Poor wet bees.

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Wildflower

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A swarm flew in.Day before yesterday.
I tried to get it into a box,but it was raining and they were tightly wrapped around a million tiny branches at bottom of a bush that I couldn't remove.
Came home yesterday and some were still around tree. Others boarding all over box. Totally soaked. For such an intelligent creature,the scout bees have to be pretty dumb. GO INTO DRY BOX WITH FOOD!
Made them a tent.
 

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Alastair

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My recommendation would be dump them on the ground, then lift the hive off the plastic bottom and put it on top of the dumped bees, prop the box up at one end by an inch or so with a bit of wood or similar.
Check underneath the bottom board to see if any bees there, if so dump them on the ground with the others. Then put the bottom board well away from the hive.
Next day put the bottom board back and put the hive back on the bottom board.

Attempting to hive a swarm into a hive with a ventilated bottom board has risks, I have had to fix so many problems for people who tried it. Better to hive them into a box on the ground, then move onto the vented board once all are inside.
 

Alastair

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Absolutely pouring today.

So they will be better with the box on top of them, than hanging on the outside.

BUT - The operation has to be done fast, don't spend 1/2 hour messing about with them in pouring rain.

Plan things. Pick the spot where you will dump them, ideally within a meter of the hive. Then pick up the box, slam down to dump the cluster on the ground, then immediately put the box on the cluster. All over in seconds.

Examine the bottom board to see if there are bees clustered under it. If so, tilt the hive by one end and slam those bees onto the cluster also and tilt the box back down. This operation also to be done in seconds.

Have your prop bit of wood already there so there is an entrance plus the bees don't get squished.
 
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Alastair

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If you don't have the physical strength to slam the box hard enough to dislodge them all, have a brush or something on hand to brush the hangers on, onto the cluster also. The queen might be among these bees so be careful. But also fast. Look at the whole thing before you start and plan, so if it's raining when you do it, the whole job is done quick. However, don't rush, be thorough, the speed should come from an efficient plan of action, rather than rushing things.

If it's not raining, speed obviously not so critical.
 

Wildflower

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Neighbour came and lifted over fence. They had landed in middle of jungle.🤣 Over fence is a clearing that is much more manuverable.So good to have strong bee loving neighbour. My husband gets scared!!😯😥🤣
 
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Bees can be hardy creatures; I collected a swarm this summer that had been there for a number of days including rain and wind from the sea - the weather had turned after they had swarmed - and had obviously failed in their scouting and had now run out of food; they were motionless and some of the bees had already dropped off the cluster onto the soil below. I scooped these up and put them into a box with some bits of fondant in; then knocked the mass of bees into the box which I had placed under the cluster. They hardly moved or murmured. I sploshed some syrup over them, put a lid on and took them away. 24 hours later they were as right as ninepence. It's said here in the UK that you shouldn't feed an unknown swarm for a couple of days to ensure that they use up all the food they have brought with them to reduce the risk of (AFB) disease. It was not a problem with these as they had nothing in the tanks at all when I collected them!
 


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