# Confused bees



## marshmasterpat (Jun 26, 2013)

In the last week I have been given tips on 3 different potential swarms. One is an open comb in a bush that has a football size cluster of bees on it and has a basketball size of comb build. Beautiful white comb being drawn. Been there about 2 to 3 weeks. Another moved in apparently just about 1 week ago in a building, and the third groups is apparently scout bees checking out a travel trailer in the fifth week hitch. Showed up less than a week ago and now there is 100+ swarming around. Going to try to put a nuc with comb near it and see if they move a swarm in. Yea, we are warm still here but October is tomorrow. Why so many swarms this late in September?

I might raid the one in the bush. Try to attach some of the comb to frames (it will likely be ugly) place in a nuc and let them adjust to the hive for a week. Then find the queen, pinch her or cage her to limit the egg laying area for week while letting them build more and firmly attach comb. I would then pinch her, get rid of the new eggs and then combine them with a weak hive, any potential mean bees will be dead by spring. But the numbers and the extra comb would be helpful to one hive. Should be buttoned up before first frost.


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

Swarms in Sept.... everything was late (or non existant) this year.


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## Northwest PA Beekeeper (Mar 28, 2012)

I'm being told the reason for all the late swarms is the weather. At least here in Pennsylvania, July and August are usually dry - we don't get much rain and things dry up. With things drying up and not much pollen / nectar coming in, the queen cuts back on laying.

This year, it stayed wet - which resulted in pollen and nectar still coming in. The queen just kept on laying and the hives got crowded, so they swarmed. For all purposes in Pennsylvania, those late swarms have comitted suicide. There is virtually no chance for them to build comb and get enough stores to survive the winter.


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

True... but full is full no matter what time of the season. Suicide missions for sure. Hopefully there are enough stores in your apiary to support them throughout the winter. I usually have 3 medium supers with stores just in case.


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## GaryG74 (Apr 9, 2014)

If there are too many limbs to get large pieces of comb to tie (rubber band) into frames, try cutting the whole thing out of the bush with as few outward pointing limbs as possible and put it in a plywood box that you can put a hive body over. It doesn't have to be the exact size of a hive. Put a deep with drawn comb if you have it on top and a feeder or frames of honey and feed, feed, feed. Next spring they can move up into standard sized equipment and you can remove the box and harvest the wax.


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

I would do as GaryG74 states above. Leave the swarm and comb intact until Spring.

About 3 years ago I received a call from a service station, about bees in a car tire. It was late Fall and I knew I could not cut them out. I built a plywood box approximately 3 ft X 3 ft and about 1 1/2 ft deep. Large enough for the tire to lay inside the plywood box. I cut a hole in the top of the box about 18 inches long and 15 inches wide. Large enough for a standard Lang to sit on top. I then sealed the Lang to the plywood box with silicone sealer. I did not put anything in the Lang over the Winter, but, all bees entering and leaving the box had to go through the Lang. When Spring came I placed drawn frames and a frame of open brood in the Lang and the bees moved up into the Lang, because the area inside the tire was very limited. On my second or third inspection I found the queen on the combs in the Lang, so I removed the frames with the queen and the bees on it from the Lang, and moved them to another yard. I then cut out the comb from the tire and wheel and returned them to the service station that had made the call to come get the bees. 

I believe this same approach will work for you. Construct a box large enough to cut the limbs and just prop them up in your box and let them go through the Winter without destroying their combs. Next Spring let them move up into the Lang and them move them away. 

Hope this will help.

cchoganjr


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## marshmasterpat (Jun 26, 2013)

I may try that method. Would it work if I stacked a few medium supers together with the comb in that and just have some frames added on top. But I am out of drawn frames I believe, may be able to steal one from my hives, but not sure. 

So with the lack of drawn comb will this method still work?


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

It should work with your supers. Any type of box.

Foundation will work during a good honey flow, where the bees are rapidly building comb and the queen is looking for any place to lay eggs. To really make them move up into the combs/foundation, at some point you will likely need some open brood to entice them away from the branches and onto the combs you give them.

cchoganjr


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