I attended the Association breeding apiary this morning to join the team in inspection and manipulation of the colonies in hives and nucs there. We concluded around midday. At 1 o-clock I attended the training apiary where a few of us led this years beginners through inspection of their own colonies then group training on the association colonies. The conclusion of a Bailey change was part of the group works. As the Bailey change was being completed I noted clouds of bees over a set aside margin at the other side of the dyke to the South of the apiary. A large cluster settled in tall weeds while another equally large number continued flying, eventually settling in a hawthorn bush about 50 yards away.
The beekeepers split into two groups, one taking a 6 frame poly nuc to the group in the tall weeds. They detected and caught a marked queen amongst the bees, put her in the nuc and scooped more bees in with her. They then watched bees marching into the nuc.
The second group took another poly nuc to the hawthorn bush where the various twigs were snipped and bees shaken into the box. Nasenov fanning at the entrance immediately started, followed by bees making their way into that nuc as well.
A few bees persisted in settling in the bush so the site was heavily smoked until they gave up and joined their sisters in the nuc.
Following discussions there seems to be a high probability the two swarms may have converged on the apiary on the first really suitable day.
Our beginners had lots to think about following today's session
As I was setting off for home I received a text to say a local beek had called at my house in the morning when he was told I would be home around five o clock to which he had left saying that would be too late. In the early afternoon a swarm had come in from his direction, over the house, circled the workshop roof then headed for my bait hive which it proceeded to move into
The beekeepers split into two groups, one taking a 6 frame poly nuc to the group in the tall weeds. They detected and caught a marked queen amongst the bees, put her in the nuc and scooped more bees in with her. They then watched bees marching into the nuc.
The second group took another poly nuc to the hawthorn bush where the various twigs were snipped and bees shaken into the box. Nasenov fanning at the entrance immediately started, followed by bees making their way into that nuc as well.
A few bees persisted in settling in the bush so the site was heavily smoked until they gave up and joined their sisters in the nuc.
Following discussions there seems to be a high probability the two swarms may have converged on the apiary on the first really suitable day.
Our beginners had lots to think about following today's session
As I was setting off for home I received a text to say a local beek had called at my house in the morning when he was told I would be home around five o clock to which he had left saying that would be too late. In the early afternoon a swarm had come in from his direction, over the house, circled the workshop roof then headed for my bait hive which it proceeded to move into
