Thought it was to late to split but the bees had other ideas

[Ray Bayless]

Today I had my largest hive swarmed. I had considered splitting them but thought it was to late in the year. I was able to catch and hive the swarm but it wasn't pretty.  First I really didn't know what was going on. It looked like orientation flight at the wrong time and on steroids. I though robbing but then this big cloud of bees rose up and settled on a 6in limb 80ft up on a gum tree. I brought the limb down .with a few well plac ed shots. I was able to hive them. I placed them in 2 8 frame deeps on some partially drawn comb and foundation. I put a queen excluder under the hive bodies and a 1gal bucket feeder on top. I'm gonna have to stay on them to get them ready for winter. You guys really helped me out in this.  I'm a new and ambitious beekeeper this year I am working 6 hives. Without the information shared on this forum I wouldn't have known what to do. Any advice on how to get them ready for winter? Again thanks. I am working alone here I haven't been able to find a mentor. So I guess you guys are it.

[duck]

nice! keep that excluder there for four days. that seems to be the magic number for me. keep em fed.

[Joe D]

I am not sure but you may want to give them a little of the brood and stores from old hive.  Also you may not want to give them to much space to cover.  This is just my thinking could be wrong, fairly new myself.  Good luck



Joe

[yelnifok]

I would check the original hive for more queen cells- go slow and easy-you may see a new emerged virgin queen or not but you don't want to accidently hurt her. fall swarms mean that the parent hive now has more room than they need going into winter so reduce # of boxes- brood on bottom pollen/honey above and to the side of the brood area- Maybe share some with the caught swarm which will give it a boost especially the pollen.lee...