Author Topic: Swarm boxes. (Read 3645 times)

Flydown · « **on:** May 05, 2018, 09:57:26 pm »

When you place a swarm box and catch a swarm in it, at what point do you need to take it down and start doing something with them? Do you need to leave them alone for a while before you start looking in the box?

BeeMaster2 · « **Reply #1 on:** May 05, 2018, 10:14:09 pm »

Flydown,
I normally wait about one week to let them get the comb built and eggs laid. I have had swarm traps that were a 5 stack of Supers with, in one case, 10 foundation less frames and in another- 20 foundation less frames. I the first one, in 10 days, they filled the 10 frames and built 14? of cross comb below them. In the second case they built out all 20 frames in 7 days. They were both big swarms.
Jim

cao · « **Reply #2 on:** May 05, 2018, 10:16:19 pm »

Provided that the box is full of frames, then I would wait a few days to a week. This would allow them to draw comb and the queen to start laying. I shook a swarm into a box with dawn comb today around noon. I looked at them about 6 hrs later and the bees were already bringing in pollen. I wouldn't be surprised if the queen could be starting to lay eggs tomorrow.

BeeMaster2 · « **Reply #3 on:** May 05, 2018, 10:30:38 pm »

When I go out on a swarm call, I like to take 2 drawn, old comb, Supers. I have 2 swarm hives in the back yard that I put in drawn comb boxes. They have worked real well. The last swarm was so strong that I added a 3rd box of drawn comb. I did leave a couple of foundation less frames to allow them to build comb.
Jim

sc-bee · « **Reply #4 on:** May 05, 2018, 11:22:32 pm »

Quote from: sawdstmakr on May 05, 2018, 10:30:38 pm

When I go out on a swarm call, I like to take 2 drawn, old comb, Supers. I have 2 swarm hives in the back yard that I put in drawn comb boxes. They have worked real well. The last swarm was so strong that I added a 3rd box of drawn comb. I did leave a couple of foundation less frames to allow them to build comb.
Jim

I understand a few drawn combs buy why so many jim since swarms are a great way to get foundation drawn?

Flydown · « **Reply #5 on:** May 05, 2018, 11:35:18 pm »

Okay. Here is the story that prompted the question. My mentor had given me a swarm box that only had two frames of drawn comb in it. I had been wanting to get more frames and put it out but haven't had time to get frames. I was sitting around on Sunday and decided on a whim to go put the box out. I be used some old brood comb and rubber it all over the inside and lightly dabbed lemongrass oil inside and around the entrance. I went to my brothers pasture to put the box out. I placed it on a treeline on the east side of the pasture facing West. I went back on Wednesday and it had a swarm in it. I called my mentor and he told me I should finish filling it with frames. I got frames from him and went on Thursday and put them in. I didn't think I should need with them that soon but he said it would be okay. I went back today and all the bees are gone.

olriley · « **Reply #6 on:** May 06, 2018, 03:33:22 am »

They?ve absconded, bad luck. Your ?box? was I take it a new hive body? But you said it had two frames of drawn comb in it... usually enough to tempt them to stay.

BeeMaster2 · « **Reply #7 on:** May 06, 2018, 10:38:18 am »

Quote from: sc-bee on May 05, 2018, 11:22:32 pm

Quote from: sawdstmakr on May 05, 2018, 10:30:38 pm
When I go out on a swarm call, I like to take 2 drawn, old comb, Supers. I have 2 swarm hives in the back yard that I put in drawn comb boxes. They have worked real well. The last swarm was so strong that I added a 3rd box of drawn comb. I did leave a couple of foundation less frames to allow them to build comb.
Jim

I understand a few drawn combs buy why so many jim since swarms are a great way to get foundation drawn?

Sc,
A good swarm in a fully drawn hive can make a lot of honey, even on their first flow. I do not put all drawn frames in traps because the wax moths and SHBs usually get to them first and make a mess and the swarms like an empty box to move into.

BeeMaster2 · « **Reply #8 on:** May 06, 2018, 10:44:42 am »

Flydown,
You said the hive had a swarm in it. Did you open it or did you just see a lot of bees at the entrance?
If you just saw bees at the entrance, they were probably scouts checking it out and at that time your trap was the best looking site. When you check a trap, look for bees bringing in pollen. I have never seen a scout check out a trap with pollen.
I recommend you set a larger box at this location. A full hive box might have suited them.
Jim

cao · « **Reply #9 on:** May 06, 2018, 11:11:45 am »

Just a little off topic, but since it was mentioned about swarms and pollen, I nevered realized until last year that a swarm will have bees with pollen in their baskets. That must be a confused bee. They go out foraging in the morning. Come back to the hive. Then someone tells them it's time to go. And they end up on a branch somewhere.

Flydown · « **Reply #10 on:** May 06, 2018, 12:02:38 pm »

Quote from: sawdstmakr on May 06, 2018, 10:44:42 am

Flydown,
You said the hive had a swarm in it. Did you open it or did you just see a lot of bees at the entrance?
If you just saw bees at the entrance, they were probably scouts checking it out and at that time your trap was the best looking site. When you check a trap, look for bees bringing in pollen. I have never seen a scout check out a trap with pollen.
I recommend you set a larger box at this location. A full hive box might have suited them.
Jim

I opened it. I did not think that I needed to so soon but my mentor said it would be okay. I thought that I should have given them more time to get settled in. He had recently had a swarm overtake a box that he had under his she's that only had one frames in it. The bees started hanging comb from the lid so he told me that I shouldn't let them do that. In hindsight, I would rather have comb hanging from the lid than run them off.

