Big Colony - Swarm Risk?

[davidharradine]

I overwintered my colony in a double brood chamber as they had expanded really massively last year and built up lots of stores in both chambers, which I left with them over winter.

I had to open up the hive today to insert some Apistan strips (that's another story) and I was surprised at how many bees were in there already. I'd say out of the 22 frames in the hive, at least 10 - 12 were covered quite thickly with bees. I only took out 1 frame of each chamber, from the outside, but I'm basing this estimation on the size of the cluster on top of the frames and the number of bees on these two outer frames that I had a closer look at.

The only thing that I'm not feeling happy about is that they might swarm early. So my question is, what's the earliest that a swarm can feasibly happen?

Thanks, David.

 

[drstitson]

frames of bees is less important than frames of brood. you'd be surprised how small a cluster they'll have been in last night.

 

[Finman]

frames of bees is less important than frames of brood. .

OHOH! Large cluster has large brood area, mostly

If queen has some troubles, it may have a small brood area.

 

[Finman]

I'd say out of the 22 frames in the hive, at least 10 - 12 were covered quite thickly with bees. I only took out 1 frame of each chamber, from the outside, but I'm basing this estimation on the size of the cluster on top of the frames and the number d.

Ok. You have a good hive, or at least a good start.
Times to come you se from brood area, how many frames have frood and wide is the brood patches in each frame. I rules how quickly the colony grow when bees start to emerge.

There is no "risk of swarming" because there is no way to consider it.
You must look however every hive during swarming time, is it small or big.

But 10 frames of bees is not reason to be unhappy. Sounds normal.