Is there anything a hobbyist beekeeper can do about swarms?

[E&MBees]

Here you are then...
View attachment 32296

What’s his name? He’s lovely

 

[Wilco]

Double Doodle? I’m glad I’m retired.
Sweetie though ❤❤

Yes, seems to be the latest way to try and convince people it's something other than a cross/mongrel/cross mongrel. Suspect it may have originally been to improve the chances of the supposedly hypoallergenic bit from the poodle side being part of offspring phenotype. Thus far I think it's increasing the number of owners being out-thought/manipulated by their dogs as the fussy about food poodle bit seems to be in evidence.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes, seems to be the latest way to try and convince people it's something other than a cross/mongrel/cross mongrel. Suspect it may have originally been to improve the chances of the supposedly hypoallergenic bit from the poodle side being part of offspring phenotype. Thus far I think it's increasing the number of owners being out-thought/manipulated by their dogs as the fussy about food poodle bit seems to be in evidence.

I had a friend who rescued a standard. Left him au naturel with his coat. He was a brilliantly funny intelligent dog.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Yes, seems to be the latest way to try and convince people it's something other than a cross/mongrel/cross mongrel. Suspect it may have originally been to improve the chances of the supposedly hypoallergenic bit from the poodle side being part of offspring phenotype. Thus far I think it's increasing the number of owners being out-thought/manipulated by their dogs as the fussy about food poodle bit seems to be in evidence.

Youngest daughter was given an accidental patterpoo. That dog poodle seems to be keen on spreading his genes far and wide.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Patterdale?

 

[The Poot]

What’s his name? He’s lovely

Not decided yet. Thinking back to The Beeno, he already qualifies for Dennis (the menace) and Billy (whizz)
I‘m letting SWMBO decide as I called our other dog Boris. One name absolutely, most definitely out of the question, is Rishy.

 

[The Poot]

Yes, seems to be the latest way to try and convince people it's something other than a cross/mongrel/cross mongrel. Suspect it may have originally been to improve the chances of the supposedly hypoallergenic bit from the poodle side being part of offspring phenotype. Thus far I think it's increasing the number of owners being out-thought/manipulated by their dogs as the fussy about food poodle bit seems to be in evidence.

It’s largely the hypoallergenic quality that decided us as SWMBO suffers with asthma. My Tibetan is very fussy about food, this Oodle doodle poodle woodle just seems voracious at the moment.

 

[Mabee]

My 2 hives swarmed early April, even my one of my swarms have swarmed. I don’t think I’ll understand Bees if I live to be 100. I now have 4 hives and a Nuc. I only wanted 2!

I had 4 as of next week will be up to 8, I only want 4/5 i’ve realised we just have to go with the expansion in the Spring months and we can reduce the numbers in autumn again, no point trying to reason with the bees!

 

[Wilco]

It’s largely the hypoallergenic quality that decided us as SWMBO suffers with asthma. My Tibetan is very fussy about food, this Oodle doodle poodle woodle just seems voracious at the moment.

Was chatting to the owner of one the other day who reported the same until it got a taste of non dog food, at which point it started playing up! Long may yours be keen on dog food!

The poodle is usually a pretty intelligent breed.

Name suggestion: Mop. Or Gnasher...

 

[Erichalfbee]

I had 4 as of next week will be up to 8, I only want 4/5 i’ve realised we just have to go with the expansion in the Spring months and we can reduce the numbers in autumn again, no point trying to reason with the bees!

Every year I try to do this but the colonies are all too strong.
This year I’m going to split two requeen and sell on in the spring.

 

[Murox]

It’s largely the hypoallergenic quality that decided us as SWMBO suffers with asthma. My Tibetan is very fussy about food, this Oodle doodle poodle woodle just seems voracious at the moment.

Do you know which of the retrievers was it crossed with? An extremely intelligent water dog crossed with the playful and the mischievous; lots of exercise and stimulation coming your way.

 

[Heather]

Timing is everything! Went to check my bees, admittedly left a 10 day gap, and the bees were 'excited'! (not to see me though!). A hundred + up front of hive.. I thought 'NO you don't!) grabbed a spare BB , went into hive and found 4 lovely, very ripe queen cells. Found original queen (phew , still there) Split the colony with queen cell and most of brood to new box. Peeled off the spare 3 queen cells, to a container. and rebuilt hives to leave queen and a little capped brood only (no eggs/open larvae) and all fliers on original site. . Note to newbees - as soon as those queen cells were away from the bees- they hatched as no bees keeping them in until propitious timing. I have a bee pal who was desperate for new queens so they all went to a good use.

