# Bees swarmed 5 feet from hive, then stayed...



## CaBees (Nov 9, 2011)

yes, put them into a nuc! Put a sheet under them and tip a box, brush them in carefully and try and get the queen! Put the lid on and the box on the sheet and if they start going into it then you know you have her. If unsure try and find a fellow beekeeper or bee group...I'm sure someone would be happy to come get them! Or maybe help you, but don't let them continue to build comb and die out....


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## Aggie-Archer (Aug 24, 2013)

Thanks! Would it be a bad idea to put them in a hive body with a reduced entrance? My local bee supply store doesn't carry nuc boxes. Otherwise I'll have to get one shipped. I also have a plastic nuc box that I got my bee nuc in, I could possibly repurpose that by cutting a hole in it.


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## CaBees (Nov 9, 2011)

If that is what you have then yes you should do it...do you have a solid or screened bottom board for it? Do you have frames and what is in them? Unfortunately if they've been out for 2 weeks they've probably used up the stores they brought with them. Once you get them in you should probably start feeding them if there are even enough bees. Try and confirm you have the queen too. Other suggestions may include bringing over a frame of brood to help guide them in. It all depends on what you find when you start the process....


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## jimsteelejr (Sep 21, 2012)

If they have started building comb I would treat it like a cut out. Suit out with whatever protection you use and have a couple of frames with out foundation in them. Slide several big rubber bands on to the frames. then cut the hanging comb and place it in the frames with the same orientation that you take it down. Use the ribbber bands to keep the comb in place. Put the frames in the empty hive and shake any bees still on the bush into the box. If you got the queen all the bees should start moving into the hive (set it right beside where the swarm is). Wait until dark plug the entrance and move it back to your bee yard. In the morning open the entrance. I would also feed them for a while and it would certainly be good to move a few frames of honey from the full hive as well as a frame of brood with stick eggs and young larvae. Then if you have damaged or not got the queen they will have the eggs to make a new queen. good luck


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## Aggie-Archer (Aug 24, 2013)

Thanks everyone! I got the hive into a nuc box. I cut out the little bit of comb they built, and actually saw some brood in it. They all happily filed into the box, so I am assuming I got the queen, even though I didn't see her. 

Now the other hive seems to be suffering a bit. I had seen some queen cells before the other girls swarmed, so I thought they may have hatched one. But upon examination of the hive a few weeks later, the brood is pretty spotty. I again didn't see a queen in there, but I didn't get to look at all the frames. They also had quite a beetle infestation, and the super I put on was nearly empty, so I took that off so they could manage the beetles. So I don't know if I should requeen, or give them some more time to build everything up. It is getting close to being too late to be able to order a new queen.

Any opinions are truly appreciated!!


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