Swarm supering

[Ymbe]

I recently caught a swarm which I successfully hived. This was my first experience of marching in the bees and it was very impressive. They'd been out for a couple of days in pretty inclement weather (and any UK beekeepers out there will know what I'm talking about) so I fed them a couple of litres of syrup in a rapid feeder. The weather is picking up a bit now so I don't think further feeding will be necessary.

My question is: should I super up immediately with a swarm or wait until the brood box is 70-80% full as usual and go from there?

Here are the final few hundred making their entrance

[Diver]

I think you have answered your own question.  They cannot do everything at once, so let them build up the brood first then give them another box to fill and so on. They will not take long in getting established but watch the feeding you want comb for eggs not honey being stored in the brood box.

[Finsky]

Bees draw a whole box of foundations (Langstroth) durind one week.
That needs 6 kg sugar (12 lbs).

Bees draw those foundations which they can occupy.

First you look how many frames bees occupy.

Then bees begin to raise ned brood and it takes 4 weeks untill colony start to expand - it hive has egg laying queen now.

If it looks that colony needs more room, give the box under brood frames.
If you put box on, warm escapes up and build up meet difficulties.

[Brian D. Bray]

Once a Swarm is hived it is just another hive; you can treat a new a swarm just as if were a package of bees.  Feeding more that one US gallon (3.5 liters) is not necessary.  One feeding to get them started on the comb and then let them go (I often don't feed swarms at all).  Super at the same rule of thumb you use for the rest of your apiary.

[Ymbe]

Thanks everyone. I'll see just how fast they've drawn out that foundation tomorrow - hopefully, despite the weather, they will be making good progress.

[Finsky]

Feeding more that one US gallon (3.5 liters) is not necessary.  One feeding to get them started on the comb and then let them go (I often don't feed swarms at all).  Super at the same rule of thumb you use for the rest of your apiary.

There are different styles. Does swarm nees syrup, ofcourse not, but I do not like that they use valuable honey 16 lbs to draw up combs. My style is feed swarms

It hive gets a lot nectar outside, it is not wise to give sugar at all.
But if they do not get nectar from field, I give 20% sugar syrup untill they have drawn almost all comb. When they use 20% solution, they use almost all. If you give strong syrup, they store it in combs and cap it.

There is no difference with package bees and swarms. Why to feed packages whole summer and swarms not at all? Both need combs.

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