Cold Wet Weather and Swarms

[davidharradine]

It's so cold and wet at the moment, can we assume that swarming is less likely, even though strictly speaking we're into swarming season?

I can't imagine why any bees would venture out in search of a new home in this weather, but I don't know if the urge to swarm overrides any weather related instinct to stay in the hive.

 

[drex]

Read recent posts on here. Plenty of swarm activity going on.
A week ago I had to feed two hives as in danger of starving and yesterday I did my first AS of the year. The others will not be far behind.

 

[sahtlinurk]

windy and miserable here but one hive i thought was not in swarming mood threw a swarm around 11 in the morning today.
Luckily they clustered on hive wall and i just brushed them in the box. and it was raining.

Lauri

 

[masterBK]

Colonies expanded rapidly during the good weather in march but this expansion has slowed somewhat during the wet weather of April. When the weather improves I think there will be a flurry of of swarms with many of these headed by virgin queens (that have hatched out and killed their mother during the long weeks of bad weather). Bad weather confines the foragers making for congestion in the broodchamber. Congestion is a major trigger for production of queen cells as it hinders transmission of pheromones around the hive

 

[tkwinston4]

Colonies expanded rapidly during the good weather in march but this expansion has slowed somewhat during the wet weather of April. When the weather improves I think there will be a flurry of of swarms with many of these headed by virgin queens (that have hatched out and killed their mother during the long weeks of bad weather). Bad weather confines the foragers making for congestion in the broodchamber. Congestion is a major trigger for production of queen cells as it hinders transmission of pheromones around the hive

Informative and clear - thanks.