Advice needed....queenless swarm?

[maxwell levy]

Hello everyone, I am a suburban beekeeper and am having a problem with one of my hives, they swarmed and we collected and rehomed the bees, then they swarmed two very small swarms which we collected...then a normal swarm again and just now they seem to have swarmed without a queen..they have spread over a wall without forming a traditional clump apparently queenless, recently we added a new super with frames ( all brand new cedar )and there is no evidence of any occupation which is odd....any ideas on why they have swarmed so much? or what could be wrong?
It seemed a happy hive, not overcrowded but very busy

 

[Duchy]

Bees don't swarm without a queen...Its their natural instinct to swarm and pro create. Need to knock the queen cells down.

 

[enrico]

You need to try and keep the queen cells down and read up on how to do an artificial swarm. There are other methods which can help to prevent a swarm. The first one would have been your old queen going, the last three are casts where virgin queens have emerged and then flown off with half your hive again, the last virgin was probably so small you can't see her as a queen yet. You must be well depleted of bees by now and that makes excess honey less likely hence the reason for some sort of swarm management by yourself. Further to that that many swarms in an urban environment will soon make you unpopular!
E

 

[maxwell levy]

thank you, I did create an artificial swarm for one of my other hives, I was waiting for some equipment and thought it would arrive before this happened.
luckily it arrived today, it is good that my neighbours are all fascinated by the bees and have told me that their crops and flowers have never been so good.
Thank you for your advice.

 

[oliver90owner]

-they swarmed and we collected and rehomed the bees

It would help with timings. Like - is this all continuous over the last couple of days or have the last casts happened a week or more after the first swarm?

 

[Arfermo]

You clearly did not clip the queen or control the numbers of QCs the workers created and you have the result - swarms and casts all over the place and the bulk of your honey going with them so that they can recomb their new home quickly - if they find one. In short, suuggest you start reading up on the multiple swarm control techniques so that you get all the facts instead of hoping this forum will provide all the answers.

 

[enrico]

thank you, I did create an artificial swarm for one of my other hives, I was waiting for some equipment and thought it would arrive before this happened.
luckily it arrived today, it is good that my neighbours are all fascinated by the bees and have told me that their crops and flowers have never been so good.
Thank you for your advice.

Wait until they start to rehive themselves in their loft spaces and I have a feeling their good will will change overnight. Sorry to be harsh but you have to learn to manage your bees a little better or get an out apiary where it really doesn't matter too much.... All that said have some happy evenings reading and good luck!
E

 

[MartinL]

. . . . . . . . my neighbours are all fascinated by the bees and have told me that their crops and flowers have never been so good.
Thank you for your advice.

Think you'll find that flowering is down to the gardener and not the bees. Clip as many wings as you like, the virgins will always fly!

Their interest could very quickly change to concern if you don't take swift control of your bees.

 

[Arfermo]

You clearly did not clip the queen QUOTE]

I meant the original queen mum - sorry if it confused somebody.