What do I do with a swarm?
Help, I’m receiving a swarm and I don’t know what to do. Here’s our how to guide:
To set up your swarm in their new hive:
Select a warm, sunny location, using one hive box unless the hive was more than 3 footballs in size, then use two. Place other boxes in storage.
Ensure the boxes have 9-10 frames in them.
If you are housing a swarm, this is best done in the evening. Remove sufficient frames to enable you to tip the swarm into your hive box. You can carefully replace frames for the bees to move onto. If you have drawn frames put these in the centre and if available two or three frames of feed on the sides to encourage the bees to stay.
If you are starting with new hive ware, then the colony will need to be fed. The bees have left their mother hive with only the honey they could carry in their stomachs. This is needed to make wax so they can create a new home. Putting them into a hive with foundation frames (not drawn out into cells) means they have to work really hard over the next few months to collect enough nectar to make enough wax to make the cells. Without the cells the Queen cannot lay and therefore maintain the population.
If you do not have a feeder, then order one asap. In the meantime, have your sugar syrup made up (2 cups sugar dissolved in 1 cup hot water) – about 2-3 litres. Add another box without putting any frames in it. On top of the frames in the box with the bees, place a shallow container with something floating in it (polystyrene pieces, straw, or put some large stones in it) so the bees can access the syrup without drowning. Do the same thing to your feeder when it arrives if it is a frame feeder. Then put your hive mat and lid on top. This is only a temporary measure for a few days while your feeder arrives. Check it every couple of days and top it up.
Sugar syrup is best given at night (red head torch is ideal as this does not disturb the bees) in order to avoid robbing from other colonies. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS NOT TO SPILL ANY. Hose it down if you do.
The next thing is to ensure the front of your hive has a reduced entrance so that they can guard their new home. Put some folded up wind break or small pieces of wood along the front of the hive, leaving a gap that it 2-3 bees wide. Ideally the gap is in the middle of the hive.
Check your colony by carefully removing the frames in about 10 days to see if there are any eggs or very small larvae present indicating that your swarm is Queen Right (has a queen).
Handle frames very carefully as the queen may be on any frame – there is no need to find her.
Remove the end frame first – slowly – to avoid rolling and killing the bees. You can move subsequent frames across into the gap before you lift them out.
Lift up each frame to look at it on both sides, holding the top corners.
Be gentle and move smoothly rather than jerking or banging. Do this reasonably quickly (in other words don’t have your hive open for more than 10-15 minutes). Note details of what you saw in your bee diary later.
A week after placing the bees in the hive you can do your first full inspection on a warm afternoon.
You may not get surplus honey to remove this season; that will depend on the health of the bees, the age of the queen, forage opportunities, weather and how strong the colony was at the start.
Other VERY IMPORTANT POINTS :
Remember the disease status of the issuing hive is unknown. Keep your bees in one apiary for 18 months without shifting them from that apiary. Monitor them for signs of AFB. Avoid sharing gear with any other hive until you are sure there is no disease.
Treat the swarm for varroa mite by putting in treatment about week later so they are settled. You can put in four strips of Bayvarol.
There is no guarantee that the bees will stay in their new home, or that the queen is present and undamaged. As it is older queens that usually swarm, the colony may supersede the current queen.
If you are not registered as a beekeeper you must register within 30 days; this is a legal requirement. Register via afb.org.nz or by contacting Asure Quality on 0508 00 11 22.
Club Members can receive support by phone from experienced members of the club or request assistance with checking the hive. A buddy may be available to provide ongoing support.
Please ask if you are not sure.