BeeMaster2 · « **Reply #11 on:** May 06, 2018, 01:59:33 pm »

Quote from: cao on May 06, 2018, 11:11:45 am

Just a little off topic, but since it was mentioned about swarms and pollen, I nevered realized until last year that a swarm will have bees with pollen in their baskets. That must be a confused bee. They go out foraging in the morning. Come back to the hive. Then someone tells them it's time to go. And they end up on a branch somewhere.

CAO,
That bee with the pollen was not normal. I have seen a lot of swarms and none of the bees were carrying pollen. It may have been just as you stated.
Jim

cao · « **Reply #12 on:** May 06, 2018, 02:41:26 pm »

I have seen it on several swarms I caught last year and both of the swarms so far this year. There wasn't alot of them. Maybe 6-10. But they do stand out when looking at the swarm with those bright yellow balls on their legs.

NasalSponge · « **Reply #13 on:** May 12, 2018, 07:18:34 am »

Quote from: sawdstmakr on May 06, 2018, 01:59:33 pm

Quote from: cao on May 06, 2018, 11:11:45 am
Just a little off topic, but since it was mentioned about swarms and pollen, I nevered realized until last year that a swarm will have bees with pollen in their baskets. That must be a confused bee. They go out foraging in the morning. Come back to the hive. Then someone tells them it's time to go. And they end up on a branch somewhere.
CAO,
That bee with the pollen was not normal. I have seen a lot of swarms and none of the bees were carrying pollen. It may have been just as you stated.
Jim

Many swarms I collect have pollen bearing bees amongst the throng....

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

little john · « **Reply #14 on:** May 12, 2018, 07:54:27 am »

I wonder what they then do with that pollen ... without any combs how do they get to unload it ?
LJ

NasalSponge · « **Reply #15 on:** May 12, 2018, 09:53:42 am »

Quote from: little john on May 12, 2018, 07:54:27 am

I wonder what they then do with that pollen ... without any combs how do they get to unload it ?
LJ

Maybe they just get caught up in the frenzy....step back into the hive and say what is going on, someone says "come on!" and off they go.

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Flydown · « **Reply #16 on:** May 12, 2018, 09:30:41 pm »

Okay. I brought the box home because about a dozen confused bees kept hanging around after the others left. I wanted to lose them so I could set it up at another location. I set it on something about 8 inches of the ground about three feet from the house with the entrance facing the house. While shipping yardwork today, I noticed two bees flying around the entrance. I thought they may be from my give about 200 feet from it. Later, I can't out and there were dozens of bees flying around it with many more on the side of it going through the entrance.

cao · « **Reply #17 on:** May 12, 2018, 11:00:46 pm »

Quote from: sawdstmakr on May 06, 2018, 01:59:33 pm

CAO,
That bee with the pollen was not normal. I have seen a lot of swarms and none of the bees were carrying pollen. It may have been just as you stated.
Jim

I shook a small swarm from one of my apple trees today. It was about 10:00 am. I think it was one of my hives(not sure). I was going through some of my hives and heard some buzzing. Looked up and they were finding a spot to land. They were about 6 ft off the ground. When I got close to it I could see a couple bees carrying those yellow bags of pollen.

Flydown · « **Reply #18 on:** May 16, 2018, 10:30:14 pm »

Okay now the questions will begin. These most recent bees in my swarm box have been hanging around since Saturday and I have observed some bees taking pollen in. I'm thinking that this weekend I need to get them in a hive box and set them up about 200 feet from where they are now. I have read and been told about the 3 feet or 3 mile thing and I can move them several miles if I need to. Should I put them in a hive box where they are for a couple of days before I move them?

My plan is this.
Saturday I will put them in a hive box right beside where they are now.

Sunday after dark, I will put screen mesh over the entrance and move them about 10 miles and leave the mesh over the entrance.

Monday or Tuesday after dark, I will take the mesh from the entrance and place some leafy twigs in front of the entrance.

Thursday, I will go by and make sure the twigs are away from the entrance.

Two weeks later, I will repeat the move process to bring them home.

Any suggestions or advice.

cao · « **Reply #19 on:** May 16, 2018, 10:50:34 pm »

If you move them 10 miles, they will all have to reorient to the hive. No need to keep the mesh over entrance or put twigs in front. If you just move them the 200 ft then you would need to use twigs or something else to block the direct flight path leaving the hive. In that case there will probably be some bees flying around the original location for a while.

Flydown · « **Reply #20 on:** May 16, 2018, 11:17:32 pm »

Quote from: cao on May 16, 2018, 10:50:34 pm

If you move them 10 miles, they will all have to reorient to the hive. No need to keep the mesh over entrance or put twigs in front. If you just move them the 200 ft then you would need to use twigs or something else to block the direct flight path leaving the hive. In that case there will probably be some bees flying around the original location for a while.

If I move them 10 miles, do they automatically know that they will need to reorientated?

cao · « **Reply #21 on:** May 16, 2018, 11:31:15 pm »

Yes. That's the 3 mile thing(I heard 2 mile). If you move them outside of their normal range they have nothing to go by, therefore they reorient to the new location.

Flydown · « **Reply #22 on:** May 22, 2018, 09:35:17 pm »

Okay, I got the bees moved from the swarm box to a hive on Sunday. So far, it seems like a success. Yesterday, I moved the hive to my brother's house about 3 to 4 miles away. I went this afternoon to check on them and saw bees taking pollen into the hive. I will leave them for about two weeks and then bring them home.