We split our flow hive 2 weeks ago but the original hive swarmed yesterday. We have two swarms about 10 metres from each other about 20metres up above our existing hives. I set up my swarm box as high as I could get it and today the larger of the 2 swarms appears to have gone into the box. The swarm box has a couple of frames with foundation in it.
I have a few questions.
Do both swarms have a queen or is it just the old queen with one swarm?
Do I leave the swarm box in the tree for a few days to try and get the other smaller swarm?
If I close up the swarm box tonight can I move them to a location next to our existing hives and then get them into my nuc box or will they try to go back to where the swarm box was?
Gary.
Your first swarm will have your old queen in it. The second swarm will have a virgin queen. There may be more swarms so watch out for them.
If the bees have been in the swarm box for more than a day and have had the chance to start foraging then you will have to move them three miles away for a couple of weeks then bring them home.
If you catch them the night they came you can shut them in and move them the next morning.
Just as an aside…why do you put your swarm box up high in a tree?
I put mine ten feet up on my garage roof; much easier to get down.
Thanks Dee appreciate that.
I took a punt and closed them in late last night and then lowered the box down to a new location on our yard. I thought in order to get the swarm the closer the swarm box the better. I threw a rope up and then raised it up as I have an attachment on the back of the plastic box. The actual swarm was 20 metres up.
The other smaller swarm is still there. So might try to get it also .
Thanks.
As a rule swarms don’t tend to go for a new home near where they used to live. It rather depends where you are and what other choices they have. I am rural but have neighbours maybe a half mile away in most directions and a few of them have bees too.
If you are in the middle of nowhere I’m sure your bees would have found your boxes wherever you put them. As long as they are a good 100 feet away from the hives they are good on a roof.
The swarm seems to have settled in at the new location 1 metre from where they took off from originally.
As soon as I get chance I will take the two frames with the bees out of the swarm box and substitute that with a Nuc box. We are actually in the city but have a large garden and lot’s of trees surrounding the property.
