A swarm in July ...

[thedeaddiplomat]

Arrived to check my hives today just in time to see my very best colony swarm (ungrateful blighters - I had done an AS in early May).

I believe that with the valiant assistance of the current Lady DD I have caught them and convinced them (so far) that the new home I have offered, complete with some drawn frames as well as new ones, is suitable. I suppose that we will need to wait until The Queen starts laying before becoming over-confident.

BUT


Is it really the case that because I caught them today rather than last Thursday they are of little value? There is a fair number of them (four seams at least, I would say). Surely they have a fighting chance of surviving into next year? This matters to me because The Queen has been a truly prolific layer of industrious and reasonably placid bees: and I would be tempted to try reuniting the hives rather than lose her.

 

[oliver90owner]

Surely they have a fighting chance of surviving into next year?

That would not have been the issue. Bees were either a producer or worthless, back in the days of the well known ditty.

Your bees would not have produced a crop in the present season and so were not worth a fly - all that hard work (cost of a skep) and no return; with no guarantee of surviving over the winter that was simply their worth, in terms of income, I would think.

RAB

 

[For want of a better word]

You will have to feed them, medicate them, send them a Christmas card, Newyears card and blast them with oxallic acid around Groundhog day... and generally cosset them.

or you could spend possibly £200 - £300 on a five framed nuc next year...

no argument really?

 

[chickendave]

Put them into a five or six frame nuc box the queen should start to lay very quickly as you have put in drawn comb, moniter how they build up over the coming weeks and if it looks like they are not gonig to be strong enough to over winter unit with one of your weaker colonies

 

[oliver90owner]

you could spend possibly £200 - £300 on a five framed nuc next year...

But back in the days of the ditty, nucs in spring were likely 'two a penny' - although a penny in those days was probably worth about as much as 100 quid these days! (which just shows how over-priced nucs are nowadays)

 

[Bee-Key-Pur]

or you could spend possibly £200 - £300 on a five framed nuc next year...

no argument really?

Geez, where do you buy your nucs from, M&S....lol

Brian

 

[Silly Bee]

Hang on to them anyway, I had a late swarm last year, over wintered them, and are doing well this season.

Its not all about extracting honey.

 

[TBRNoTB]

Arrived to check my hives today just in time to see my very best colony swarm (ungrateful blighters - I had done an AS in early May).

I believe that with the valiant assistance of the current Lady DD I have caught them and convinced them (so far) that the new home I have offered, complete with some drawn frames as well as new ones, is suitable. I suppose that we will need to wait until The Queen starts laying before becoming over-confident.

BUT


Is it really the case that because I caught them today rather than last Thursday they are of little value? There is a fair number of them (four seams at least, I would say). Surely they have a fighting chance of surviving into next year? This matters to me because The Queen has been a truly prolific layer of industrious and reasonably placid bees: and I would be tempted to try reuniting the hives rather than lose her.

Did you get a good kicking when she saw this? I know I would have!

 

[kighill]

Swarm in July

Put them into a five or six frame nuc box the queen should start to lay very quickly as you have put in drawn comb, moniter how they build up over the coming weeks and if it looks like they are not gonig to be strong enough to over winter unit with one of your weaker colonies[/quote]



I would of suggested this but chickendave beat me to it.

You will also have a spare queen should you have any unexpected problems this season.

 

[For want of a better word]

Geez, where do you buy your nucs from, M&S....lol

Brian

Spring fresh bees, gently gathered from the mountains of Slovenia, lovingly individually ensconsed in an especally designed nucleus box and deliverd to you door by a uniformed courier versed in seven different languages...... not any bees
M&S bees..............

 

[Headnavigator]

Spring fresh bees, gently gathered from the mountains of Slovenia, lovingly individually ensconsed in an especally designed nucleus box and deliverd to you door by a uniformed courier versed in seven different languages...... not any bees
M&S bees..............

Good grief, my mouth's watering - never ever thought of eating bees before!

 

[justme]

Hi DD, I picked up a swarm 17th July last year, now have 2 colonies from them after needing to an A/S, both doing well. May look at requeening but lovely bees.

 

[Bee-Key-Pur]

Spring fresh bees, gently gathered from the mountains of Slovenia, lovingly individually ensconsed in an especally designed nucleus box and deliverd to you door by a uniformed courier versed in seven different languages...... not any bees
M&S bees..............

 

[rae]

We picked up a swarm recently, it sounds of a similar size. Probably a big cast rather than a prime swarm. We didn't see the queen (not obviously marked), but the bees stayed in the box, so she was assumed to be there. 2 weeks later, 2 and a bit 14x12 frames full of eggs. They'll be a full size by the middle of August - as robust and as well positioned as any of our existing colonies. I doubt we'll get much in the way of honey, so technically they are worth nothing, and will cost us some Apiguard + oxalic at Christmas. That said, they're very good natured, so an investment in genetics for next year.

 

[Andre cardona]

all my hives came from swarms and if i have the kit im happy to collet them
and iv managed to swop 3 nuk for 3 hives so it pays for my kit this year l love working with bees

 

[richardbees]

dead dip

rab's correct - that rhyme related to catching swarms in skeps just to harvest a honey crop in the autumn

It sounds like you've got the makings of a healthy colony so I suggest you put it in a bb with 10 frames and feed if neccesary.

richard

 

[sukis-dad]

Hi
This evening I have captured a swarm from one of my hives and put it in a nuc.
Over the last week I have successfully united two previously caught swarms from two nucs into two hives.
I will also unite this one when it has built up a few frames.
Why waste good productive bees?