swarm too big for trap?i

[RayB 1]

I have trapped a swarm in a hive body trap and they are hanging all over the side of the box. I don't want to lose all those bees and they wont go in, are there too many for the box? Although it is around 70 degrees they could just be hot. Any help with getting them all in the box would be very helpful, I've tried smoking them in but it didn't work.

[splitrock]

Do you have a frame of brood from another hive you can put in there?

[BeeMaster2]

If you think there are too many bees for your box, add another box on top of it. I would not smoke them in. They know how many can fit in there.
Jim

[RayB 1]

No, I cant get the trap out of the tree because there are so many bees on it(they cover one whole end around the entrance and are bearding down about 3 or 4 inches) They are in the trap its just there are so many its like the box is over flowing. I checked this trap two weeks ago and it was empty. Very large swarm I think. I don't want to lose all the ones on the outside. thanks for the reply.

 

[BeeMaster2]

Ray,
A couple of months ago, I put a nuc, that only had a one inch entrance hole, on the ground and shook a hanging swarm into it. It also was so large that it did not fit in the nuc. I smoked them in, stapled wire mesh over the opening and took them home and dumped them in a full hive. It was only a 45 minute ride but more than of them were dead in the bottom of the box.
Bee careful.
I immediately modified 4 nucs with screen top and bottom boards so that that would never happen again. I recommend that at minimum you make up a screen top board to fit this hive and have another box to add to it so that when you take it down you can give them more space and let them move after dark and then you can add screen to transport them. You a red head lamp to work them after dark. Most of the bees do not see red light. I say most because I have had one or two react to the red light.
Jim

[BeeMaster2]

They may not actually bee in the trap.
I had a trap on a rope about 12' up in a tree that had a large swarm on the outside of it. I thought this is a massive swarm inside and out.
I lowered it down and shook the outside bees into a hive box. Underneath it was a single fist size comb but when I opened the trap it was pretty much empty.
Somewhere on this site there are pictures of it.
Jim

[RayB 1]

I checked the trap this morning before dawn and they were still hanging all over the end. I wouldn't be worried if it was just a few bees but there are a lot of bees lol They are definitely in the box. I can see in the entrance and they were working in and out of the entrance yesterday when I first saw them. I thought maybe vacuuming them ( just the ones on the outside) and then put them with the others in a hive

[BeeMaster2]

That would work. Bee sure to set the vacuum at minimum suction. Swarm bees are typically full of honey and the vacuum sucks it out of them and kills them. Hopefully they have deposited the honey in the hive.
Where are you located? Add your location to your profile. Location can make a big difference in answering your questions.
Jim

[RayB 1]

I am located in the foothills of North Carolina. Thanks for your advice and help I think i'll try that this evening.

[BeeMaster2]

Good luck.
Jim