# Mid-summer swarms



## DLMKA (Feb 7, 2012)

Yeah or nay? I'm going to get a swarm right now (july 21), I'm going to feed them like crazy for a few weeks and see how much comb they can build. I may just combine at that point depending how they do. 

Why are they swarming this late? No nectar flow here for the last few weeks. Are they swarming to get out of a bad mite load situation?


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

Well the old saying goes. If they swarm in july, let em fly...........but that was coined before overwintered nucs became popular. I say put them in a nuc, let them build you comb if they make it great, if they don't get big enough, combine with a weaker hive and pinch the less desirable of the queens.


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## shannonswyatt (May 7, 2012)

I got a swarm on Thursday only to see it fly away this morning. It was pretty big. This is a weird weather year for us. I think you should definitely get them and let them build comb for you at a minimum. The old saying about letting them fly was coined hundreds of years ago when people worked bees in skeps. That was probably before sugar was widely available.


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

Just caught a swarm several days ago in another ML cardboard box. They swarm as late as August here if they get crowded. I'm going to hive these bad girls and see how they do.


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## beemartin (Mar 13, 2013)

I had a swarm call last night that I couldn't get to, but they flew away this morning...


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

I take all the swarms that come in no matter what month. Granted, I will quarantine them for a couple of weeks from the rest of my hives first. 
So many possibilties.... nuc's, population boost, comb building, queen backup......


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## DLMKA (Feb 7, 2012)

I plan on getting swarms any time, I have a stack of foundation that doesn't do me any good and swarms can fix that pretty quick.


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## marshmasterpat (Jun 26, 2013)

Got a swarm about a week ago, kept them on syrup to try to keep them, gone in 2 days.


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

A frame of open brood will keep them from absconding.


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

Good point Charlie. Also hiving them in 4 -5 frames of drawn comb will increase the odds of staying put as well.


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

Leaving the swarm where you hive it for 24-36 hours also helps 

I am with Mr Beeman, and Charlie on this one, plus, leave on site until at least dark of the first day. 

Frame of unsealed brood, 2-4 frames of brood comb, (plus one frame of foundation to keep them from dropping comb) , leave on site for 24-36 hours, No feed until they have been moved. normally works for me. Haven't had one abscound in years.

cchoganjr


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## Waggle (Mar 7, 2013)

I caught a nice swarm on friday, it's now in my new top bar hive and appears to be doing fine.


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## shannonswyatt (May 7, 2012)

I caught a nice swarm on Friday only to have it abscond on Sunday! Note to self, give a swarm a bar of brood!


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

Cleo C. Hogan Jr said:


> , (plus one frame of foundation to keep them from dropping comb) , .... normally works for me. Haven't had one abscound in years.
> 
> cchoganjr



what does dropping comb mean?


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## Adam Foster Collins (Nov 4, 2009)

Ever since I started wintering nucs, my whole outlook on late season swarms has changed.
Now I see them as being wintering nucs on steroids, as they come with that extra "fire" to build and store...

Adam


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## LetMBee (Jan 4, 2012)

I caught one last Thursday in a swarm trap. I have been hiving late summer swarms for several years. There is a high mortality (25%), but the ones that do make it give a honey crop the second year. I don't feed mine. They routinely overwinter in a single deep but they overwinter. Don't be afraid. Get em.


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

Harley Craig said:


> what does dropping comb mean?


It means, the bees starting a comb from the inner cover or migratory top when you have fewer than all the frames in the deep super. (Box not full of frames.) Can make a mess if they do. I leave the space in the box to shake the bees into. I don't normally give swarms more comb than they can cover. So, to keep them from starting a comb of their own, I add a frame of foundation.

cchoganjr


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