# Swarm in wine barrel



## DaisyNJ (Aug 3, 2015)

Whatever you do, I do not recommend cutting barrel at night. 

Approx how long ago did the swarm move into the barrel ? If its only been there few days, you may be able to smoke them, cut the barrel, put empty hive in that place, and dump bees into the hive and let them settle for couple of weeks before relocating the hive. 

If its been there for a while, it may involve more of cutting barrel and then removing the comb carefully, placing comb into standard frames etc. Read about and watch some videos on "cutout" in that case. 

All of it during day time, and not night time.


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## whiskers (Aug 28, 2011)

Do you want to save the barrel as a barrel?
Bill


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## n8ozzy (May 25, 2016)

Bees moved in today around noon. I don't care about keeping the barrel intact.


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## n8ozzy (May 25, 2016)

I went ahead and cut a hole in the top of the barrel and there they were! I cut the barrel in half, picked up the top half and slammed it down on top of my super. There was a little bit of comb in the barrel so I attached it to one of my frames. I got 90% of the bees on the first knock and after a few hours the rest of the bees are now in my box!!! Never saw a queen so I'm hoping she is in there. Am I okay to move the hive to the location I want to?


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## n8ozzy (May 25, 2016)




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## GaryG74 (Apr 9, 2014)

Nice photo. Sounds like you got the queen. Good luck with them.


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## DaisyNJ (Aug 3, 2015)

n8ozzy said:


> I went ahead and cut a hole in the top of the barrel and there they were! I cut the barrel in half, picked up the top half and slammed it down on top of my super. There was a little bit of comb in the barrel so I attached it to one of my frames. I got 90% of the bees on the first knock and after a few hours the rest of the bees are now in my box!!! Never saw a queen so I'm hoping she is in there. Am I okay to move the hive to the location I want to?


Congratulations. Go for the move. If you are moving to location thats in the same yard or closeby, make sure you put some branches or other obstruction to force reorientation. And leave an empty deep at the old location to capture any drifting bees and dump them back to proper hive, IF they happen to go back.


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