A swarm today

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Well you would.

phnar phnar!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Guessing. You had a drone layer, but now a non-layer or non existent. Colony is doomed and probably not worth uniting.

Shakeout the most sensible thing to do IMHO

 

[Roola]

Put out a swarm box this morning and within the hour I had loads of interest. Have had bees fighting and protecting entrance. Deffo can't be just robbers as the comb that is in there is empty and dry. Fingers crossed.

 

[Bee Bob Delux]

They have been having a look around my bench where I built 3. I put them out 10 days ago & not a sniff yet....mind you, I think they wait until I'm not looking!

PS. How & where did you site it?

 

[Roola]

They have been having a look around my bench where I built 3. I put them out 10 days ago & not a sniff yet....mind you, I think they wait until I'm not looking!

PS. How & where did you site it?

Mine is on my window sill upstairs, I have an old sash window which helps. I then strap the hive and tie the strap under the window and onto the radiator for added support. All went quiet at around 4ish as temperature started to drop... hopefully they will be back tomorrow. I've also set up a bait hive at my mum's on a flat roof which is about 2 metres up... Screwed a webcam to the side of the brood box so I can tune in and watch should any action kick off

 

[Queen Brenda]

I thought it was monstrously early for swarming?

 

[pargyle]

I thought it was monstrously early for swarming?

Yes it is ... but if the number of people on here with hives stuffed full of honey and sugar are anything to go by then there's probably loads out there who are going to get caught out when their bees decide it's time to move out ... as there's no room left !! Could be some really good early swarms about but they are not going to be mine ....

 

[oliver90owner]

And in addition to Pargyle: Potentially a lot out there worrying about a virgin queen getting mated satisfactorily, so early in the season.

But nevermind, must feed fondant throughout the winter, and not think of the consequences, is the message thrown out to all the new beeks asthough it is the norm forever. As the olc sayjng goes - you reap what you sow.

 

[Queen Brenda]

Husband found loads of drones in the offending hive when he looked on Tuesday. Big inspection day here so may be wiser this afternoon....

 

[Finman]

Husband found loads of drones in the offending hive when he looked on Tuesday. Big inspection day here so may be wiser this afternoon....

Actually drones means nothing. Many think that you may calculate swarming start from drone rearing, but it makes no sense. All hives rear drones, even if they do not swarm.

Hives swarm when they are ready to it. Strong hives first, and weak hive perhaps not at all.

 

[beeno]

I thought it was monstrously early for swarming?

Hi Brenda.
Yes, it is early, but it does happen. It has pushed me into 7 day inspections and I put a super on strongest yesterday. Take your time today and let us know how you get on. Find your mated queens then you have back up, not if DLQ though. Good luck.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Early maybe, but you can't fault their weather forecasting.

 

[Roola]

Surely with this much interest they HAVE to come to me!

Its been crazy at my bait hive today. Fingers and toes crossed.

 

[drstitson]

you have a bee with pollen arriving - are you sure it isn't already occupied?

 

[Roola]

you have a bee with pollen arriving - are you sure it isn't already occupied?

deffo no pollen going in yet... although I have some suspicions that I might have missed the arrival when I popped out... There are bees still there and coming and going now which is a little later than normal. I guess i'll have to see what they get up to tomorrow. Anyone got any idea how soon you might see pollen arriving once a swarm arrives?

edit, just peeped and nothing there... they've all gone. There were a hundred bees plus there today.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I've seen a swarm depart a hive with bees carrying pollen..........
The cast that appeared last year at my recently emptied compost bin that I persuaded into a bait hive had pollen carrying bees within 30 minutes of arriving

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Surely with this much interest they HAVE to come to me!

Its been crazy at my bait hive today. Fingers and toes crossed.

I thought nucs were generally reckoned to be too small?

 

[Roola]

Well I've expanded this nuc to accommodate 8 frames then put in the 14×12 eke so there is a fair bit of space in there. The bees seem pretty interested.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Well I've expanded this nuc to accommodate 8 frames then put in the 14×12 eke so there is a fair bit of space in there. The bees seem pretty interested.

Gotcha. Good luck.

 

[Roola]

Thankyou! I'd prefer to have a full size hive but it's too big for a window sill. I have a couple of bait hives on top of a super out in Essex which was quite a successful mechanism last year so we'll see. I just love the excitement of it!