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Author Topic: HELP! My new swarm.  (Read 3403 times)

Offline Woody1951

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HELP! My new swarm.
« on: May 28, 2016, 07:11:59 pm »
 :shocked: I just caught my first swarm. Maybe 10,000 bees. I never saw the queen but when I left the box open the bees stayed in the box and many flew in to join them so I believe I had her. I put them in the hive I had ready for my split and feed them 50/50 sugar and water. A few hours later I checked on them and there were many bees that looked like a war zone and assumed my other hive was robbing them for the feeder. I have #5 3/4" holes drilled with 2 corked off and 2 warped cracks in the bottom board that worked well for in and out places. This morning I corked off 2 more holes and when I got home tonight the war was still raging so I closed the cracks as well leaving only 1 hole for them to get in and out hoping they could defend their new home better.
 So I go to my first hive and they are plastered all over the face with a beard hanging down blocking most of the holes. I read somewhere this was swarming behavior so I panic and start rushing to get another hive built. Less than a week ago they looked happy and healthy with no signs of queen cells. I gave them a few more bars in my top bar hive and shut them up.
 What should I do? I am at wits end. I can have a new hive built tomorrow but do not want to split them to soon.
« Last Edit: May 28, 2016, 08:16:12 pm by Woody1951 »

Offline Woody1951

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Re: HELP! My new swarm.
« Reply #1 on: May 28, 2016, 08:36:35 pm »
 I was stung once by the swarm in the wrist which welted up and went away. After looking for the feeder I realized it was still  in hive 1 so I opened it up and grabbed it. WAW! I get stung again in my finger. My hand swells up like a softball and everyone is pleading with me to go to the ER. So I go, and after 4 hours the Dr. says I am fine, to put ice on it and take aspirin if it starts hurting. Good! I will live.
 So...with the day off of work, the ER bill, gas to get there I figure I could have bought 3 packages of bees with the queens and saved myself a lot of trouble. As you see I would hate to lose this swarm or have my first hive leave. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Online BeeMaster2

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Re: HELP! My new swarm.
« Reply #2 on: May 28, 2016, 09:19:31 pm »
Woody,
Not sure you actually have a robbing problem. What do you mean it looked like a war zone.
Bees bearding does not always mean they are swarming.
Where did you get the swarm from, near your apiary. Your hive be may have swarmed if the swarm was near your hive. If so, get real close to your original hive and listen for piping sounds. High pitched chirps. If you hear them, see you many different sounds you can hear. Each sound is a different queen.
If you do hear them, let me know.
Jm
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline divemaster1963

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Re: HELP! My new swarm.
« Reply #3 on: May 28, 2016, 09:21:49 pm »
You did take the feeder out?. Good. If the bees are staying just let them build comb. Unless there is enough bees to defend the entrance don't feed. If you need to feed do a group feeding about 40 feet from any one hive. Good luck the next swarm will be easier.

John

Offline Woody1951

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Re: HELP! My new swarm.
« Reply #4 on: June 12, 2016, 12:33:09 pm »
Hello my bee friends. I went into my swarm hive just now and again saw now queen. Scattered drone cells but nothing more I have to assume I have a worker laying eggs and they are queenless?

I found out why there were so many bees outside the hive. There wasn't enough room for them all. Holy Cow! I saw no queen cells and probably messed up, but I split them anyway with broad of all stages with honey and pollen. I made sure I left the queen. I understand that with eggs they will pick the best one and start feeding it royal jelly and make their own queen?

So now I am going to order a queen for my swarm hive and I might as well order two and put one in my spit as well. Like my late spit last fall many went back home except the ones tending the broad so it is very small. As always, thank you for your help.

Online BeeMaster2

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Re: HELP! My new swarm.
« Reply #5 on: June 12, 2016, 06:59:08 pm »
If you are going to use new queens, always have the new queens on hand before you make the split. Once they make queen cells, it is hard to get them to accept a new queen.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Woody1951

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Re: HELP! My new swarm.
« Reply #6 on: June 13, 2016, 08:39:08 am »
Thank you for your advice Jim. The place I have always gotten my bees do not ship until the end of June and maybe the 4th of July? With only 2 queens left. I'm going to take a chance that I got some eggs for my split to grow on and just queen my swarm. At $40. a pop I don't want to take the chance of them building queen cells while the new queens are in the mail.

I can also split them again when they are ready next time, right?

Thank you again for your reply Jim,
woody

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Re: HELP! My new swarm.
« Reply #7 on: June 13, 2016, 12:17:13 pm »
If you are planning on splitting this hive again, none of them may not survive the winter especially as far north as you are. If you do you will probably have to keep them in dual nucs for them to have enough honey and keep warm enough.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

 

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