Any bright ideas? - a new one on me!

[Brosville]

-jolly kind of a swarm (or 3) to land in a bush at around head height - they are now sitting there looking healthy - the question is "what do I have here?" - is it one swarm that's chosen to sit in 3 separate clumps, or 3 swarms that came out at the same time - if it were one swarm I'd "skep" them now, and put them in their new hive around 7 this evening, if it's 3........
Suggestions VERY welcome!

 

[oliver90owner]

I have absolutely no idea!

If casts and you might know a bit of the history, then there is likely three.

Should not be a 'prime' swarm with more than one queen but they could have come out from a 'clipped queen' hive or from fairly close but separate hives.

If I had no idea and they were big, I would run them in separately, watch for the queens and go from there. Smaller and they might finish in just the one or maybe two hives.

Regards, RAB

 

[thedeaddiplomat]

I may be showing my lack of experience and knowledge here (though not for the first time ). But how about treating them as three separate swarms. If in eight or nine days' time there is no sign of eggs in one (or two), then you could try uniting them.

 

[Brosville]

Thanks very much for the prompt answers - managed to raise the local "swarm man" who is firmly of the opinion that it's nothing unusual for them to land in clumps like this (single swarm)* - I suspect they're from a TBH of mine that's been displaying a touch of "beardiness" of late, so there'll be no clipped queens
- his suggestion is to "skep" them all together sometime soon, and hive them anytime after 6.30 this evening...........

*He reckons they can be as much as a couple of feet apart, and still be one swarm.........

 

[Midland Beek]

I think the weather might be a key factor here. If it was too wet for swarms to leave the virgin queens would have been kept captive in their queen cells by the workers .. out comes three casts, each headed by a virgin queen, in a warm/dry spell.

 

[justme]

Thanks very much for the prompt answers - managed to raise the local "swarm man" who is firmly of the opinion that it's nothing unusual for them to land in clumps like this (single swarm)* - I suspect they're from a TBH of mine that's been displaying a touch of "beardiness" of late, so there'll be no clipped queens
- his suggestion is to "skep" them all together sometime soon, and hive them anytime after 6.30 this evening...........

*He reckons they can be as much as a couple of feet apart, and still be one swarm.........[/QUOTE]

Thats interesting, heard part 1 of a couple swarms like that down here, well in 2 piles not 3. Hoping to hear part 2 next week.

 

[Brosville]

Took the plunge - they're now "skepped", and they'll be going into the hive around 7 tonight.......
Oh for an air conditioned bee suit! (and whoever hid my branch loppers is dead!)

 

[justme]

Took the plunge - they're now "skepped", and they'll be going into the hive around 7 tonight.......
Oh for an air conditioned bee suit! (and whoever hid my branch loppers is dead!)

My other half not been there, has he:.)

 

[Erichalfbee]

This lot settled in four clumps





One swarm, I watched them come out of one of my boxes.

 

[drstitson]

interesting thread - so does that mean that the following were also one swarm?

i definitely saw a queen in the LHS cluster (took 3 goes to get her) and the RHS ones happily entered a different box and fanned nicely BUT next morning the LHS box was basically empty apart from a few stragglers.

is it possible for the two halves to have reunited themselves in one box (adjacent) whilst i was off fetching a kebab?

 

[Brosville]

It would make sense wouldn't it? I have great respect for the chap offering the advice - he's been keeping bees I would guess for 50 years or more, and looks forward to the swarm season every year - a great many beekeepers in this part of the world owe him a great deal as he's very free with his advice, and will only take "petrol money" for a swarm, of which he rehomes umpteen every season!