First Swarm?

[MJBee]

My overwintered double deck Apidiea decided to swarm today

I noticed a lot of activity round a low branch of a tree in my garden and found a tennis ball sized cluster of bees. A quick look into the Apidea showed quite a few bees, 3 frames of sealed brood some larvae and a few eggs BUT no queen cells so I suppose technically it is not a swarm but an abscond.

I shook the cluster into the bottom Apidea and reunited it with the top half. They have lots of space and a slab of fondant to munch on so I am not sure why they should choose to leggit.

 

[Bad Boy Bee]

Sometimes bees do the strangest of things - It could be temerature related, if they are getting too much direct sunlight shade them a bit.

 

[Vergilius]

I suppose mid March in Dordogne is similar to lateish April in the UK. Is this the earliest you have ever seen swarming???


Ben P

 

[rae]

We have one colony that looks like it is revving up. It wintered on a 14x12 + a super, and there are hordes of bees outside on a warm day - it literally looks like a big colony in mid-may. Be afraid....

 

[Skyhook]

Be afraid....

Blow that- I'm excited at the thought of getting going earlier. I have got some sugar put by though, in case it's a rubbish April...

 

[MJBee]

The weather this year has been unusually kind, No snow in February, and on average 2C per day warmer than 2010. March so far has been mild and dry with shade temps as high as 18C. As a result all my colonies are building quickly and stores are going down fast.

The earliest swarm I have had prior to this was 2009 19 April. Unless this April's weather bites me on the rear I expect to be up to my ears in swarm control by very early next month. Like Skyhook I have sugar standing by, together with empty brood boxes/nucs for A/S.

The mini nuc has a "slip case" made of 40mm "Roofmate" which has kept it snug over winter. It gets the morning sun but is shaded by a bush from about 11am to 4pm so not getting too hot. The entrance has queen excluder over it to keep the queen in. I don't clip my queens so perhaps someone who does could tell me how long it takes for a swarm to realize it has no queen and return to the hive.

 

[stuart]

First visit to the hive sunday pm quite warm. Took off over winter super from underneath BB.
BB full, bursting with bees
added extra super above tidied up mesh floor

Monday lunch bees flying all over the garden hive humming its head off
Split the BB into 2, QE on top of supers crown board + syrup

Probably done everything wrong but the bees where immensely un happy
Very quiet now but the temp as dropped
Any advice/comments
Stu