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Author Topic: Swarm in a building vent  (Read 6956 times)

Offline Qkrwogud

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Re: Swarm in a building vent
« Reply #20 on: November 30, 2015, 06:06:25 pm »
In the video I heard this handle gentleman referred to as 'mr iddee' is that you?  :grin:
If I've understood and summarize the process in the video, cone their entrance so they can get out but not in. Add a frame of brood/eggs to the nuc and put it right next to the cone so when they return they feel compelled to look after the brood/frame?

If I kept my current setup, and simply added a frame of brood to the nuc. Would it not have a similar result with them trying to leave and finding brood to look after?

Offline iddee

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Re: Swarm in a building vent
« Reply #21 on: November 30, 2015, 06:27:41 pm »
You are correct, but that is for an established hive. Yes, that's me in the video. A frame of brood and/or honey would help attract them, but they may just move the honey back into the structure before the queen comes out. If you could install a cone and a frame of brood and honey, and give them an exit, you would have the best chance of success. You could likely finish it within a few days, whereas established hive takes 6 to 12 weeks.
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

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Offline Qkrwogud

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Re: Swarm in a building vent
« Reply #22 on: November 30, 2015, 06:32:29 pm »
Considering its location it isn't too easy to manipulate that entrance I'm not sure I can get a cone there. (I have to hang myself off the edge of the roof)
What if I just add a single frame of brood to my current setup? Perhaps the foragers that might see it will call for backup from the hive to tend to the brood?

Offline iddee

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Re: Swarm in a building vent
« Reply #23 on: November 30, 2015, 06:36:35 pm »
Cone and brood each would help. Either one without the other would help half as much. A Brood and honey frame would increase your chances.

Maybe a bee escape?

https://www.google.com/search?q=bee+escape&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

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Offline Qkrwogud

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Re: Swarm in a building vent
« Reply #24 on: November 30, 2015, 06:42:10 pm »
Oh! Now that you mention it, one of those is already on the entrance to the nuc already. The porter bee escape.
So I believe if they get into the nuc they are trapped.

I only have a single hive at the moment, I don't think I have a full frame of capped honey but do have frames of uncapped nectar, could this do?
Was thinking just a single frame of brood as the 'nuc' box in the setup only has a bracket made for a single frame anyway.

Offline iddee

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Re: Swarm in a building vent
« Reply #25 on: November 30, 2015, 07:05:24 pm »
A frame of brood will have enough honey on it. You won't need any more honey than that. If the escape is in place, you should be all set. You should find the whole swarm trying to get through the bee escape within the next few days.
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

*Shel Silverstein*

Offline Qkrwogud

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Re: Swarm in a building vent
« Reply #26 on: November 30, 2015, 07:23:11 pm »
Is the brood frame getting chilled going to be a problem?
It would take about 45mins to get a brood frame there. It's likely going to be evening when I do it and the bees might not come up to start nursing right away? Perhaps not even till the next morning?

Offline iddee

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Re: Swarm in a building vent
« Reply #27 on: November 30, 2015, 07:26:03 pm »
If there is a cup of bees or more in the nuc, it will be enough. If not, wait a day, but check your ""hallway"". They may be blocked, or found a way back in, or found a new exit from the structure.
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

*Shel Silverstein*

Offline Qkrwogud

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Re: Swarm in a building vent
« Reply #28 on: November 30, 2015, 07:28:22 pm »
So 45mins of transport will be okay for the brood frame? Do I need to take any extra steps to ensure its survival during the transport?

Offline iddee

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Re: Swarm in a building vent
« Reply #29 on: November 30, 2015, 07:32:39 pm »
Wear a t-shirt or similar and use the heater in the vehicle to be uncomfortable in the heat.

Go back into your profile. Beside profile info, hover the curser on "modify profile". Click on "look & layout". Change the time to your local time. It's 6:30PM here. I would think it is Tuesday morning there.
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

*Shel Silverstein*

Offline Qkrwogud

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Re: Swarm in a building vent
« Reply #30 on: November 30, 2015, 07:37:28 pm »
Updated profile. I asked another experienced keeper and they think brood will die.
I think the risk for me is too high as I only have a single one month old hive.

What would be your plan B? Perhaps I just wait it out and hope they start getting hungry and try abscond into the trap..

Offline iddee

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Re: Swarm in a building vent
« Reply #31 on: November 30, 2015, 07:57:49 pm »
If you set the trap on Sunday, there should be enough bees to cover. If not, check their escape route. It is likely blocked, or nearly so.

If your hive can afford the loss, take the bees that are on the frame of brood. They will not fight with the swarm enough to make a difference. Otherwise, take the newest frame which still has eggs. I have had the temp fall to 0 Centigrade and the eggs survived the first night of a trapout.

My next choice would be feed them until there are enough bees to cover the brood.
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

*Shel Silverstein*

Offline Dallasbeek

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Re: Swarm in a building vent
« Reply #32 on: December 01, 2015, 12:33:39 am »
I think you have to feed them all, or they will starve.  Feed 2:1 sugar water, I think.  Then try to get all of them into the "trap". You need to learn the trapout system from Iddeee and apply that.  Keep them alive until you you can coax them into the trap.


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Offline dunderi

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Re: Swarm in a building vent
« Reply #33 on: December 01, 2015, 04:57:00 am »
Can you get a bee-vaccum set up on that roof perhaps and suck them out of there? 

If you can see them and get the hose nozzle in there,  it'd be done and over in minutes. 

Look them up on you tube - you can knock one up out of a couple of ideal boxes with fly screen mesh between - and a hole each side for the vac hose - just don't forget a valve to adjust the suction in the box so you're not smashing the bees.