wood duck swarm

Hello fellow beekeepers, On Friday, March 19th I was fortunate to go with a friend to the Okanogan river shoreline to get a swarm from a wood duck box. We went before the sun came over the hill and while the temp was still quite cool. My friend had a cover all ready for the hole, which he screwed into the wood around the entrance. We duct taped any other holes and gaps and then unscrewed the wood duck box from the tree, wrapped it in a blanket and put it in my truck. My friend had a new wood duck box with him so he put sawdust in it and hung it on the tree where we had removed the old one.

I drove back to the Twisp Carlton road and set the wood duck box upright on a makeshift stand and unscrewed the opening so the girls could check out their new environment.They were very docile. I checked them later that same day and they were flying all over the place getting used to their surroundings.

The next day I went to check up on them. I took a piece of their comb and set it aside. Then unscrewed the side of the wood duck box and set a hive body on top. We put wood pieces and tape to cover the openings around the wood duck box. Then we placed the piece of comb on the top of the frames in the hive box and put the lid on it. We left them and entrance into the wood duck box and one at the hive box ( a hole in the front). I am planning to go back this weekend to check on them.

If any of you have any ideas as to what else I should do to encourage the girls to move up into the hive box, I welcome your suggestions. I certainly don't claim to have much of a clue about all of this!!! Susie