Is there any chance of swarming at the moment?

[louiseww]

I live in Eastbourne and the temperature has been around 14 to 16 degrees C for several weeks. The bees are very active in the morning. The bee inspector for the south east told us at the Sussex Beekeeping convention a couple of weeks ago that we should be feeding fondant because they are using up their winter stores and I have been doing this now for ten days.
Do I need to check the frames, is there any chance they may be thinking of swarming?
Thanks
Louise

 

[JamezF]

My colonies seem to be slimming down their numbers even if they are active, and I have to hunt for any flowers left on late forage sources such as ivy. My gut feeling is that lower numbers, shorter days and reduced nectar and pollen availability ought to suppress any swarming instinct now. I'm certainly not going to open up the hives to look for queen cells at this point, anyhow.

James

 

[drstitson]

never say never
but v. unlikely
too cold to inspect

 

[greatbritishhoney]

with Jamezf and DrS.

Personally I think the risk associating with inspecting is greater than the risk of swarming. BUT I appreciate the climate is rather different in Eastbourne from Wales.

 

[victor meldrew]

I live in Eastbourne and the temperature has been around 14 to 16 degrees C for several weeks. The bees are very active in the morning. The bee inspector for the south east told us at the Sussex Beekeeping convention a couple of weeks ago that we should be feeding fondant because they are using up their winter stores and I have been doing this now for ten days.
Do I need to check the frames, is there any chance they may be thinking of swarming?
Thanks
Louise

A Swarm in October ? "Not when your Sober" .
I think the rhyme ends there
VM

 

[drstitson]

"A Swarm in October ? "Not when your Sober"

best tell that to the nice little family that i rehoused from my bait hive a month ago.

 

[Storm™]

A Swarm in October ? "Not when your Sober" .
I think the rhyme ends there
VM

Knew I had read that somewhere before - but its also here -

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/archive/index.php/t-6015.html

 

[victor meldrew]

"A Swarm in October ? "Not when your Sober"

best tell that to the nice little family that i rehoused from my bait hive a month ago.

Could have been the 'Nice little family' that was drunk
VM

 

[louiseww]

I live in Eastbourne and the temperature has been around 14 to 16 degrees C for several weeks. The bees are very active in the morning. The bee inspector for the south east told us at the Sussex Beekeeping convention a couple of weeks ago that we should be feeding fondant because they are using up their winter stores and I have been doing this now for ten days.
Do I need to check the frames, is there any chance they may be thinking of swarming?
Thanks
Louise

Thanks everyone I will just have to hope that they have heard that Thomas Cook are in trouble!

 

[Erichalfbee]

My colonies seem to be slimming down their numbers even if they are active, and I have to hunt for any flowers left on late forage sources such as ivy. My gut feeling is that lower numbers, shorter days and reduced nectar and pollen availability ought to suppress any swarming instinct now. I'm certainly not going to open up the hives to look for queen cells at this point, anyhow.

James

Yes, here too. Getting darker for longer and colder at last.
No fondant on either of the strong hives, they are heavy enough still but I will keep an eye on them.
There is fondant on the small hive. I am hopeful but afraid they won't make it.

 

[johnmcc]

Very similar to ericA, one strong colony, one weak one that's had too much attention from the wasps in the last three weeks. BUT . . . . good news, a frost this morning, and not above 9 degrees all day - wasps all seem to be gone. Slapping the fondant on tomorrow with fingers crossed for the weak colony.

 

[Alabamaeee]

A Swarm in October ? "Not when your Sober" .
I think the rhyme ends there
VM

The rhyme was probably in the olden days, before we had the crazy seasons like we experienced this year.

 

[Skyhook]

A Swarm in October ? "Not when your Sober" .
I think the rhyme ends there
VM

No- 'A swarm in November is as rare as one in December'. Rare, not impossible- and I know someone who's had a swarm in November.

Incidentally, I don't think the rhyme mentions April, and there were plenty of April swarms this year.

 

[Storm™]

Well I found the rhyme, its apparently from mother goose. And it doesn't mention October either. Unless that wasn't the full version I found.

A swarm of bees in May
Is worth a load of hay.
A swarm of bees in June
Is worth a silver spoon.
A swarm of bees in July
Is not worth a fly.

Source: Wright, The Original Mother Goose (1916)

Historical Background
“Bees,” also known as “A Swarm Of Bees In May,” is an agricultural poem explaining the importance of bees and pollination during the spring and summer months. If bees pollinate in July, which is later in the season, crops are at risk because the subsequently late fruit is at risk of damage from cooler fall temperatures, hence the lyrics, “A swarm of bees in July / Is not worth a fly.” Aphorisms such as “Bees” are commonly used to aid in memorizing important rules or traditions, particularly in agriculture ....

 

[drstitson]

"If bees pollinate in July, which is later in the season, crops are at risk because the subsequently late fruit is at risk of damage from cooler fall temperatures"

what a load of rubbish - when pollination occurs is dependent upon when the plants choose to flower not when bees are around.

however, loss and/or capture of a swarm in july will have implications for honey harvest and need for feeding.

 

[Nic Rhodes]

we must remember the rhyme is about 'skep era' where they talk about honey production that year, swarm in july can make a great colony to overwinter for next year.

 

[Poly Hive]

The not worth a fly refers to the fact that a July swarm will not produce THAT year.

PH

 

[alanf]

Earliest reference I found to a version of the rhyme about swarms in May is in Samuel Hartig's 'Reformed Commonwealth of Bees' from 1655. He was quoting lore already established.

With no way of feeding, is a late swarm even worth a skep to house it?

 

[louiseww]

Earliest reference I found to a version of the rhyme about swarms in May is in Samuel Hartig's 'Reformed Commonwealth of Bees' from 1655. He was quoting lore already established.

With no way of feeding, is a late swarm even worth a skep to house it?

Gosh impressive, how long did it take you to find that one?
Louise

 

[drstitson]

"With no way of feeding, is a late swarm even worth a skep to house it?"

In the skep era there wasn't the problem with monoculture that we have - a lot more meadows, hedgerows etc for bees to forage over during late summer.

urban bees on the other hand.....