Interesting afternoon

Cazza · Apr 15, 2015

Sometimes I use one of those large cone shaped compost bins with lid off to put my bait hive on top, under an elderflower shrub facing south. I also use a swarm lure, old comb and solid floor.
If I see scouts it gives me a heads up to check my hives carefully.
If I miss with an AS, the bait hive mops up the escapees.
Tried and tested over the years. Unfortunately I have just chopped the shrub down so I am looking for a new location this year.
Cazza

Roola · Apr 15, 2015

Ok all, here is a question... Is it possible for a swarm to arrive at an already occupied bait hive and amalgamate. I see no other possible answer to what has happened this afternoon which luckily I managed to get snapshots of on my webcam. I'll post a sequence of pictures and let me know what you think. The bait hive as you know was occupied by a swarm yesterday... then this happened today, take note of timings, the first picture shows how the colony has been most of the day, quiet with foragers coming and going then: