# Late swarm



## DanielD (Jul 21, 2012)

I got a swarm today, which is very late in the year. It was 3 ft. off the ground and an easy catch. I would say somewhere around 3 pounds. I have enough drawn comb and will feed like crazy for a while. I also have a dark cold (40 degrees) basement to put them in over winter. I wintered some small nuc size hives there before. I hope it makes into spring.
Any other suggestions?


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## tsmullins (Feb 17, 2011)

Best wishes,

Sounds like you have a great plan. Please keep us posted. It will be very interesting to see how they progress. Having drawn comb will be huge. Would you happen to have any frames of honey?

Shane


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## Riverderwent (May 23, 2013)

"Any other suggestions?"
I agree with Shane about honey. If you can spare some frames of uncapped nectar or capped honey, give them some. Feed them 2:1 syrup (from inside the hive). I would find keeping this late swarm thriving to be an interesting challenge. They are fortunate you found them.


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## DanielD (Jul 21, 2012)

Thanks for the encouragement. I really don't have any resources to give them. I hope there's a little fall forage out there for them for a while. The bees have been clustered for at least 3 days where they were found. The land owner had been watching them, telling a friend of mine who keeps bees. My friend didn't have the resources or desire right now for another hive, so he called me. We went out together and just cut the branch they were on and shook them into the hive box and put them in the truck. We pulled up right next to the swarm. Easy catch. The sun was setting when we got there. I hope they stay in the hive. I gave them syrup this morning with the entrance screened off with exception of less than an inch.


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## Riverderwent (May 23, 2013)

You've got this. Less is more. If in doubt, wait. The real critical time for food will be very early spring. Allowing for cleansing flights will be a bit of an issue. Arrange now for grief counseling in the event you lose the genetics from this colony. (But they are just bugs with honey.)


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## DanielD (Jul 21, 2012)

Riverderwent said:


> You've got this. Less is more. If in doubt, wait. The real critical time for food will be very early spring. Allowing for cleansing flights will be a bit of an issue. Arrange now for grief counseling in the event you lose the genetics from this colony. (But they are just bugs with honey.)


 I plan to either make a path/tunnel to allow them out in the winter, or carry them out when it's nice enough for flying. I prefer the first option since I did the second option last time and it's no fun. I may also keep them upstairs in the house, since we just moved from it to a new house nearby and it's empty. It will be a new shed now. 

Yes, they are just bugs and I didn't have to buy them, but the genetics would be good. There was an old depot 500-600 yards from the swarm that the owner said has had bees in it for a long time. I may see about checking that one out next spring. It is assumed they came from there. They are smaller bees too. I had a swarm from a dozed over tree a month ago that was good and strong, yet I couldn't find the queen and all the brood was gone since it was several hours since the tree was toppled when I got there and all the comb was pancaked together and full of dirt etc. from inside the tree.


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## DanielD (Jul 21, 2012)

Here's a couple photos from my new hive location and my property. I hope there's forage in all the red clover, etc. I don't really know for sure what kind of forage is here for them right now.


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## waynesgarden (Jan 3, 2009)

Your bees will benefit from the Goldenrod for certain. The Red Clover is great for bumble bees but not for the honeys. If there are asters growing in your area, that is also a good feed for your bees.

Wayne


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## DanielD (Jul 21, 2012)

tsmullins said:


> Please keep us posted. It will be very interesting to see how they progress.
> 
> Shane


The bees look like they are settling in, coming and going and being busy. I will open them up after having them a week. Looking forward to that.


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## DanielD (Jul 21, 2012)

I checked the new late swarm a few days ago and found the queen and eggs. They are doing very well. Hopefully it's on the way to booming in the spring.


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## DmacShack (May 22, 2013)

South Alabama here. Caught a swarm yesterday and put them in a 5 frame nuc. Added two frames of honey/pollen and frame of open brood to keep them anchored. Hopefully they can take advantage of the goldenrod flow (whats left of it) and make it through the winter. Getting very late....


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## DanielD (Jul 21, 2012)

Just another update. The bee numbers are growing on this late swarm and they have a nice 6" diameter or so brood nest on 3 frames to produce some new bees to get through the winter. Bees cover 5-6 frames. They have had a couple rounds of brood now with capped brood, larva and eggs right now. This hive may be a perfect nuc to get through the winter in the old house basement.


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