Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Donovan J on May 27, 2022, 01:06:54 pm
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So I was at work at Tractor Supply and a swarm of bees appeared on a tree outside. Once I get off work I got home and grab all my stuff. This thing is huge probably 40-45 thousand bees. I get them all shook into the box and I grabbed the queen off the ground and put her in. Today I went to put syrup on them and they're at capacity in the box. My question is should I transfer them to a double deep? My thoughts are to wait until the queen fills the box with brood then do the transition before it hatches
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I'd put the Q excluder on top of the bottom board - under the hive body - for a week... and put the feed on. Because if you use foundation they don't like it, really. They see it as a wall.
Yes, it'll trap some drones in for a bit... but will prevent them from choosing" a different location.
I'd use the double box because obviously there's enough bees to keep brood warm...it's spring/summer...
And enough bees to bring the food chain up to the top where they will start the nest.
You'll get those bees working on building comb.
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I would also give them a second box. If you have drawn comb, use it.
If the queen is a virgin, or if it might bee, I would remove the QE from under the hive after 3 days. Jim his is to allow her to make her mating flights.
Jim Altmiller
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Big swarm caught yesterday in this 6 frame, double deep swarm box. We are heading towards 2-3 months of dearth, and big swarms at the end of a nectar flow should be rare.
We wonder if it is an abscond.
When I move it to a box next Monday, I will see if the bees are bigger, foundation bred from some possible neighbor's apiary, or a smaller and darker feral colony.