Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: zzzzzzzzpr on April 11, 2014, 01:29:12 pm
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my bees just swarmed and it was kool. I have and easy excess to them. should I cut the branch and shake them in a new box. need some help here. 1st doing this
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I would cut the branch only if I had too. I would try to shake them off the limb into a box if possible. I have had good success spreading a white sheet on the ground, place the box on it & let the stragglers walk in. Works for me every time.
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I like to shake them into a new hive body. I put a queen excluder under a super filled with frames and foundation, position it under them put an empty super on top just for room, shake them in and close them up. Leave the QE on a couple of days. Usually they stay after that.
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Add a frame of brood if you have one. It will help anchor them although I have never had that issue often in my area. And feed-feed-feed.
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I got half the bees in my hive box and the rest are covering the hive box. what does this mean.
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They're getting acclimated. Are their butts in the air fanning? Did you put a frame of open brood in there? If so smoke them off the sides to force them into the hive box and put the cover on there. Come back after dark, cork the intake and carry them to whatever location you want them at. Voilà, you've got a new hive. Without the brood to anchor them there's always the chance the could reissue and disappear for good.
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Quick and Dirty...
Assuming it's not a virgin queen, putting the hive body on a queen excluder will keep her in and let the workers out. After a few days, she should have started laying and gotten comfortable.