bee swarms

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bee swarms

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lottie

Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion

Posted: Fri Nov 28, 08 1:43 pm Post subject: bee swarms

Excuses if you all know this but I've just read what I think is a good tip in the The Welsh Beekeeper. If you have more than one colony and want to find which one has swarmed without opening them up take a few bees from the clustered swarm and place in a cup with a little flour in it. Then release them about 50 yds from the swarm and they should return to the parent hive the whiteness on their bodies showing up well.

joanne

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 7100
Location: Morecambe, Lancashire

Posted: Fri Nov 28, 08 1:52 pm Post subject:
Thanks Lottie - thats a fantastic tip - I'll pass it on to our beekeepers

Mrs Baggins

Joined: 21 Sep 2008
Posts: 837
Location: West Kent

Posted: Fri Nov 28, 08 2:04 pm Post subject:
I will go to my bee keeping taster class tomorrow (so excited!) armed with this top tip!

joanne

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 7100
Location: Morecambe, Lancashire

Posted: Fri Nov 28, 08 4:46 pm Post subject:
The only change to that is that I'd be inclined to dust them with icing sugar rather than flour because they will lick each other to clean it off and I know icing is OK because we use it for Varroa control

lottie

Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion

Posted: Fri Nov 28, 08 4:54 pm Post subject:

jocorless wrote:

The only change to that is that I'd be inclined to dust them with icing sugar rather than flour because they will lick each other to clean it off and I know icing is OK because we use it for Varroa control

Yes I wondered about that but I reported it as it was mentioned in the WBKA article----the worst that can happen is losing a couple of bees trying it out with either---2 or 3 bees from a swarm isn't here or there.

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