# How to get a swarm to stay



## BackYardPhenomena (Jul 11, 2012)

I had my first swarm today, in my backyard in the middle of a raised garden bed. I was shocked to say the least. I picked them up, mulch and all and put them into a hive body with unpulled foundation. I got most of them and at first they all clumped up on the outside. They flew around in frenzy as well. It seemed to be a bit of excitement. I have just returned back from a evening out with the wife and there only seems to be a few clumps of bees here and there and not a swarm in the box.

Is it too late for this swarm? can I lure it, and if not what can I do to make them stay next time? Thanks


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

Brood and stores generally will make them stay. Perhaps you didn't get the queen the first time and they are searching for her or the queen flew off again.


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## BackYardPhenomena (Jul 11, 2012)

Good news this AM, the bees are moving in and out of the box... but it looks more like a frenzy... circling around. There is a clump of bees in a garden bed next to it, which the queen may be in. Unfortunately I only have deep frames filled with brood and honey, and have only medium frames and boxes to catch the swarm.

I put a cotton ball with lemongrass oil in it, anything else I could do???


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## Daniel Y (Sep 12, 2011)

Find the queen cage her and put her in the hive. Once the bees draw even a bit of comb let her go and make sure she has layed eggs in it. I got to watch day by day a swarm build comb this last summer. they stay clustered around the queen and the comb forms in the center of that cluster and widens and lengthens outward. took them quite a while to have enough comb that they did not simply have it completely cancelled in the cluster. Once a decent amount of brood started emerging. comb production went through the roof for a while. Lots of building little foraging from this swarm last year.


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## Graperunner (Mar 13, 2012)

If the med boxes are new, switch the inercovers so the old one is in the swarm box.
paul


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## BackYardPhenomena (Jul 11, 2012)

I just went through the clump on the ground with a queen catcher in hand... no queen. 

Is there such a thing as a queenless swarm? I put most in the box, but there are bees hiding in squash flowers... the strangest thing


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## BeeGhost (May 7, 2011)

I don't think there are QL swarms, but I've had swarms go queen less either by getting crushed by frames in transport or what ever. Sometimes a swarm will just leave, but I've had really good luck with them staying for the most part. 

The queen can sometimes be very hard to spot especially if the swarm contains a slender bodied virgin queen. If things are looking good and the swarm stays, start feeding.

My problem this year was some of the swarms going queen less for some odd reason, or the swarm had a virgin queen and she didn't make it back from mating flights.

Swarms can be odd sometimes!


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## gone2seed (Sep 18, 2011)

One thing to remember is that swarms like to cluster.Take some of those center frames out and replace with starter strips.


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## jrbbees (Apr 4, 2010)

some secondary swarms are built around a virgins and can be very hard to spot.


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## D Semple (Jun 18, 2010)

I catch a lot of swarms and have great luck getting them to stay by using foundationless frames.


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## arnoldhicks (Mar 13, 2011)

To catch the other clumps of bees take a frame and set it by the clump or hold it. The bees will climb on and transfer it to the hive with others.Frame should be drawn


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