Addendum to tree cutout-- Swarm?

[kedgel]

That afternoon when I got home from work, I went out to check on the new hive and found what looked like a small swarm of bees clustered on a palmetto frond next to the hive.  The cluster was about the size of a cataloupe.  There were bees around the top of the new hive and lots coming and going that looked like normal activity.  I question whether it was a swarm from the new hive because, one, how did the queen get through the excluder, and two, there weren't that many bees.  I've never seen a swarm before to know, but the pictures I've seen seemed like there were more bees.  I cut the frond and shook the bees into an empty hive with some drawn out comb and some honeycomb with some capped honey in it.  This morning it looked like they were still there. I opted to leave them alone for a couple of days, so I don't know yet if they settled in.  The tree hive is lousy with bees, so if they swarmed, most of the bees stayed home.  I left it to settle in as well, so I haven't opened it up to check, either. What are the chances that this was a separate swarm? Would a swarm be attracted to the smell of honey oozing from all the broken comb?  Any ideas?

[Brian D. Bray]

I was puzzled at what you were talking about until I stumbled onto your other thread.

Hint:  It is sometimes better to continue to ask questions on one thread so that those who offer help can better follow the progression and give better and more meaninful answeres.  Sometimes confusing or too little data is ignored by forum members when posing additional questions in an earlier thread would serve better.

That cluster of bees just might be because the bees in the hive had been from a open hive before the "cutout."  Sometimes the forager bees, even if they re-orientate to their new location, being creatures of habit just like people, will return to the same type of behavior, hanging from branches as before.  I believe that is what is happening here.  Of course you could try putting them into a new hive (nuc) and see what happens.