# October swarm in Michigan?! Guess ill start beekeeping now.



## Bill91143 (Jun 7, 2013)

You have done about all you can except feed them. I see you are in Michigan. Your season is about over with. Pour the feed to them. I would feed them 2 to 1 sugar water, and I would feed it through a top feeder. Feed them all they will take. If the weather corporates and you can get them to store enough sugar water, they just may make it.


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## KPeacock (Jan 29, 2013)

Congrats on the late swarm. I'm 2 hours north of you and we still have a few bees coming in with pollen. you should have the same for a bit longer than me. Our Goldenrod have dried up and the bees are not finding anything of substance to forage on, so I've been feeding for the last week or so. With the drawn out comb, you have a chace of them making it if you can jam enough syrum in there.

Good luck!


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## skosma (May 30, 2013)

Congrats on your swarm. A few pollen patties would also help.


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## bradkeskey (Jun 18, 2009)

I'm also in Midland MI a few hours north, I also picked up a not as late as yours, but I got one Sept 1st. I'd guess 30-35K bees, really a big swarm. I've been feeding them 2:1 ever since they got in the box. Sometimes they take a quart every few days, sometimes they take down a quart in 5 hours. Feed the heck out of them, you are lucky to have drawn comb. Good luck w/ them, and great pictures!

Brad


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## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

Welcome and congrats. 
Another thing to consider is that those nucs are small and will cool easily in the Michigan winters be sure to wrap them and give them a wind break. If you can find someone to sell you some drawn frames filled with capped honey, and some with pollen to place in the top box it will really help out.


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## teatimetony (Jul 23, 2013)

Well bad news after all that hard work to try an help these girls they must have decided it wasn't quite what they were looking for. I went out to add some feed this morning and all the bees have vanished maybe only 5 remain. I'm assuming they must have left before it got too late last night since it was cold and raining this morning. 

Its a bummer knowing that colony will not survive on its own but all in all this was still a great experience and some awesome new friends were made. Ill be setting up swarm traps in the spring and trying my luck again. Thank you everyone for the encouragement!


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## Crsswift70 (Sep 9, 2013)

Well, that stinks


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## Cliffton Leverett (Mar 14, 2013)

Bees do what bees want to do.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

>all the bees have vanished maybe only 5 remain

There is something strange going on causing this. These are some kind of abandonment swarms. I caught two and heard of others near here. I caught a football size one on a rainy day two weeks ago, totally out of season. After a week I found the queen and a few of the bees on the outside of close by hive, and the rest of the bees gone or merged into another hive. My second smaller one also left.


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