Possible swarm?

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Ton61sm
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Joined: August 15th, 2015, 6:51 pm

Possible swarm?

Unread post by Ton61sm »

Checking my bees this afternoon,I discovered several new combs and a fair number of bees under the pallet that my hives are on.the hives are on concrete blocks on top of a small pallet each.I have 3 hives at this location one of witch is a captured swarm that is doing well.The other 2 hives are doing great and have honey supers nearly full.I plan to attempt to collect these bees even though they are in a tough spot.I obviously can't leave them there.Am I correct believing that this is a swarm from one of my colonies?This is my second year as a bee keeper.started with 2 last year went up to 5 this year and now 6 with the swarm I caught about 6 weeks ago.Any input would be appreciated.
Allen Dick
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Re: Possible swarm?

Unread post by Allen Dick »

several new combs and a fair number of bees under the pallet that my hives are on.
Check for eggs or brood. It is likely a little swarm but could just be that the hive ran out of space, was hanging out and built some comb.

Late swarms like this are not likely to survive winter, but could have a good queen and be used to combine with another hive.

To get at the bees, just lay the hive on its back, floor, lid and all, assuming it is well glued together, and stand it up again after working on the pallet under it. You may need to prepare a bed of pallets to lay it on so it just hinges down and back up. You may need a helper. If the hive is not well-glued some people use a ladder for support.
Allen Dick, RR#1 Swalwell, Alberta, Canada T0M 1Y0
51° 33'39.64"N 113°18'52.45"W
http://www.honeybeeworld.com/Allen%27s%20Beehives.kmz
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