trees though. lol Can't wait to hear what you find.

[little john]

If that was my situation, I'd get a line over the branch as near to that cluster as possible.  Then I'd hoist up some kind of box containing a couple of framed combs, again - as near  to the cluster as possible. Then wait.  With luck, they'll prefer the relative darkness of a box, together with a familiar smell.
LJ

[Beewildered61]

 Now it gets more weird.... I checked my hive last Sunday, and the super on it was pretty much completely full (9 frames), but most were only capped about 3/4 or slightly more, one frame was not capped at all. I went ahead and took it off, and extracted the honey, then stuck it out in the yard, about 50 feet from the hive on a little table, to be cleaned. The first two days when I walked out, I saw maybe two bees in it, then nothing. Today, I took a frame out and set it on the front porch of the hive, holding it with my hand for a few minutes until about 10-15 bees were on it getting honey and, three different times, I took it and set it back in the super on the table... when I go back later, nothing. You mean bees don't want honey? I know there are some feral swarms around, but not a single bee seems interested. The last time I did it about 4pm, there was a wax moth on the frame that I didn't see until I held it up to the hive, and I saw a couple of bees that had climbed on the frame chasing it..... I don't understand what is going on....

[KeyLargoBees]

if there is a flow on bees will ignore feeders.....but wasn't aware they would ignore sticky frames.

[BeeMaster2]

They will ignore honey if there is a good flow on. I have taken apart a large tool box full of bees and honey, right in my apiary, with hardly any bees paying attention. Even the bees in the box were still trying to work the flow.
Jim

[Beewildered61]

 wow! I NEVER thought bees would ignore honey! thanks sawdstmakr!  I guess, I should of just crushed and strained....