Natural Beekeeping Swarm Transfer into Layens Hive

Hello!
Today we had a grand time moving a swarm from a Layens Swarm Hive to a Layens Main Hive. Lots of Bees and this colony looked so strong after moving them!
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[@pmlm1571]

Great work, mom and beekeeper! But please add some empty frames, they need them!

[@18Bees]

Totally agree about the heights. I see lots of swarms on the ground or around 6ft. Safer to be around eye level when dropping down a swarm box.

[@SecureAcresNaturalBees]

Yes I don’t think we’ll hang them at 10ft. anymore.

[@keithstudly6071]

I'm sure glad the queen didn't fall off the frame while you were waving them around over the ground! I like to keep them over the swarm box or over the hive as much as possible. Always good when you locate the queen, wait, you never found her so we don't know..... At anyrate keep the frames over something if you insist on waving them around.

[@SecureAcresNaturalBees]

Queen was fine, didn't need to locate the queen because there was brood. Had she fallen off or been harmed they would have raised a new one.

[@DefinitelyJules]

Wow this was so cool, keep up the good work! Can't wait to see the next one.

[@iowalayensbeekeeping]

Those frames were all drawn out. I would have added 2 frames to work on this summer.

[@SecureAcresNaturalBees]

We haven't had much luck with swarms producing honey in the first year we catch them but we may go back and add some frames.

[@iowalayensbeekeeping]

@@SecureAcresNaturalBees there are no guarantees but I always make sure there is one to work on. You can add too many for sure.

[@simonclark8290]

@@SecureAcresNaturalBees In Keeping Bee's with a Smile it is suggests that you should always add a new frame whenever they're actively working on the last frame furthest from the entrance to avoid swarming and absconding. Interestingly and this is a note to self, the entrance in your swarm trap is central but the entrance to the Laynes hive is also central from what I saw which may now encourage the nest to migrate towards where new frames will be added and where ideally you'd expect honey stores free from brood. It might be a better idea to have a side entrance on the Laynes that matches the position from the swarm hive so they continue to keep their nest here and only create honey stores in the middle and over to the other side. That colony looks pretty strong and if thats just 4 weeks work I'd certainly expect a lot more honey if the flow continues. Great video.

[@terrijuanette486]

I came by here because I just saw a video of an interview with Paul Stamets about Amadou extract (from certain mushrooms, I think, since Paul Stamets is the mushroom guru extraordinaire) and and bees. He said it doubles the lifespan of the bees and reduces the deformed wing virus by 1000 fold.
Have you heard of it? I'd love to know more if you have!

[@geralddunn2654]

thanks mom for your help, i would have added a few frames if i even had a hive

[@SecureAcresNaturalBees]

We might still add a few soon!

[@heartscapesreiki1496]

Nice! How long were they in the swarm trap before transferring? Did they make the comb/honey on those frames, or did you give it to them?

[@SecureAcresNaturalBees]

Hello!
I was just under 8 weeks, longer than what I had guessed. They had one full frame of comb at the start (the first frame I pulled) but the other six frames they did by themselves.

[@heartscapesreiki1496]

@@SecureAcresNaturalBees Thanks for the reply! Did you leave them in for that long because the need to settle in before re-homing, or just because that's when you were able to get to it?

[@SecureAcresNaturalBees]

Generally we recommend at least 4 weeks but we were delayed when taking them down.

[@user-qb7qs5el4w]

Spectacular!! I didn't care for you to be up working on those elevated boxes either. Too dangerous!! I was expecting Wes to be attacked by all those bees. They must love him!! Nice job with the video mom!!! ❤🐝🐝🐝

[@SecureAcresNaturalBees]

Thank you K! Taking them down at shoulder level is so much easier.

[@stevenwhite5067]

Crazy full frames. I assume you had frames with drawn comb in the swarm trap! Thanks for your videos! Your mom does good work!

[@SecureAcresNaturalBees]

Thank you!
One frame had comb but the rest had just one inch of wax foundation at the top to start them out. It's crazy what they can do on their own!

[@craigweyna4072]

Need more space for honey right now. You need to keep a frame or 2 ahead of them, otherwise they may make honey in the brood frames and become honey bound.

[@SecureAcresNaturalBees]

Thanks for the comment, we decided to keep this hive on seven frames for the remainder of the season last year because it was later in the season when we made the transfer. This year we will certainly be adding frames to be getting some of that good honey. :)

[@Garagestead]

Nice swarm catch! Is that tree covered in poison ivy, or is that something else?

[@SecureAcresNaturalBees]

Yes we think it is poison ivy. We definitely wash our hands after working around that tree.

[@polemera]

Nice video!
Was that a bunch of poison ivy on that tree? Makes me itch just looking at it!

[@SecureAcresNaturalBees]

Yes it was!
We use dawn dish washing soap to get it off areas of the skin. :)