Guest Posted November 16, 2012 Share Posted November 16, 2012 I picked up a swarm from Te Puke yesterday. The landowner had fumigated them with petrol :eek: so there were only a few left alive. I put them in a box anyway and brought them home, I don't think they'll survive... Link to post Share on other sites
Trevor Gillbanks 6,846 Posted November 16, 2012 Share Posted November 16, 2012 I picked up a swarm from Te Puke yesterday. The landowner had fumigated them with petrol :eek: so there were only a few left alive. I put them in a box anyway and brought them home, I don't think they'll survive... It makes you wonder why someone would do that and then call a beekeeper for help. Link to post Share on other sites
CraigM 194 Posted November 16, 2012 Share Posted November 16, 2012 It makes you wonder why someone would do that and then call a beekeeper for help. Yeah, I got a call about a swarm in a plastic compost bin that they tried to get rid of with flyspray. Scooped them up and rehoused in a single FD hive, left them there for a day and removed last night. All seem to be happy this morning, gave them a feed and will check in a day or two. Only 50 odd bees killed with the spray as they only sprayed the flying bees. Link to post Share on other sites
Daley 4,351 Posted November 17, 2012 Share Posted November 17, 2012 some people are so cute though , you go round to catch a swarm thats 100m from a house sometimes, and you always get "We've closed all the doors and windows" then when you tell them they can stand 5m away and watch you catch it wearing a half suit, shorts, barefeet and no gloves they feel a bit silly. I like to give the swarm a good poke with no gear on just to prove to people that you shouldn't fear and squash every bee you see just because it 'might' sting you. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Hannes 126 Posted November 17, 2012 Share Posted November 17, 2012 If you ever heard about Murphy? That will be the swarm that is grumpy and will have a go at you:oops: 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Daley 4,351 Posted November 17, 2012 Share Posted November 17, 2012 :what: oh yes, I've met Murphy many a times. But of course, I'm young.. so I ignore Murphy until he rears his ugly head... then I wait till I'm over the past and do it all again Link to post Share on other sites
Popular Post CraigM 194 Posted November 17, 2012 Popular Post Share Posted November 17, 2012 Went around to a house after the owners called to say they had heaps of bees in there tree. Well yes, the tree was in flower and was full of bees working hard. Had to say I couldn't do anything about them, mind you didn't say I had a hive around the corner. 5 Link to post Share on other sites
dansar 5,524 Posted November 17, 2012 Share Posted November 17, 2012 Went around to a house after the owners called to say they had heaps of bees in there tree. Well yes, the tree was in flower and was full of bees working hard. Had to say I couldn't do anything about them, mind you didn't say I had a hive around the corner. rolls eyes - its like the towny who moves into the country and complains to the farmer that his cows stink and make to much noise when eating next to the house 1 Link to post Share on other sites
dansar 5,524 Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 A swarm found my swarm bait box located at work last week - box is up 3 meters in a pine tree. what you cant see is the yard to the left of the tree that above the height of the box, it was quite neat to be able to watch the bees fly in at ankle height in to the box its nt to bad to get to sealed the entrance holes so there are no supprises on the way home;) put them in the hive last night and found them all outside this afternoon - I may have left the queen outside over night... all back in the hive - a few left to find their way back in. 10 minutes later 20 minutes after re housing the swarm. 45 minutes later all back in the hive and bees doing orientatin flights in to the evening. one other thing I did was tie in most of the comb that they had built in the swarm bait box in to some of the frames, the comb had brood in it so this seems to have worked to keep the bees in the box. I now have a Carniolan colony. 3 Link to post Share on other sites
P K Tan 1,630 Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 Daniel, could you please clarify why having to tie in comb to some of the frames? Do you use frames with combs in the swarm box? Link to post Share on other sites
dansar 5,524 Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 Daniel, could you please clarify why having to tie in comb to some of the frames? Do you use frames with combs in the swarm box? Like this - the bits that were in the bait box that bees had made before I opened it. tie them in similar to this, just imagine smaller pcs. Link to post Share on other sites
dansar 5,524 Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 Daniel, could you please clarify why having to tie in comb to some of the frames? Do you use frames with combs in the swarm box? No/yes - I have a frame with foundation and some foundationless frames and some old pcs of comb as an attractant - oh and a couple of drops of lemon Grass oil. The bees worked around the frames and built comb on the box lid:eek: Link to post Share on other sites
Trevor Gillbanks 6,846 Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 Caught another swarm tonight. Good size. 5 m up a cedar 2 trips up the ladder and job all done. That is swarm 5 for this season nut 2 of them absconded after capture. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
dansar 5,524 Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 Darn it!! the bees have swarmed during the day :eek: no bees in the hive any more (well a few stragglers that were out when the rest took flight.) lesson learnt - I should have locked them up in the hive for a day or so. Link to post Share on other sites
Trevor Gillbanks 6,846 Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 Dam Daniel. Better luck next time. Link to post Share on other sites
dansar 5,524 Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 Dam Daniel. Better luck next time. ditto Link to post Share on other sites
P K Tan 1,630 Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 Got call to a swarm at Wadestown School. Apparent it swarmed over the tennis court when the kids were on their lunch break and caused a bit of a panic. Caretaker and teachers included. Arrived 1 1/2 hr later to find it (reportedly the size of rugby ball) had gone and left a golf ball size on a tree (scouts?). My second missed swarm. Perhaps the next school to target for the next bee week for a bit of education on swarming bees. Not what you see on horror movie. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Bron 2,780 Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 Perhaps the next school to target for the next bee week for a bit of education on swarming bees. Not what you see on horror movie. Killer bees???:what: Honestly... I am worried about the messages we (as adults and teachers) give to our children and students because we don't know enough about small insects that do a power of good. Link to post Share on other sites