 

[ericbeaumont]

brood box plus 2 supers

both hives swarm twice in the last three weeks

It would be useful to find out, Fenster, how you run your hives: single brood?

Ian is planning to use one BB and two supers, shown in every catalogue and website as a regulation combo. Too many beginners believe this meagre dolls-house to be adequate, when really it's a recipe for swarming.

Better to see the hive as a flexible and expandable unit, rather like a balloon or an accordion, and to give as much space as needed, hopefully just ahead of need.

Responsive expansion may easily result in double or triple brood and two or three or more supers by May or June. An alternative is to work a Demaree (not tried that), or remove brood and add foundation regularly, but all this means more work.

What can a hobbyist do about swarming? The same as any beekeeper with five or five thousand colonies: have a plan and the kit to carry it out.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Patterdale?

Yup

 

[jeff33]

He’s 25% a mix of Labrador and retriever, 75% poodle. Known as a double doodle apparently. Should end up a medium size dog. The dog part is definate, the medium bit is to be seen....

This is not a proper dog, this is a proper dog

 

[jeff33]

So after 49 posts the OP Fenster hasn't actually responded to any suggestions.

Probably realised his/her approach to beekeeping is not what beekeepers should aim for....

 

[plain_hunt]

For new beekeepers info, you must expect all hives to swarm every year ( You can control these swarms) So you need twice the amount of kit as you have hives. If you only want two hives you will at some point probably have four before you can get them back to two again. It is a fact of beekeeping. Believe that it is impossible to stop swarming and you will be thinking along the right lines. You can control it by manipulating the hives, but to get it right every year takes experience and a certain amount of luck. This is not a negative post, just one to help you understand that bees will do all they can to reproduce and that only happens when they swarm!

I had a colony that would swarm about three times each summer. As soon as the new queen was laying well they would raise swarm cells. I got wise to it from the second year on, and killed the queen each time, left one queen cell, until they settled down each year. They were definitely swarm cells each time, i seemed to be forever retrieving them from next doors clematis. Lovely tempered colony, good honey producer, just liked to swarm.

 

[jeff33]

I had a colony that would swarm about three times each summer. As soon as the new queen was laying well they would raise swarm cells. I got wise to it from the second year on, and killed the queen each time, left one queen cell, until they settled down each year. They were definitely swarm cells each time, i seemed to be forever retrieving them from next doors clematis. Lovely tempered colony, good honey producer, just liked to swarm.

And this is in this scenario that one should dispatch the queen, dispatch all Qcs so they can't raise anymore from this line of bees and introduce new genetics from non swarmy bees.

In having this approach, you perpetuate the swarminess and whilst you may think 'you are wise to it' and have some kind of control, drones with these genetics are still being produced and mating with virgins, thus increasing swarminess tendencies in an area. This is even more frustrating when a neighbouring beekeeper may be raising his/her own queens and working on achieving a low swarmy strain of bees as drones from your colony(ies) will spoil this hard work.

You have used the term 'you had' so hopefully you have wised up to it and worked towards stopping this.

 

[ApiarIAN]

Ian is planning to use one BB and two supers, shown in every catalogue and website as a regulation combo. Too many beginners believe this meagre dolls-house to be adequate, when really it's a recipe for swarming.

Better to see the hive as a flexible and expandable unit, rather like a balloon or an accordion, and to give as much space as needed, hopefully just ahead of need.

Responsive expansion may easily result in double or triple brood and two or three or more supers by May or June. An alternative is to work a Demaree (not tried that), or remove brood and add foundation regularly, but all this means more work.

What can a hobbyist do about swarming? The same as any beekeeper with five or five thousand colonies: have a plan and the kit to carry it out.

Thanks Eric - given that I posed this as a plan with a question - what would be the answer to the question regarding the kit requirements and first year plan in your opinion?

 

[Wilco]

Thanks Eric - given that I posed this as a plan with a question - what would be the answer to the question regarding the kit requirements and first year plan in your opinion?

You can never entirely predict the bees or the weather and it is better to be overprepared than under.

Best case scenario for yield is they get going really well and you end up needing three supers per hive so I'd bear that in mind. A stopgap option is having spare super frames made up and swapping frames out of a super.

Always have spare frames made up. Just buy them in 50s in the sales.

Nuc box/boxes is/are vital. I think elsewhere someone has said at least one between two hives but I have more than this. You need to know what your swarm control plan and backup plans are and buy equipment accordingly.

Rhombus board for clearing down too.