Second Swarm

[King Scavenger]

Hi All. Last Thursday a friend asked me to get a swarm out of his hedge. That was done, for the first time by me, with no problems, and it is now in my hive and getting on well. Over the next 2 days, another, very small, swarm, built up in the same place. This I have collected and placed into another hive. Would it have a virgin queen in it as the swarm was tight together and didn't break up when I got it into my collection box?

 

[enrico]

Yes probably, it is likely to be what we call a cast, the first swarm probably had the mated queen but there were several queen cells left in the original hive. The first virgin out has left with some more bees. This can happen several times which is why it is so important to only leave one queen cell!
Look after it and she will mate and behold, you now have two free colonies!
E

 

[Swarm]

From the description it sounds like bees from the initial swarm. What time did you remove them from site after collecting them? This time of year I'd expect bees to still be returning very late.

 

[enrico]

From the description it sounds like bees from the initial swarm. What time did you remove them from site after collecting them? This time of year I'd expect bees to still be returning very late.

Oh yes! Good thinking, it could be that too!

 

[King Scavenger]

From the description it sounds like bees from the initial swarm. What time did you remove them from site after collecting them? This time of year I'd expect bees to still be returning very late.

Both were collected around 1830-20.15 hrs. If they were from the initial swarm can I shake them into the first hive if no queen is found?

 

[enrico]

I would put a board up to the front of the first swarm and tap them onto it, they will probably walk up and in! If not ..... Could make good watching!
E

 

[Swarm]

Both were collected around 1830-20.15 hrs. If they were from the initial swarm can I shake them into the first hive if no queen is found?

I collected a swarm from a neighbours hedge a couple of years ago and waited until dusk before moving it. It was about this time (9:30) and as I was strapping the box up they were still coming back. It won't hurt to have a quick check but if it was a small cluster about the size of an orange I reckon you can safely say they were stragglers and easily tapped into the rest.

 

[susbees]

From the description it sounds like bees from the initial swarm. What time did you remove them from site after collecting them? This time of year I'd expect bees to still be returning very late.

Indeed so

 

[King Scavenger]

I have just checked and they are taking 1:1 feed so my fingers are crossed that they are pulling out cells. I will not check inside until Saturday to give them a chance to build up. Would that be a plan?

 

[King Scavenger]

I collected a swarm from a neighbours hedge a couple of years ago and waited until dusk before moving it. It was about this time (9:30) and as I was strapping the box up they were still coming back. It won't hurt to have a quick check but if it was a small cluster about the size of an orange I reckon you can safely say they were stragglers and easily tapped into the rest.

It was the size of a pint glass.

 

[Swarm]

It was the size of a pint glass.

Sounds like stragglers to me.

 

[King Scavenger]

Yep!! you were right. Stragglers that have moved off. I think they have moved in with the main swarm as they were only 6ft apart.