Moving a caught swarm?

[Paulypaul]

On Monday 29th April, I caught a swarm in a bait hive on the side of my house,
I'd like to move it into the back garden, which has become my quarantine apiary.

Although I've not looked into the bait hive yet, it looks like a large primary swarm, with constant heavy forage traffic at the entrance.

I don't want them to abscond.

When's a good bet that the queen has started laying?

View attachment 1000018016.mp4

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

That was a week ago - if you want to move them now you will either have to do it three feet at a time or move them three miles away for a month.
If the queen was mated on arrival, she may have started laying within the day, if she is a virgin, depends on her getting mated.

 

[Paulypaul]

That was a week ago - if you want to move them now you will either have to do it three feet at a time or move them three miles away for a month.
If the queen was mated on arrival, she may have started laying within the day, if she is a virgin, depends on her getting mated.

I've had a lot of success moving colonies short distances after turning the hive 180 degrees and leaning a plank of wood in front of the entrance.

I'm keen to move them soon, or they'll start filling below the frames with wax, which will make getting them out of the bait hive that much harder.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I'm keen to move them soon, or they'll start filling below the frames with wax,

why didn't you move them as soon as they arrived?

 

[Paulypaul]

why didn't you move them as soon as they arrived?

They arrived, instantly went inside the box, and immediately started foraging in big numbers.
So this situation has existed from the start.
I just wanted to be sure the queen was laying before moving them, to minimise risk of absconding.

I found this advice on how to move a hive a short distance. I'll give it a go.
I need to move them 110ft.

https://www.betterbee.com/instructions-and-resources/how-to-move-bee-colonies.asp

 

[JamezF]

I'm keen to move them soon, or they'll start filling below the frames with wax, which will make getting them out of the bait hive that much harder.

As I have discovered to my huge amusement, one of the important aspects of the design of a bait hive is to consider what will happen if you can't shift them quickly, for example when you're lying in bed with a thumping headache for a week because they had the utter lack of decency to turn up when you had Covid Which is why I've given up using double supers as bait hives.

James

 

[pargyle]

They arrived, instantly went inside the box, and immediately started foraging in big numbers.
So this situation has existed from the start.
I just wanted to be sure the queen was laying before moving them, to minimise risk of absconding.

I found this advice on how to move a hive a short distance. I'll give it a go.
I need to move them 110ft.

https://www.betterbee.com/instructions-and-resources/how-to-move-bee-colonies.asp

Sometimes you get lucky ... I would leave an empty box where the bait hive is as otherwise you could end up with a load of bees with nowhere to go and making a nuisance of themselves - if they all return to the original site then you will have to revert to Plan B.

 

[Paulypaul]

Have moved the bait hive . It was bloody heavy! It's only been there 6 days.
Have put a nuc where the bait hive was.

Have been thinking of an improved design for a Baitinator™ 4000. With a side that opens out with hinges at the bottom, to allow for easier removal of frames with significant bur comb.

1. Stuffed grass in the entrance.
2. Put a whole load of foliage infront of the entrance.
3. It's now pointing north, facing a brick wall.
4. Put a nuc, with drawn comb in it, at the original bait hive site.

 

[JamezF]

Sometimes you get lucky ... I would leave an empty box where the bait hive is as otherwise you could end up with a load of bees with nowhere to go and making a nuisance of themselves - if they all return to the original site then you will have to revert to Plan B.

Quite. I've moved a swarm a little further than that before now when it turned up where it wasn't wanted. I had to leave a box on the site to catch the bees that came back and each evening for four or five days I emptied them back into the moved hive until they got the idea or, presumably, flew off to the big beehive in the sky.

James

 

[Paulypaul]

Next challenge will be getting them out of that bait box into a National.

 

[Erichalfbee]

As I have discovered to my huge amusement, one of the important aspects of the design of a bait hive is to consider what will happen if you can't shift them quickly,

That’s why my bait hive is an eight frame Paynes 14x12 nuc

 

[Paulypaul]

View attachment 1000018390.mp4
Foragers are reliably accumulating on the nuc in the old bait box location.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Leave them a drawn frame inside. When they are all home tonight drop the bees into the hive they came from. You might have to do this for a few days running.

 

[Paulypaul]

Leave them a drawn frame inside. When they are all home tonight drop the bees into the hive they came from. You might have to do this for a few days running.

Thanks
Have a couple of drawn frames in the box.

 

[Do224]

View attachment 39869
Foragers are reliably accumulating on the nuc in the old bait box location.

I’ve had this happen before. It’s annoying if you want to put another bait hive in the same location. Best just to put a temp qx over the entrance to prevent absconding (removed after 48 hrs) and move a swarm the same day it arrives