# Transfer small colony to hive?



## bernsad (Aug 15, 2011)

Hi everyone,

Got a call to rescue a small swarm today but the swarm has been clustered in the tree long enough to build 5 combs about the size of a bread and butter plate each. I've cut the branch off and it's currently sitting in the middle of an 8 frame box with 2 frames either side of it. How should I proceed from here to get the girls onto frames? Do I just sacrifice the small amount of brood and stores to date by shaking them onto the frames and treat it as a swarm? Or do I try and save the combs somehow?

In case you haven't guessed I'm new to this.

Thanks,
B


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

You could just shake the bees in. They will have a better start if you cut the combs off the branch and wire them into frames with wire, string, or rubber bands.


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## bernsad (Aug 15, 2011)

Thanks americasbeekeeper, I'd just about come to that conclusion myself.


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## hunter1 (May 22, 2010)

Bernsad,
A trick in moving brood to frames: 
I was told to put it in upside down, after the eggs hatch, the queen will not lay in them, forces her to move her brood to cells that are proper.


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## bernsad (Aug 15, 2011)

Upside down, interesting. How does that affect the developement of the brood? 

I've got the swarm in a 5 frame nuc, there is good activity coming and going so I'm very pleased,


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## hunter1 (May 22, 2010)

Bernsad,
The cells are constructed with a little tilt I guess. I do not base it on fact, It just made sense when an ole beek shared his wisdom with me.
Maybe the eggs won't reside in an upside down cell.
After 21 days all will be hatched and thats when I give them new foundation to work with, 
I use about half of hive with brood and have half the frames with new foundation.
This is how I start a colony I remove from a tree or houses.

Since you are just now starting to get honey flow , I beleive I would have just shaked them in and let em start fresh.
PS. I love Australia and your countrymen. I was treated most kind on three visits I made in 2000.


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## bernsad (Aug 15, 2011)

Thanks for the info hunter. I would have just shaken them in but it was only asmall swarm and they had already started laying brood, I just wanted to help them out as much as possible. I've got a couple of splits that may be queenless so I may combine them yet, they seemed quite gentle when I was ripping them out of a tree.

Make sure you come back to Oz soon, we'll treat you nice again.

Regards,
B


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