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Another swarm saga...
Topic Started: May 31 2012, 05:35 PM (136 Views)
Phaedrus
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I was offered first refusal on a large swarm. I bought it and "ran them in" to an awaiting hive on Monday night. They ran in on a sheet over a board and all went well.
On Wednesday I went up to find the hive empty. They had absconded.
I rang my Warré mentor who told me to look close by as they were probably clustered.
Sure enough I found them in the hawthorn hedge at the edge of the apiary!
The trick then was to prepare a box as close under them as i could. Cut back carefully around the hedge and shake them into the box. Cover and then try hiving again at dusk.
I got so close but at the last minute as I was about the shake them in, the branch holding the cluster suddenly snapped! Chaos! Some went into the box, some outside on the sheet and the rest took to the air!
Within a minute I knew the queen was amongst those in the air as I watched the swarm fly off to the west over the trees.
I was absolutely gutted.
http://kungfu23.myzen.co.uk/Warre_Photos/Swarm_to_Warre_run-in.html#grid

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Ray

After so much work & getting so close, what a bloody shame Trev! Any chance at all that they will swarm back?
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Phaedrus
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I got a phone call late that night from my beek mentor David Heaf, saying one of his bait hives was suddenly showing a lot of activity. The bait hive is less than a mile due west from me (where my lost swarm headed) and he believed this could well be scouts from this swarm probing the bait hive.
I have just had another call today to say the swarm has arrived at the bait hive and David has offered the swarm to me....even if it isn`t the same swarm. :thumbsup

I have a busy bee day. Tonight I will pick up the swarm and run them in again. This time I will add a queen excluder to prevent the queen from leaving for a few days.

I also need to move the hall trap-out bees to my friends place tonight.
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Phaedrus
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Re hived the absconded swarm.
Its quite scary when you shake them out of the bait hive and chaos ensues. Quite a few angry bees. I guess they are hungry.
Struggled to slide in a piece of queen excluder. I need an extra pair of hands to do it properly. Hope its enough to keep them in this time.
Phew! I thought this beekeeping lark would be stress free.

Moving the trap-out bees tomorrow night.
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Ray

Well done Trev, your beek mentor sounds like a nice guy.
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