# Caught First Swarm and am Totally ill prepared! Yikes!



## oh_pook (May 15, 2015)

Good Morning, Everybody *setsoutcoffee*

Hubby and I got a call from a friend yesterday with a basketball sized swarm up 20 feet in his cypress tree.

We went and successfully removed the limb into a box and brought it home.

The only extra equipment I have for them is a screened bottom board and a medium with 10 frames only foundation. So I've attached a picture of how I left it when I went to bed. The branch with the bees is in the cardboard box on top of the medium with frames. Is my hope that the bees will leave the branch and go down into the frames founded?

I guess basically I'm asking how you would proceed today?

What equipment would you choose to use/buy? 
Any techniques for getting the bees down into the box and removing that branch and cardboard box with getting the girls too angry? 
Would you start feeding them? 

I'm near St. Louis and we're finally having regularly warm days. I'm still at the point of calling myself a bee have-er rather than beekeeper since I haven't even had my first and only hive for a year yet!. I'm so thrilled they survived the winter well, but now I'm thinking I'm crazy and getting in over my head Haha!  

Thanks for sharing your advice and experiences!! and have fun turning your head left to see the picture.... I'm kind of dangerous in my limited knowledge of computer-y stuff Hahaha


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

It's cool catching your first swarm isn't it?!
Now comes the hard part. 
I doubt the bees will migrate down that easily, so this morning I would remove the box ans shake the branch over the frames. You will have to shake pretty hard to get them loose from their branch. 
Like I tell all my students, buy DOUBLE of what you think you will need when it comes to hive components. It's a good rule of thumb.
As far as feeding, I don't. Bees know what they are doing.


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## Eikel (Mar 12, 2014)

+1 with Beeman and I agree with buy double but double is an understatement, never seem to have enough when I need it. I'm southeast of you and caught a large swarm myself last night, great fun isn't it.

Personal opinion, you need to get them out of the box and in a hive, they'll build comb in the box and create more work. Recommend you visit Isabees, 314-894-8737 315 Lemay Ferry Road, #101 Saint Louis, MO 63125 and purchase yourself another set of hive components. Jane and Scott are good folks and they're close.

http://www.isabees.com/index.html


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## Eikel (Mar 12, 2014)

Oh, their entrance is around the back of the building and on the corner.


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## Riverderwent (May 23, 2013)

oh_pook said:


> Is my hope that the bees will leave the branch and go down into the frames founded?
> 
> I guess basically I'm asking how you would proceed today?


For me, swarms will not stay in a hive with a screened bottom board without a frame of brood to hold them. Swarms generally do stay in a hive with a solid bottom board. You may be able to place the boxes on a solid piece of wood temporarily and fashion an upper entrance. Or you may be able to attach a solid piece of wood underneath the screened board to convert it to a solid bottom board.



> What equipment would you choose to use/buy?


Eight frame mediums with a solid bottom board.




> Any techniques for getting the bees down into the box and removing that branch and cardboard box with getting the girls too angry?


Smoke.




> Would you start feeding them?


Not unless they appeared lethargic.


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## oh_pook (May 15, 2015)

Thanks Folks...

That box was too heavy for the securing (or lack of) we did to the medium. It fell over and I believe the girls re-swarmed before I got back from Isabees... 

good news is, I'm ready for the next time!


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## oh_pook (May 15, 2015)

Good Morning, again!!! *extrastrongcoffee*

I had no idea being "ready for the next time" would be so soon!!! 

We caught another swarm (though I think they are from my own hive). Tuesday night

It was really big. We shook it over a 10 frame deep with frames of new wax foundation (I'm new and don't have much "extra" anything). They did their little oozy looking fall into the deep and between frames and stuff, but there was so many still on top of the frames that I put a box from a super on it so I could put on a lid without squashing anybody.

I took a peek Wednesday and was surprised that a grapefruit sized ball of bees was in that super box above the frames. I thought maybe they were just leaving room for the girls working on drawing comb down below!?

I peeked on Thursday too and didn't even remove the inner cover. The hole in the top of the inner cover was just filled with the lovely ladies and I wasn't prepared to think of what to do.

If those girls are building comb from the inner cover, how should I proceed?

If they're just hanging out in there, How do I switch that medium box out for another deep with frames?

It was nice to see them foraging.. appears they want to stay *shrugs* haha

Also, since I believe they're from my strong hive, Do I just look for eggs and larva age to know if my original queen stayed put and the swarm is a virgin or vice versa?

You guys are so helpful here! I love getting so much input!


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