Gone in 60 seconds.....

[Torq]

....well not quite, but 10mins!

Got a call yesterday at 3:40 that one of my hives had started to swarm and cluster on a branch about 60ft away. Jumped in the car and was there in 8mins but they had gone!

This is what I've learned this year!

1. Doing one division/AS on a colony may not be enough. (I split them on 31st May)

2. Breaking down Q cells will not stop them swarming (Had broken some down the previous saturday and the day before)

3. Space!
A. Get the supers on as soon as needed, don't hesitate!
B. If the hive looks full during the day you can be sure it's packed to the gills in the evening.
C. Bruise the stores in the brood chamber if it looks like space is short.

4. Trust your instinct! I inspected them the day before they swarmed and thought about creating a nuc but didn't.


She was a fantastic layer and I'll miss her. I only ever saw her once and that was last saturday. At least she left me 2 queen cups with eggs on the day she left. Funny thing about her, they were an agressive bunch when I got them but calmed down. Her daughter's children are an angry bunch though!

Torq

 

[Swarm]

It won't be her daughter's bunch yet and they will probably stay this way until she starts laying.
Weather is set to favour mating flights so good luck.

 

[ashleybee]

Her daughters bunch will be in the early A/S he made on 31 May!

 

[Cazza]

....well not quite, but 10mins!

Got a call yesterday at 3:40 that one of my hives had started to swarm and cluster on a branch about 60ft away. Jumped in the car and was there in 8mins but they had gone!)

Isn't that just the way!
I, on the other hand have had a swarm hanging in a tree for a whole week.
Cazza

 

[MJBee]

That is the law of the sod Cazza.

Swarms in easy reach disappear in nano seconds. Swarms out of reach tease you for a week

 

[Torq]

Inspected the swarmed hive today to see how the 2 new queen cells are developing. They look fine BUT there are eggs in nearly every available cell! Her majesty is still in residence and laying like crazy so...What happened?? Did she leave and change, mind after 10mins and go home or did i miss a queen cell, have a virgin move out and bring a few girls with her? Numbers don't look down, this has me puzzled! AS done this evening!

 

[Hivemaker.]

Sounds like they are superceding her.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

.
I, on the other hand have had a swarm hanging in a tree for a whole week.
Cazza

That is why they are still there - because you cannot get at them, just the same as - if it wasn't for Reilly's law you'd be absolutely inundated with help to sort out the school's hives. - unfortunately no smiley for a deep Gallic shrug!!

 

[Winker]

AS done this evening!

Thats the best idea. AS them, Bank the old queen in a nuc and let them get on with it. In 3-4 weeks time see how things are going. Worst come to the worst you can combine them latter before the winter sets in.

But like Hivemake says, it looks like they are superceding her

 

[Monty Stubble]

It is indeed a sod.

Called to a swarm in a neighbours roof space, transferred them into a nuc box and left them there to get all the stragglers in.

Next day they had all gone and then hung about 50' up a tree above my garden and totally out of reach.

Taunted me for a day or so then flew away.

 

[oliver90owner]

Maybe your queen was unable to fly so the bees returned. They would likely have gone on the emergence of the first virgin.

RAB