Do splits swarm in same year?

[Hive13]

I made a split back in early May containing the old 2017 clipped queen and 2 frames of brood. It has now progressed to 7 frames of brood and is housed in a full National poly hive.

Last Sunday I inspected and there was no sign of any swarming activity and no queen cells. I put on a super with fresh frames of foundation.

Today at work I got a call saying the bees were swarming. Shortly later the bees landed on the hive again and have gone back inside.

It is a clipped queen so perhaps she returned or they have given up on her.

Should I expect a queen to swarm given I had carried out an artificial swarm only 6 weeks ago and they have plenty room in the super?

The temperature is 25 Celsius here today. Does the heat have anything to do with their behaviour? They are located in the shade under a tree.

 

[REDWOOD]

The only way to fully understand what has happened is for you to get in there and have a look

 

[drex]

One of my hives swarmed in May, and is attempting to swarm again. A clipped queen cannot fly with the swarm, hence the bees return. However they will swarm with the first virgin to emerge unless you take some action. As Redwood says you have to have a look and most likely do an AS, and do it soon. Room is not everything. This hive is on double brood with plenty of super space.

 

[enrico]

One of my hives swarmed in May, and is attempting to swarm again. A clipped queen cannot fly with the swarm, hence the bees return. However they will swarm with the first virgin to emerge unless you take some action. As Redwood says you have to have a look and most likely do an AS, and do it soon.

To answer your question, there are no rules for the bees. If they fancy swarming they will. It is their way not reproducing, don't you take every opportunity!!!! .

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Perfectly possible for a colony to swarm after a split - your queen wqs clipped so now she is probably lying in the long grass somewhere, so the rest of the bees returned to the hive - to swarm with the first virgin to emerge.
You need to get in there and see what's happened - if there are QC's reduce to one.

 

[Hive13]

Update

The clipped Queen is gone and the bees have returned. There were multiple queen cells and I have reduced it to one queen cell. I will inspect again in a couple of days in case they draw out more QC's.

I was not expecting a second split in the one season. Another lesson learned.

Next year I will be more vigilant.

Thanks for replies.

 

[madasafish]

A problem with swarmy bees which I don't tolerate. I requeen with less swarmy one which actually produce honey and bees rather than just bees.

You are not the first - nor will be the last - beekeeper who misses QCs in an inspection..

 

[oliver90owner]

Your earlier supposed split was not. All you did was weaken a colony. The other bees you moved at that time were the split(s).

You may even have attempted an A/S? Where was the part with the queen placed? On the original hive position? If so, it should have rapidly been reinforced by the returning flying bees and more from the parent colony one week later. A bit of a struggle to get that lot in a nuc -and with nowhere to store nectar.

Were they making swarming preparations back in early May? The offered fact that 'they are now in a full hive' would indicate that you did not make an A/S in May.

Actually understanding what you exactly did for the bees might give you some idea of why they may now be swarming. But bees do not follow text book instructions, so they might.

 

[Finman]

.
At least you need to buy a new mated Queen, which does not have so swarmy genes as recent colony has.

The colony has still swarming fever and you must something to it. To leave one queen cell is really wrong way to handle it. What to do is an AS onto foundations with a brood frame which has queen cells.

To pick queen cells will drive to the point that there are a hidden queen cell in the hive and the swarm can leave. ... That was my experience before I learned to make AS.

 

[Finman]

Actually understanding what you exactly did for the bees might give you some idea of why they may now be swarming.

If a hive swarms, it is in bees' genes. It is not beekeepers' fault.
If a beginner makes faults, he makes. That is normal.

7 frames of brood and tried to swarm. It has started swarm preparations 10 days earlier.

 

[thorn]

If a hive swarms, it is in bees' genes. It is not beekeepers' fault.
If a beginner makes faults, he makes. That is normal.

7 frames of brood and tried to swarm. It has started swarm preparations 10 days earlier.

I had a colony that had the gene, almost to the extent that if any three arrived on the landing board at the same time they’d find the queen and persuade her to leave with them.

I never got any honey from them, but they were very good natured, and my efforts to predict their going and do an artificial swarm led to my starting each year with one strong hive, and ending it with four weak ones.