# Swarm distance????



## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

Swarms do not generally travel to far from the parent hive before gathering in a resting place. But there are often bee keepers with close proximity of other and it is not realized. Then again there are often wild hives close by too. within 1/2 mile of my main apiary I know of 4 wild hives. and have trapped swarms from them all. in either case you have them now. it matters not what their lineage is.


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## Ben Franklin (May 3, 2011)

I wish I could find the wild hive that is near me, I have had three or four swarms from the same area north east of my hives. But I am not able to walk far and none of the hunters have ever seen a wild hive.


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## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

I have a buddy that is a deer nerd. he spends 5 to 7 hours in the woods every day. I mean 365 days a year. setting up trail cameras, trimming old apple trees, shed hunting, you name it. If you have any good deer hunting land near you I may be able to get him interested in your woods. I must warn you he spends most of his time looking at the ground. Tracks, sheds, scraped, they all seem to be his primary focus.


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## beesintrees (Jan 25, 2013)

I'm late replying, but anyway, , , 
I lured 2 swarms this year. I don't know the source of the first one (and I think its nearby because for 3 consecutive years a swarm came to the same hollow tree) but the second swarm left its hive and flew about 100 yards to its resting tree and then flew another 100 yards to the lure it accepted. That second swarm stayed in its tree nearly a whole week and stayed there through a heavy rainstorm. They made 3 lobes of comb while they were in the tree.
bnt


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

Although I've been told that swarms may travel a good distance before congregating...they usually, in my experience, first come to a rest within sight of the parent colony.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

If you mean their first bivouac, that's usually in a tree within sight of the hive.

If you mean where they end up, I don't have it in front of me to quote exactly, but it seems like Seeley in Honey Bee Democracy said between 100 yards and 7 miles. In my experience they usually move about a quarter mile.


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