Devon SSSI nature reserve and eco lodges - Maggie's Blog
25 May
Oh no, not again...
I spoke too soon.
What would I know about bees anyway?
Do they maybe smell the coffee?? But it was only instant this time, and at midday... Ian had gone to the not-for-profit bee shop and the instrumented hive project. Euan and I were having lunch in the garden when....
Surely that can't be possible? But it was. Another swarm. It turns out it was the swarm we hived yesterday, obviously not too impressed with their new quarters! It could be the scout bees, sent out yesterday, had come back, found the colony and 'reported' they had discovered a new place. Or maybe we didn't get the Queen - though they did settle and clump as if there was a queen present.
Anyway, off we went again. I rang Ian immediately, then had to watch the bees until he returned. They were deep in a hawthorn bush, but he got about 3/4 of them. This time, after some advice, he united them with the first swarm.
You take the 'lid' (the crown board) off the brood box, put several layers of syrup-soaked newspaper on top of the bees, then but the newly-collected bees on top and the lid back on top of that. The bees on top tuck into the syrup, and eventually rasp away the paper. The bees underneath do the same. The theory is that by the time they've broken through they've had enough contact for them all to be mates and not fight.
If there are two queens present, the workers will kill one of them (tough job, royalty).
But if it works we should have a strong colony (the first swarm looked a bit feeble and one strong colony is probably better than 2 weak ones, especially as we're coming into 'the June gap' were nectar can be in short supply.)