# finally! some true feral genetics.



## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

This weekend I finally caught a swarm off my mothers bee tree. They are going into their 5th season since i've been watching them, and this is the first time I've been in town when they swarm. In the past another local bee keeper has captured them, and then requeens with "known" genetics......and then looses them every yr. look forward to what this yr will bring.


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

>I finally caught a swarm off my mothers bee tree.

Can you set some swarm traps there?

I hope they do very well for you and you get years of TF!


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

If you can get a vsh queen and then requeen your
split hives with these open mated daughters with the
drones from this feral hive then you will have some
resistant bees to play with the next season. Now is the
time to make some new queens.


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## GaryG74 (Apr 9, 2014)

Congratulations on the swarm capture. I'd put up a couple of swarm traps, like FlowerPlanter suggests. That way you don't have to be there when they swarm. Good luck with the genetics too.


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## squarepeg (Jul 9, 2010)

way to go harley! :thumbsup:


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## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

Good deal.


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## BuckeyeBeek (Apr 16, 2013)

Harley Craig said:


> This weekend I finally caught a swarm off my mothers bee tree. They are going into their 5th season since i've been watching them, and this is the first time I've been in town when they swarm. In the past another local bee keeper has captured them, and then requeens with "known" genetics......and then looses them every yr. look forward to what this yr will bring.


Congrats on the big score Harley! I've often wondered if some of my trapped swarms might be from feral colonies. It leaves you scratching your head as to why someone would want to requeen a colony of proven survivors.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

Maybe that one is a new beekeeper. Or only want to requeen with
the proven queen from their prized vsh or mite biting genetics.
Who knows but they have their reason to. Mainly it is the fear of the
unknown say AHB genetics if they're from those states.


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## BuckeyeBeek (Apr 16, 2013)

beepro said:


> Maybe that one is a new beekeeper. Or only want to requeen with
> the proven queen from their prized vsh or mite biting genetics.
> Who knows but they have their reason to. Mainly it is the fear of the
> unknown say AHB genetics if they're from those states.


To each his own I guess, but in this case the only thing that's truly "proven" is the survivability of tree colony. The prize is finally having the opportunity to gain a feral swarm off a 5 year bee tree. At least in my mind it would be like finding gold.. and then the following year I'd make more queens or splits off it. Re-queening a Georgia package may make a whole lot of sense but re-queening a proven 5 year Illinois tree colony? Nah.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

I thought these swarms are from unknown origin.
But if they are from the tree surviving for 5 years now I'm sure I
will not replace these queens. Matter of fact need to graft more
daughters to expand my apiary. Now I resort to buying the vsh
genetics hoping to release them into the wild someday.


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

The bee tree I took down last spring had had bees for many years. Why? The cavity was small and they'd swarmed many times. Putting them into a big box and expecting them to be trouble-free (TF) might work. (might not) They're mite and shb biters but I'm not getting all excited about it. Have other more better bees that actually make honey. I've split those bees a few times now. I think I have four colonies with their genetics. Not too impressed with "feral bees".


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## jakec (May 26, 2015)

aunt betty said:


> The bee tree I took down last spring had had bees for many years. Why? The cavity was small and they'd swarmed many times. Putting them into a big box and expecting them to be trouble-free (TF) might work. (might not) They're mite and shb biters but I'm not getting all excited about it. Have other more better bees that actually make honey. I've split those bees a few times now. I think I have four colonies with their genetics. Not too impressed with "feral bees".


in my extremely limited experience, my 1 hive with bees I bought are making twice as much honey as the 4 other hives that are "feral" swarm captures. I was told the bought ones are "Italians". I know the ones I caught are all a lot darker, some almost solid black. the feral bees definitely have way less mites though.


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

Caught a second swarm off this same tree yesterday with a virgin queen. Landed exact same spot as the previous one and the exact same spot they did 2 yrs ago when I was out of town and missed them


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

aunt betty said:


> The bee tree I took down last spring had had bees for many years. Why? The cavity was small and they'd swarmed many times. Putting them into a big box and expecting them to be trouble-free (TF) might work. (might not) They're mite and shb biters but I'm not getting all excited about it. Have other more better bees that actually make honey. I've split those bees a few times now. I think I have four colonies with their genetics. Not too impressed with "feral bees".


My buddy caught a swarm in this area 4 yrs ago that was in a 5 gal gas can and the only thing he's done to them since he put them in a box is add supers and take them off. I call them his Ronco Bees....because he just sets and forgets lol


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

Me too. Almost.

I just have to make sure they have room so they don't swarm.


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

FlowerPlanter said:


> Me too. Almost.
> 
> I just have to make sure they have room so they don't swarm.


my first swarm has started on their 3rd box, the second one I caught mentioned in this thread on the 12th has 6 bars built in a TBH and I finally saw eggs and larva this weekend, it was a little pocket swarm and the queen just recently mated. I shook in some nurse bees to boost their numbers and will likely do so again here in a week or two to give them another boost.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

Harley Craig said:


> I shook in some nurse bees to boost their numbers and will likely do so again here in a week or two to give them another boost.


Just keep propping them up, Harley... Shaking my head.


:banana:


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

jwcarlson said:


> Just keep propping them up, Harley... Shaking my head.
> 
> 
> :banana:


LMAO! I deserve that! but there is a difference to giving them a chance and proping them up, part of the problem with their size is I dropped the box off the ladder when hiving them and killed a 1/3 of the bees LOL thank God the queen was still on the branch........ once established they will be Ronco bees.....set and forget LOL


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## Dan the bee guy (Jun 18, 2015)

Some time in the future raise a few queens I would like to try them up north to see if they can handle our winter.


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

Dan the bee guy said:


> Some time in the future raise a few queens I would like to try them up north to see if they can handle our winter.


come on down and get ya one LOL They will make more


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

Get a small rigid cardboard box and poke some
holes in it for ventilation. Then glue a small jzbz plastic
queen cage onto the box with some attendants and the queen inside and
mail them out. Fast service shipping cost is only $20 bucks arrive within 2 days.


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## stan.vick (Dec 19, 2010)

Congratulations Harley, don't let the old timers that like their treatment schedule get under your skin. Sounds like a great start to a great line of bees.


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

stan.vick said:


> Congratulations Harley, don't let the old timers that like their treatment schedule get under your skin. Sounds like a great start to a great line of bees.


Thanks it was just Jacob giving me crap, lol but that's ok he's a friend


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## Dan the bee guy (Jun 18, 2015)

Harley Craig said:


> come on down and get ya one LOL They will make more


Ha just looked it up its a 8 hr drive one way and the way I drive it will take 10 they better be as good as you say they are


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

For $20 bucks worth of gas money, I think it is better to mail the
queens out. I'm sure the gas money is more than that on a 16 hrs drive.
Now you're gambling to see if it is worth it or not in the end. Saying is one
thing but I rather look at reality before judging it. Open mating has its short coming you know!


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