How long will captured swarm fan at entrance?

[MandF]

The cast swarm from one of my hives, which I recaptured on monday and housed in a polynuc, still has bees fanning at the entrance all day. Not many, but 5-10 each time I look.

As it is a cast swarm I assume the virgin queen will be going on mating flights as soon as they decide to stay, which means she could/should be doing that now. Also I would expect them to fan for a period of time, to allow any stragglers from the swarm to find them, but I wouldnt expect them to be fanning constantly for 3 days now?

Just wanted to find out if it is normal, and if so why are they still fanning?

Thanks

 

[beeno]

Hi MandF,
Virgin queens I have been told take more than one mating flight, so which is the most important one to guide back to the colony!

 

[Finman]

.
that is not a reason. And the queen learn at once the hive entrance visually.

 

[VEG]

It is warm

 

[MandF]

I didnt think it was mating flight related, because that wouldnt explain why they are doing it all the time, not just when she had been out for a while.

Its not temperature either, they have their nasonov glands exposed.

Finman, do you know why they would be doing this?

 

[Finman]

they have their nasonov glands exposed.

Perhaps swarm workers do orientation flights gradually. Perhaps cool weather. They go out and are happy when they find back. When a bee is somehow lost, it opens the gland supposing and others are too lost.

I don't know.

 

[MandF]

Hmmm, ok. Weather is hot here, so they must still be confused about where their new home is - it is only about 12' from where they came from, plus there is another hive about 5' away so maybe they are getting confused with the amount of pheromone around.

I do also see lots of orientation flights.

I will update the thread when they stop - someone in the future might find it an interesting comparison!

 

[REDWOOD]

The only time I have seen this constant fanning when other hives have normal activity is when a hive is Q-, I would give it a couple of more days to see if hive settles down

 

[Finman]

.

I will update the thread when they stop - someone in the future might find it an interesting comparison!

we need not to know everything what they do and why. let it stay as miracle.

 

[MandF]

we need not to know everything what they do and why. let it stay as miracle.

I have miraculous bees?! Cool.

Anyone want to buy 5 frames of miraculous bees - bargain price of £2000?

 

[psafloyd]

The cast swarm from one of my hives, which I recaptured on monday and housed in a polynuc, still has bees fanning at the entrance all day. Not many, but 5-10 each time I look.

As it is a cast swarm I assume the virgin queen will be going on mating flights as soon as they decide to stay, which means she could/should be doing that now. Also I would expect them to fan for a period of time, to allow any stragglers from the swarm to find them, but I wouldnt expect them to be fanning constantly for 3 days now?

Just wanted to find out if it is normal, and if so why are they still fanning?

Thanks

Very warm. COuld have done with a few of them with me yesterday in London...

 

[YorkshireBees]

The only time I have seen this constant fanning when other hives have normal activity is when a hive is Q-, I would give it a couple of more days to see if hive settles down

Unfortunately this is the answer that makes most sense to me.
Q lost on mating flight, predation or for whatever reason.

 

[MandF]

Thats annoying if the case. When I was hiving the swarm I saw her in the box after I transferred them. Then it took me 3 goes to get her in the hive after she was flying around and then landing on the nuc (but not going in).

In the end I got her in a jar and put this in the nuc and closed it up - first time I had her in the jar and tried to run her in, she just flew out again. But anyhow, she WAS in there to begin with.

I will check on sunday, and if I cant see her will pop in a frame of bias and see what they do with that.

Thanks

PS Just had a quick look, and though not much activity as its still a bit cool/overcast, I saw one start fanning. I also saw pollen going in!

 

[alldigging]

I've just caught a swarm and found lots of bees on the box and fanning but not seeming to go in. Looked like the first frame was too close to the hole so they couldn't go in. Shifted it and in they went.

 

[MandF]

As there was a break in the weather (so much for the forecast this morning) I had a quick look in, couldnt see her and the bees were running all over the place, so I have put in a frame of BIAS. Will see what they do with that.

 

[MandF]

Ok, another resurrected thread...

So, I checked on the nuc earlier and they have not raised any QCs from the frame of BIAS I put in last week (6 days ago).

I also had a check through the other frames and no eggs either, yet. Lots and lots of bees in this nuc, and they are backfilling the frames with nectar, so I have moved it the other side of the hive they came from with a view to drifiting the foragers into it - first to give it a bit more space in terms of bees, second so that they dont get flooded with nectar leaving HM no space to lay if/when she finally decides to start.

I was reluctant to do this before now, because I didnt want to risk doing it during her mating flights - am I right in assuming these will be over and done with by now? The cast emerged on 3rd June and I havent been able to find swarm/mating calendar for cast swarms.

If not I will have to move it back until the window has passed.

I am planning to transfer these into a brood box above the main hive (and 2 supers) over a snelgrove board, and give them some more foundation & dummy until such time as a new queen is confirmed (or not) and I'll then reunite.

 

[Swarm]

I would not advise moving the box as you have, until you see eggs you will not know what her status is. Once a swarm is settled into it's new home, it's best left alone for a couple of weeks IMO.

 

[MandF]

I would not advise moving the box as you have, until you see eggs you will not know what her status is. Once a swarm is settled into it's new home, it's best left alone for a couple of weeks IMO.

So you reckon back where it was for a few more days?

I'll move it back, and on saturday swap out one of the honey filled frames with one with some space from its sister hive.

Thanks

 

[MandF]

I also meant to say - the bees are very agitated in this nuc, if it wasnt for them not building QCs I would have put money on it being Q-!

 

[REDWOOD]

So no QC thats good news as you have a queen in the hive, they are a bit agitated probably as they have a virgin queen that needs mating, feed and leave well alone for 3 weeks and then access the colony and brood if found for any abnormalities.