How To Keep A Captured Swarm From Absconding

How to Keep a Captured Swarm From Absconding

Catching a swarm of bees is an exciting experience for any beekeeper, but the job isn't done until you've successfully housed them in their new hive. One of the biggest challenges is preventing the swarm from absconding – essentially, leaving the hive and finding a new home. This can be incredibly frustrating after all your hard work. This guide provides essential tips to minimize the risk of your new colony abandoning ship.

Understanding Why Swarms Abscond

Before diving into solutions, let's understand why swarms abscond. Several factors can trigger this behavior:

Poor Hive Conditions:

• Insufficient Space: A cramped hive, lacking sufficient room for brood, honey storage, and pollen, will quickly cause a swarm to reconsider its new home.
• Lack of Ventilation: Poor ventilation can lead to overheating and discomfort, pushing the bees to seek better accommodations.
• Unclean Hive: A dirty or smelly hive is a major turn-off for bees. Cleanliness is crucial for a happy and settled colony.
• Presence of Pests or Diseases: If the bees sense a threat like wax moths or disease, they'll be inclined to abandon the hive to protect themselves.

Queen Issues:

• Injured or Weak Queen: A struggling queen can significantly impact the colony's morale and their decision to stay.
• Queenlessness: If the queen dies shortly after hiving, the swarm will likely abscond in search of a new queen.

External Factors:

• Hive Placement: An exposed hive, subject to strong winds, direct sunlight, or excessive vibrations, may not feel safe to the bees.
• Disturbances: Frequent inspections or noisy activities near the hive can stress the bees and trigger absconding.

Strategies to Prevent Absconding

Now that we understand the potential causes, let's explore effective strategies to prevent your captured swarm from absconding:

Providing Ample Space:

• Sufficient Frames: Ensure the hive has enough frames for the bees to build comb, store honey, and raise brood. Start with at least 5-7 frames, depending on the size of the swarm.
• Consider adding supers early: Don't wait until the hive is completely full to add honey supers. Providing ample space from the beginning reduces overcrowding.

Optimizing Hive Ventilation:

• Properly spaced frames: Ensure adequate spacing between frames for air circulation.
• Entrance reducers: Use an entrance reducer to initially limit the size of the entrance, providing better temperature control.

Maintaining Cleanliness:

• Clean equipment: Always use clean and dry hive boxes and frames.
• Regular inspections (but not too frequent!): Regular, but gentle, inspections can help detect problems early before they become significant enough to cause absconding.

Ensuring Queen Acceptance:

• Gentle Handling: Handle the captured swarm and queen with utmost care to avoid injury.
• Early checks: Check to ensure the queen is laying eggs within a few days to confirm her acceptance and health.

Choosing the Right Hive Location:

• Protected location: Select a location that is sheltered from wind and direct sunlight.
• Level surface: Ensure the hive is placed on a level surface to prevent instability.
• Minimize disturbances: Place the hive in a quiet area away from high traffic or noisy activities.

Feeding the Swarm:

• Early feeding can help: Providing a sugar syrup feeder during the initial days can encourage the colony to settle and start building comb. This can be especially useful if the swarm was caught late in the season and honey resources are scarce.

Monitoring Your New Colony:

• Regular but gentle checks: Regular inspections are essential to observe the colony's health, assess their progress, and make necessary adjustments.
• Look for signs of stress: Monitor the bees closely for signs of agitation or unusual behavior.

By meticulously addressing these points, you significantly increase your chances of successfully integrating your newly caught swarm into your apiary and avoiding the disappointment of an absconding colony. Remember patience and observation are key! Happy beekeeping!