Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: banjojohn on June 08, 2005, 10:14:51 pm
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I caught a big swarm(about as big as two basketballs, biggest I've seen, it had broken a one inch limb and was on the ground) about a month ago. I put in wired foundation(not drawn just the sheet) in a shallow super, it was all I had, and another a couple days later, total of 2 shallows. I looked in 2 wks. later(was gone on a trip) and they had filled both and had capped brood in the bottom, and eggs and larva in the top. Questions; Did I catch a whole hive ? and did she lay the first day they were in there? I am a new member,first post, and appreciate the inputs . I only wanted one hive to play with and get a little honey, but thanks (I guess) to a neighbor who gave me all his eqipment, enough for about 7 hives, I am in this kneedeep. I bough one start of bees, then a swarm moved in an empty hive, then I caught two swarms, then someone gave me another hive of bees. I now have 5 hives and became friends , accidently, with an experienced beekeeper. I guess it is fate, and I'll be lilke the farmer who won a million in the lottery and they asked what he was going to do with it . He said "I'll just keep farming till it runs out". I guess I'll just keep beekeeping till this stuff runs out. Thanks.
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>Questions; Did I catch a whole hive ?
No, probably just a large primary swarm.
> and did she lay the first day they were in there?
It would take them a day or two to drawn comb enough for her to lay, but a primary swarm has the old laying queen with it, so she could start laying within a day or two, or it may take longer to fatten her back up (since they slimmed her down to fly).