# Trapped Swarm Update



## Cheech (Oct 22, 2011)

Hi All,
took my swarm home and checked them today for the first time. take a look at the photos
my problem is, i can see no evidence of eggs, larva or capped brood, now did i see the queen.
here is the history: deployed the trap two fridays ago (thats 2 weeks exactly), checked the trap for the first time last friday and found bees in the trap.
opened the box for the first time today and this is what i have found.
am i too anxious to see capped brood? maybe there are eggs, but i cant see them due to the whiteness of the comb? is it too early to see any of these things?
i would love some advice on my expectations and what to do from here
thanks
Cheech










showing the wife (taking the pic) the pollen


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## Bsweet (Apr 9, 2010)

In most cases the eggs will be in the center of the nest, so you MAY have eggs and not be able to see them. Remimber that the cells are not straight out from the center of the comb but angled slightly so when you turn the lid upside down as in pic. #2 and 3 the cells are pointed down and its impossible to see into them.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

Next time put frames in so that you don't have to do a cut out.


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## Tazcan (Mar 25, 2012)

Those photos are great.


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## flyingbrass (Jul 2, 2011)

eggs are really hard to see in new white comb!!!


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## Cheech (Oct 22, 2011)

bsweet & flying, i thought so too, didn't want to brush them off to take a proper look since i'm not that comfortable with all the bees flying around, not wearing a vail and basically being very inexperienced. was wondering though if after a week of the swarm moving in, what stage of brood i would expect at this point.

odfrank, i did want to put frames in them, but to make a long story short, i made the inside of the nuk too small, work 6 days a week and the timing of getting the time to deploy the traps, just had to do it this way. i plan to make a few more traps, this time i will make some tbh nuks, with bars this time. swarm season here in Jamaica i am told really starts in May.

Tazcan, thanks


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## Keth Comollo (Nov 4, 2011)

I would be willing to bet you have a queen and brood forming in there. Great photos! That nuc looks like it should take frames. Did you just make it too short by accident?


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## Bsweet (Apr 9, 2010)

If you use that Nuc again just put some short top bars in it, if it catches again you can tie the short bars to a frame top bar.


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## Cheech (Oct 22, 2011)

Keth, yes, the nuk is designed to take frames, but the plan calls for 1/2" wood and i used 5/8" not realizing this would make a diff. 
the diff. caused frames to be tight fitting with no bee space at all. I did consider placing top bars in, and even got bars made up, but time ran out before i could put some sort of guide on the bars, or even purchase frames. I had 11 traps to put out in 3 diff. locations.


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## Keth Comollo (Nov 4, 2011)

Ahh, that makes sense Cheech. We all make mistakes like that. Better to just get them deployed with some lemongrass oil and deal with the extra work of putting the comb in frames. You are in an area where trapping should be very productive! I envy you. We just had snow here a few days ago!


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## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

I would also bet you have the queen. If the bees are that gentle, and dropping multiple combs, you can almost bet you have the queen.

cchoganjr


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## Cheech (Oct 22, 2011)

Snow! i lived in Toronto for 24 years and i do not miss the snow
with all the responses, i'm feeling more confident. the foragers are also bringing in pollen so hopefully that's also a sign of brood


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## bigbore (Feb 25, 2008)

it is a very good sign, check it again in about 10 days, you might be able to see capped brood then. from my experience, a swarm queen takes from 4 to 10 days to get back to laying, and about another week to get capped brood enough to see easily. So a week to 10 days yet and there should be some capped.


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