Second Swarm just moved in!

[barefootfarmer]

Over the winter we lost 3 hives. I was pretty disappointed as you can imagine. We decided to buy 2 more and see if we could do better this time. The last 3 would have been 3 years old this spring if they had lived.

Well the two nucs that we ordered kept getting delayed. In the meantime, 4 swarms had passed through our farm. Yesterday I found that 2 of them had moved in. One moved into an old pottery vessel that was upside down. The other moved into an empty hive  box that was in our old barn. The second one has been there long enough that the bottom box is filled with brood, the next box is filled with comb/honey and the third box is getting filled up. Wow!

Within an hour of finding the two wild swarms, we got a call that our ordered bees had just arrived! Talk about when it rains it pours.

So- the box in the barn- it doesn't have a solid floor. It's just sitting on the dirt. The bees made an opening to go in and out. Not sure why, since there also isn't a top/lid on the box. I need to move that box because now that our CSA has started I'm going to have customers coming and going within 5' of it. I don't want any one to get stung. How should I move it without a solid bottom?

The swarm under the pot- how should I move that to get the swarm inside a proper bee box?

[copperkid3]

Does the one in the barn have frames already, or have they just made their own comb and filled the empties?
If they have moved in with already drawn frames w/comb and established themselves therein, it's a simple
matter to either place a bottom board underneath or make one out of a piece of plywood; as well as a cover and
then move it to a more secure area. If however, they're like the one in the pot colony, you could either treat it
as a cut-out and move it into a conventional hive by taking the comb apart and re-tying them into empty frames.....
or you could just leave both of them alone. But they will be harder to manage and manipulate without movable frames.

If you decide to do a cut-out on either/or, do so on a nice, sunny day (no rain in the forecast) and wear protective clothing with veil and a good smoker.

Best to have a helper if possible, but it can be done by one.  Get materials needed at hand; a sharp knife, roll of string and empty assembled frames and a place to work on.

Check out a few you-tubes to get the general idea and have fun.  Are you likely to get stung?  Possibly.....probably, but then nothing good ever happens without a bit of pain for the gain.

You might even get lucky and have no stings....... Having TWO swarms stop by and set up house, is plenty of lucky right there!!!  Have fun and enjoy them little buzzers.  

[Deleted]

On the pottery one, you could put the pot on top of a hive box, and when the queen moves down into the box to lay, shake the bees out of the top box then do a cut out of the comb.

[barefootfarmer]

copperkid3 the one in the barn has frames in it. The brood box was just sitting on a dirt floor(with frames instead of sitting on a proper base. We had taken it apart and stored it in there. If I slide a piece of plywood under it at night I should be able to move it out and set in on a base. I'd like to move it to the orchard with the other hives. I don't know why I didn't think of that.

I don't fully understand the "cut out" method that you and @buffy mentioned. I'm going to watch some videos like you suggested before I mess with the pot hive.

As of today I went from 0 hives to 6. When my husband went to pick up the two nucs that we had ordered he learned that there were 2 nucs that weren't getting picked up. He offered $60 and the store agreed. Yikes! And then he bought a bee suit

Things are getting busier over here than usual.

Thanks for tips!

[Deleted]

"cut out" how to
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyB7u_e2fRg

There are tons of cut out vids on youtube.

You won't need all the equipment he uses. I wish I had his bee vac!