Swarm Update

[DayValleyDahlias]

LOL..thank you all TOO much ~*~

[CBEE]

If you would have had a few thousand pairs of little red shoes on hand to put on them you could have just had them say there's no place like hive, there's no place like hive a few times and you would not have all this trouble.  
Pay no attention to the lady in the white suite.. you know the drill

[DayValleyDahlias]

Oh CB...I get to do it all over this am...for joy...I think I will change my strategy.  I will take another empty hove body down there, place another sheet next to the one I have, then when I live the lid off the primary hive body if the bees fall they will fall in the extra hive body, I will then attempt to scrape the bees off the side and shake them into the primary HB, then take what fell of the lid and shake those back in...hhhmmmmm

[Cindi]

Oh Sharon, you are a hoot and a hollar, you are indeed bringing that great and beautiful smile to my face.  I am following your story like a Nancy Drew mystery!!!  YEah!!  Good for you and your persistence, what a gal!!!

I probably won't get back on the forum until tonight, if I am lucky, but definitely tomorrow morning, so I expect to hear that you got the swarm to stay home and the queen is there too.  Good luck, best wishes, I can't wait to hear what happens, you know the ol' saying

All good things take time.

Yep, yu are experiencing this right now!!!  Beautiful day, beautiful life, you are having a beautiful time of your life, hee, hee.  Cindi

[DayValleyDahlias]

Dear Friends and Fellow Swarm Catchers,

Went to the hive body at 0730,  mapped out my strategy, was purposeful with my movements ( this is like Tai Chi ), lifted the lid off so carefully and set it on an empty super.  Got 2 dustpans, one with a rubber strip and one with a pocket and gently buy firmly scraped the bees into the pocket dustpan and shook them into the hive.  I have about 80% of the bees in the hive body.  Top went back on, feeder can on.  Looked at the remaining bees, did not see a queen...I will leave well enough alone for now, they have food and a home.

Today should tell whether we have that queen in the box!

[BMAC]

If they are still not in the box and are hanging around, then spray the cluster with sugar water and weight them down a bit before you do the dust pan removal method.  I have done this before and it works pretty well.

I hope your queen is in there.

[DayValleyDahlias]

Thanks BMAC, they got sprayed A LOT, with syrup, it really worked well.  But this morning all I had to do was gently scrape them off the side...
 

[Cindi]

Sharon, ooooh the plot thickens, what is coming next?  I want to hear that you got the queen in there too, lovely, have a wonderful and great day, Cindi

[DayValleyDahlias]

Cindi YES!!!  Queenie is home in the hive!  Long live the queen!

[beesbeesbees]

That was great.  Not only was that an enjoyable read but it relieves some of my frustration that winter just won't end.  Someday my bees will fly again.

[DayValleyDahlias]

Beesx3...your bees will fly, and you will chase them!  Ready, set, go!

[Cass Cohenour]

What are the measurements for 1:1 ?

One pint of water to one pound of sugar.

Recipes for Beekeepers;

http://wvbeekeeper.blogspot.com/2008/01/recipes-for-beekeepers.html

Making inverteded sugar syrup;

http://wvbeekeeper.blogspot.com/2008/01/making-invert-sugar-syrup.html

[DayValleyDahlias]

The swarm I feel is now a colony...it has been 1 week since they have remained in the new hive, which I will call H2.

The hive they swarmed from ( I am pretty sure )...H1 became queenless after the swarm?  I have not heard that queenless ROAR that I have read about.  Is the roar classic or are hives sometimes undaunted by not having a queen?

Thank you

[Jerrymac]

I think having queen cells is different than being queenless. Just a guess.

[annette]

How do you know they are queenless?? That roar doesn't always sound like a roar. As MB says, it just doesn't sound harmonious.

When they swarm, they leave behind queen cells so that hive should have a virgin queen soon, if it doesn't already have one. Have you gotten a chance to check in this hive and look for queen cells? When my hive swarmed last spring they left behind many, many queen cells.

Annette

[DayValleyDahlias]

Well, this is why I ask, cuz I don't know...I thought when the swarm occurred, it left H1 without a queen...but maybe they are busy making a new one.  The hive sounds as it always did...hhmmm I am not messing around with the first hive until 3 weeks is up...

I guess I have to read up on what queen cells look like, because when I had inspected 2 weeks before the swarm, I didn't see anything out of the ordinary...sneaky lil bees!

[Kirk-o]

When the bees swarm they usally leave a queen cell or two fro the remaing colony can survuve.I'm sure they have a queen or queen cell.Take a look be careful not to squish the queen cell
kirko

[annette]

Hi Sharon

Yes, the queen cell will look like a peanut shaped cell, and should be hanging on the bottom of the frames. You have truly done a great job and I just love reading your posts. They are so upbeat and happy. I am also very happy you have your little swarm, as they will build up really fast now.

Take care and do not worry about the hive that swarmed. They will be fine with a nice new queen soon.

Take care
Annette

[johnnybigfish]

H 2....oooooohhhh...
  heh, heh,....get it?
 That ones for you Burl!

Way to go DVD!
 I cant wait till i can catch another swarm! Its 10x better if they stay!
your friend,
john

[DayValleyDahlias]

Thanks All,

Annette, worrying...ugh, I am practicing to NOT worry so much...and say "This too shall pass"...LOL...

Yup Johhny..H1 & H2  I don't have nice names for them as Tillie does...maybe some day I will...