# Handy but odd swarm!



## fieldsofnaturalhoney

Are you sure it was a swarm? What does the inside look like? Also, they definitely don't need the entrance reduced


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## Dan P

I had that happen once when it was all said and done they went down the line and killed four hives.


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## SueBeeTN

Didn't get to look inside because we were having the strong winds. It did have a robber screen on it but all the entrances were open. We are getting a storm tonight so hopefully I can check on them tomorrow.


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## D Coates

I had something similar happen last year. Turned out to be a swarm that issued but returned. I simply set a 5 frame nuc with a frame of open but untended brood right up against them. They smelled the brood and started moving in and I left. The next morning when it was cooler I simply came peaked in the box. Saw they were there and hauled the nuc off to another apiary.


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## GaryG74

Thanks for sharing the photo, let us know if you got the queen.


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## fieldsofnaturalhoney

SueBeeTN said:


> It did have a robber screen on it but all the entrances were open. We are getting a storm tonight so hopefully I can check on them tomorrow.


How many entrances are there? How big is the entrance on the robber screen?


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## humm

Dan P said:


> I had that happen once when it was all said and done they went down the line and killed four hives.


How is that? Could you explain?


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## Dan P

Sure it was a swarm I went and got put it in a box brought it home. They flew out and landed on another hive for a little while, then went to the next hive and the next, at the end of the fourth hive they stayed all other hives were now empty. No live bees no honey, nothing.
I would say that docile bees dont survive against aggressive bees.
Last year I had a swarm land on a hive nice carniolans now mean bees.


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## SueBeeTN

There are 3 entrances. Two are across the bottom and they are around 2 1/2 inches across. Then at the top is a 3/4 inch opening. All can be opened or closed.


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## SueBeeTN

I am planning on checking tomorrow or Saturday but they seem to be at home in the new hive so I hope we did. We checked the hive they swarmed from and there where numerous swarm cells and still have lots of bees.


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## David LaFerney

You were planning to do some splitting anyway - right?

I had one like that too on March 30 - 










I looked in on them a couple of days ago, and it looked like they had drawn 13 medium frames of comb already so I gave them another gallon of syrup and another box of comb.


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## fieldsofnaturalhoney

SueBeeTN said:


> We checked the hive they swarmed from and there where numerous swarm cells and still have lots of bees.


Was the swarm hive the same hive in the picture? Hope you plan on utilizing those cells Were all three entrances open?


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## SueBeeTN

I was but I had already pulled frames from the hive that swarmed and created a nuc on 3/30. Great pic of your swarm! I was in Morristown on Wednesday at a fire hall and one of the fireman said his father had called that morning with a large swarm in his yard. I tried to get a box from them and I was going to go and get them but we had a guy riding with us that about had a heart attack when I said I was going to put them in the vehicle with us so sadly I did not get to retrieve that swarm!


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## SueBeeTN

Yes it was the same one in the picture and yes all three entrances were open when they swarmed. I did take some of the swarm cells and placed them in some nucs I made earlier.


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## Brad Bee

Sue that guy would just have had to suck it up if he had been with me.


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## sakhoney

or find another ride


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## SueBeeTN

Checked today and we definitely got the queen. Lots of eggs and young larvae and the girls have already drawn out several frames and brought in quite a bit of stores.


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