Amount of swarms

[Karsal]

How is everyone doing for collecting swarms this season?

Our registered swarm catchers for our association are baffled at only having one call for a honey bee swarm and only one or two calls for bumblebees.
I've only had a couple of calls myself for honey bee swarms and about five calls for bumblebees.

 

[simonforeman]

My first year beekeeping and caught 1 swarm within 2 weeks of putting box up.... took my boxes down after that as I’m concentrating on my double brood hive and the 1 swarm.... enough for me this year....

 

[yeogi75]

I took some brood boxes back home after woodpecker attacked them, waiting to sort out have had tree swarms in them the last one in a queen castle which I brought back as stand by

 

[peteinwilts]

Not known to have lost any.

Caught a few. Caught my easiest ever on Sunday. It was lying on the gravel of a private road, with the queen sat on top.

 

[Eyeman]

Good year so far, and all stayed put.
2 in central Manchester
2 in bait hives- same one twice
2 in garden- one from one of my nucs
1 flew into to an out-apiary.

2 calls for definite honey bees that I was not available to collect.

 

[sean-a]

One from the hedge near my hives.
No QC in my hives and the bees are more yellow, so dont think that they are mine.

 

[Worldsend]

Very few calls in southern Hampshire and lots of people on the list for a swarm

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Pretty busy with swarm calls in the West Glamorgan area. But why the hand wringing - the less calls the better IMHO, they're a nuisance and more trouble and expense than it's worth, they seldom turn out to be good unless you fork out and requeen.

 

[Eyeman]

If the bush telephone is to believed then 50% of colonies may have not made it to spring this year. Could that be a reason for not many swarms?

 

[Newbeeneil]

Here on the Sussex/Surrey/Hants border I've had 10 calls from various sources for swarms and have picked up another 3 swarms in bait hives.
I wasn't on the swarm collectors list last year so don't know if that is normal or not. I did however pick up 7 swarms in bait hives last year.

 

[Vortex]

Really quiet .. I've had 4 calls so far this year as opposed to 12 last year and 18 the year before.
3 swarms, 2 of which moved on before I could get to them and 1 which I refered to another collector as I was at work.
The other one is for a cut out in a tree which I'm trying to progress.. when I can find a tree surgeon that doesn't run a mile a the mention of bees (it's not my tree and the guy has been served with an enforcement notice to remove it).
I've also picked up 2 just by having empty hives next to my workshop..

 

[deemann1]

A friend and i got
2 in the same spot in a empty brood box
3 removed from roofs of houses
3 from Apple trees
1 from apex of high gable on house
1 from a beech tree
Its been a busy few days
Great fun

 

[mickbees23]

Our local association appear to be catching quite a few in bait hives this year in locations that they don't keep their own colonies in. I don't know if that's a reflection on us putting out more bait hives this year or not, we don't keep those type of records.

I would imagine that after such an evil spring feral colonies have probably taken a massive hit and so reduced swarms from them which probably make up the vast majority of swarm events.

Not had a single scout sniffing my bait hives this year.

Cheers, Mick.

 

[Wingy]

I’ve had no success in my 2 bait hives.
However hope someone took my swarm in. First year and learning fast I messed up and lost my fantastic 2017 marked Buckfast Q. One of her daughters is doing fine and another one of her daughters is a couple of weeks behind so fingers crossed she picks up a bit.

 

[SDM]

Caught 1 from 5 bait hives that would normally catch 2-5 each .
Only 1 call that was actually for honeybees.
Only 5 out of 64 of mine have tried and 4 of them were my fault ( caught out by how heavy the flow was in May).
It's definitely been quiet , but don't count your chickens!

 

[Popparand]

South East Essex

Very slow here even through our association. 2-3 calls a week compared to up to 5 a day in the past. Last year was very slow as well. We have beginners from 2 years back still waitng to be allocated a swarm.

 

[Roola]

Caught 2 swarms in my bait boxes this year. One cast, the other prime. Normally catch about 6 per season so numbers well down.

 

[jeff33]

Just the 1 for me. I had some interest in another bait box last week, will check it this weekend.

 

[taurus]

I've noticed at both my aparies and a friend's locally that there seem to be much fewer drones than usual.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Quiet here.