(Video link) Newly hived swarm…is this normal?
Hey friends–
So after a 3 year hiatus, I decided to try bees again. I ended up capturing a nice swarm this past Sunday and moved them into a janky 8 frame deep because I hadn't planned on getting my bees until May and nothing was ready!
I have never had a swarm before. I have only ever bought nucs. This colony seems very robust. I put them in the hive late Sunday afternoon with 7 frames (waxed foundation) and a frame feeder, since I wanted them to feel at home and well-fed. Then, it rained alllll day yesterday and some this morning. This is their first chance to really get out and see where they're living and what's going on.
I feel like what we're seeing in this video is a crapton of bees doing orientation flights, but there are so many and the activity seems slightly frenetic, so I wanted to get the opinion of more experienced beekeepers. I am concerned about how many bees seem confused about the screened bottom board and are going under the hive, but I have a freeman beetle trap bottom board ordered that should take care of that.
They are cleaning out a lot of debris (the hive sat in my shed for 3 years) and even bringing in some pollen. There are no dead bees on the ground and despite seeming a little frenetic, they're not in a bad mood.
I plan on checking things out inside the hive on Saturday when the weather is more settled. We're supposed to get awful storms tomorrow, and I wonder if that's part of why they're acting this way.
ANYWAY, looking at the video, does this seem like normal behavior for a newly hived swarm with cabin fever??
Thanks!!
submitted by /u/Fortunecookiegospel
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