Popular Post Janice 3,991 Posted November 25, 2012 Popular Post Share Posted November 25, 2012 I've had a small swarm up a tree for the past 8 days. I've tried a variety of dodgy and dangerous methods to get it down but it was out of reach - all I managed was to swat a few bees off it last week. It was just out of reach of my longest pole and I couldn't get a ladder to it. Anyway, yesteray I noticed it had grown bigger (wonder if they were joined by another swarm?) and today the bees took off, flew around the apiary and settled on a patch of muehlenbeckia (sp?) vine where I could finally get them. I got the first big clump and put them in a hive. By the time I came back with the next batch the first ones were Nasonoving away on the doorstep, so I reckoned I had queenie safe and sound. I dumped the rest in front of the hive and they trooped in. The flying bees also went in by themselves, so I think I have a result. 5 Link to post Share on other sites
dansar 5,524 Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 Darn it!! the bees have swarmed during the day :eek: no bees in the hive any more (well a few stragglers that were out when the rest took flight.) lesson learnt - I should have locked them up in the hive for a day or so. I didnt tidy up the hive aftert the bees "apparently" swarm out of the hive. I noticed bees coming and going from the hive over the weekend. I thought it was nosey bees from my other hives sniffing out the new hive, and didnt think any more of it. I lifted the lid to dismantel the hive and put away in the shed yesterday afternoon....there I found a cluster of Carniolan bees (from the original swarm), the cluster is about the size of my fist and they are drawing comb. I cant see a queen, is it safe to assume that there was probably more than one queen in the swarm and they swarmed from my hive with the bulk of the bees and left a virgin queen behind? I am feeding them at the moment to get more comb built and see if there is a queen that starts laying. So total hives this year is 1 Warre on to its third box and four 5 frame langstroth Nucs building up finaly with the good stretch of weather and finally a flow on ( a light flow, bees actually storing in the brood box rather than bone dry and me feeding.) 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Otto 780 Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 Homed a small swarm into a nuc box that had settled in a pohutukawa on Otago Uni campus last Thursday. Was at the perfect height for collecting (around 1.7m off the ground). Went out Friday lunchtime to run an errand, looked up at the sky as I got outside and couldn't help but notice another swarm just flying by. Followed it briefly and it settled in an American Oak about 20m from the pohutukawa. This was a much bigger swarm and settled on an outer branch around 7m off the ground - didn't try housing this one as it was on Uni property and if you want to go over 5m off the ground you need all manner of equipment and safety gear. It was gone when I got back to work yesterday morning. Link to post Share on other sites
Otto 780 Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 I didnt tidy up the hive aftert the bees "apparently" swarm out of the hive. I noticed bees coming and going from the hive over the weekend. I thought it was nosey bees from my other hives sniffing out the new hive, and didnt think any more of it. I lifted the lid to dismantel the hive and put away in the shed yesterday afternoon....there I found a cluster of Carniolan bees (from the original swarm), the cluster is about the size of my fist and they are drawing comb. I cant see a queen, is it safe to assume that there was probably more than one queen in the swarm and they swarmed from my hive with the bulk of the bees and left a virgin queen behind? I am feeding them at the moment to get more comb built and see if there is a queen that starts laying. So total hives this year is 1 Warre on to its third box and four 5 frame langstroth Nucs building up finaly with the good stretch of weather and finally a flow on ( a light flow, bees actually storing in the brood box rather than bone dry and me feeding.) Had a similar experience last year where I homed a swarm at one of my apiaries. Came back a few days later to check it - no bees. Came back a few days after that to check the other hives at the apiary and the 'empty' swarm box was humming again. Don't know if it was a different swarm or the same one that came back but this one stayed. Link to post Share on other sites
Haydon 87 Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 Had the good fourtune to collect two swarms this year - both off the same bush only 500mm off the ground - doesnt get any better than that ! . Intereresting battle with Veroa :mad: in the swarm though - have been killing heaps with Bayvarol over several weeks - but tried 20mls of 65% strength formic acid soaked in a paper towell within a single Hive doctor tray - the next morning the tray was covered in veroa (y) - Great result - so will try again next week to see what results, which will be a good measure of remaining veroa numbers in the hive, hopefully there will be non or very little - The formic acid technic is great easy and non invasive way to see if your hive has veroa ! 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Daley 4,351 Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 I'm having bad swarm luck at the moment! Got a swarm on Monday night, then yesterday when I was looking for eggs, I found a virgin queen in it, and the naughty little sausage flew away! Blimin heck! And I'm not sure if she came back, so will give it a cell tomorrow. And another swarm I got a while back has turned out to be a drone layer/or laying workers, I'm not sure which, so that needs a cell too. Lucky I've got a very good swarm to do all my fixing! Link to post Share on other sites
Trevor Gillbanks 6,846 Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 Horrible when a virgin flies off and you are not sure if she will get back. It happened to me twice this season and I have been lucky in that they both came back. I was told by Frank Lyndsay to leave the hive open for 30 min and they will come back into the top. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
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