are my bees swarming

[Cuckmere couple]

this colony was in process of requeening

i had taken the old queen out and let them raise q cells from a frame of eggs from a preferred queen...i did leave more than one q cell to leave them to sort and today should be about 19/20 and i was going to look for a new queen

but i saw a swarm like frenzy above hive just now and this on the front...the bees seem to be backside up and fanning like crazy so the optimist thinks it maybe is a queen returning from mating but is it more likely a cast swarm?

and if so...what can i do

help!

 

[Cuckmere couple]

Largish cluster now in front of hive fanning and it’s raining now

Could it be a returning queen and should I just leave or attempt to sweep into a nuc?

Apologies for the questions but any guidance v much appreciated

 

[enrico]

Leave them to it! I would

 

[Cuckmere couple]

Thanks Enrico
Sky was alive
Then fanning on from in two clumps
Entrance fanners entered on rain starting
A cluster still left on front double fist size
Any idea what’s happening?

 

[enrico]

Gut reaction is that the thousands of bees that have emerged since the last good flight temperature have come out to orientate at once. But .......
I had five hives going mad today.
E

 

[Finman]

this
maybe is a queen returning from mating but is it more likely a cast swarm?



help!

Bees do not have such jubileum that the queen is returning home from its mating flights.

At afternoon bees use to come out to empty their gut. It is hottest time of the day and queen use to mate at same a'alock..

Only way is to look frames, how many queen cells the hive has. Normally when you pick off queen cells, bees do more them.
.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

Ok
Thanks all
I was wondering if it was a cast leaving

Bees sitting on nearby fence post, every leaf of nearby bushes and sky alive above hive

Then, lots of entrance fanning, one large clump which has now entered also which is good

Still fanning at entrance

New queen should have emerged 4-5 days ago so haven’t inspected since

 

[Beagle23]

Ok
Thanks all
I was wondering if it was a cast leaving

Bees sitting on nearby fence post, every leaf of nearby bushes and sky alive above hive

Then, lots of entrance fanning, one large clump which has now entered also which is good

Still fanning at entrance

New queen should have emerged 4-5 days ago so haven’t inspected since

It does sound like a mix of orientation flights and busy foragers. If they swarm they'll start to gather fairly quickly (within 20 mins or so), probably a short distance from the hive, while the scouts go out to recce suitable sites.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

thanks Beagle

all seems quiet again now

lots of entrance fanning

 

[beeno]

Only way is to look frames, how many queen cells the hive has. Normally when you pick off queen cells, bees do more them.
.

I counted 45 emergency queen cells on a hive which had been left with one queen cell and the queen removed. You better get in and get rid of some virgins!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

this colony was in process of requeening

i had taken the old queen out and let them raise q cells from a frame of eggs from a preferred queen...i did leave more than one q cell to leave them to sort and today should be about 19/20 and i was going to look for a new queen

but i saw a swarm like frenzy above hive just now and this on the front...the bees seem to be backside up and fanning like crazy so the optimist thinks it maybe is a queen returning from mating but is it more likely a cast swarm?

and if so...what can i do

help!

Sounds very much like queenie away to meet the boys, she takes a small entourage with her but occasionally the hive gets a bit over excited and follows, realise their mistake and mill around aimlessly for a while before returning to base - sometimes guided back by bees fanning their Nasonov glands

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Here's one I happened to witness a few years ago

 

[eltalia]

this colony was in process of requeening

i had taken the old queen out and let them raise q cells from a frame of eggs from a preferred queen...i did leave more than one q cell to leave them to sort and today should be about 19/20 and i was going to look for a new queen

but i saw a swarm like frenzy above hive just now and this on the front...the bees seem to be backside up and fanning like crazy so the optimist thinks it maybe is a queen returning from mating but is it more likely a cast swarm?

and if so...what can i do

help!

That process you describe is as old as Adam himself, usually seamless there do occur exceptions
and so it is wise to add another step in fitting a QR at the entrance restricting the height to just
4.5mm and so preventing any queen from flying. Once your virgin is located remove the QR.
What you now describe in later posts does indeed read as bees calling a queen out.
Whether that happens or not is currently down to the bees.

Bill

 

[Cuckmere couple]

ok, thanks all

very helpful

 

[Newbeeneil]

Sounds very much like queenie away to meet the boys, she takes a small entourage with her but occasionally the hive gets a bit over excited and follows, realise their mistake and mill around aimlessly for a while before returning to base - sometimes guided back by bees fanning their Nasonov glands

That sound identical to one of my hives yesterday. I guessed that was it but it's great to have my thoughts confirmed.

 

[Antipodes]

Hi Cuckmeres,

I personally find if I leave more than one queen cell in a split, the bees normally swarm off (the biggest or prime swarm from the split) with a virgin queen (at least one) once it has emerged. They will then sometimes swarm again with a smaller swarm with another virgin queen. The afterswarms can be very small.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

That process you describe is as old as Adam himself, usually seamless there do occur exceptions
and so it is wise to add another step in fitting a QR at the entrance restricting the height to just
4.5mm and so preventing any queen from flying. Once your virgin is located remove the QR.
What you now describe in later posts does indeed read as bees calling a queen out.
Whether that happens or not is currently down to the bees.

Bill

And it would be even wiser for any beginner to ignore all this

 

[For want of a better word]

And it would be even wiser for any beginner to ignore all this

Bees swarm...... get used to it!

Chonds da

 

[Finman]

4.5mm and so preventing any queen from flying. Once your virgin is located remove the QR.

Bill

..

That is odd advice .... Never met such... = catastrophe maker.

When bees are going to to swarm , they reduce foraging and queens reduce laying. That is why keep hurry and make an artificial swarm at once when ypu see queen cells. Put the queen lay and put the bees work.

It takes 3 days when the queen becomes fat and starts laying.
.

 

[eltalia]

..

That is odd advice .... Never met such... = catastrophe maker.

When bees are going to to swarm , they reduce foraging and queens reduce laying.
That is why keep hurry and make an artificial swarm at once when ypu see queen cells.
Put the queen lay and put the bees work.

It takes 3 days when the queen becomes fat and starts laying.
.

Even as a backyarder the number of years you(Finny) have clocked up playing with Apis
should have taught swarming is more ecological driven than speculative reaction based
on your observation. Bees in trees do not all swarm every year... swarming isn't to be
compared to say Goose migration as a primal urge, like 'n that. Bees in a box can easily
be manipulated into quieting that cohort who might swarm.
Work with the science, avoiding what you think you know.

Bill