Late Swarm

[Tigger]

Hi all,

Yesterday I looked in the brood box of a not very strong colony, expecting just continued egg laying.

Found no eggs or larvae but two decent sealed Q cells and a couple of what seem to be tiny sealed Q cells.

(23 August five frames had some brood/eggs at various stages).

So Q has left with swarm, I presume.

I reduced to one good Q cell.

My question is whether it's unusual for a colony to swarm so late. What conclusions can be drawn?

Thanks

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Were you treating at all? I had some odd behaviour today and lost a small swarm: for the life of me can't work out where and the best idea I can come up with is that it was a partial abscondment from one of the (small) colonies I was treating with MAQS. Annoying.

 

[Tigger]

Were you treating at all?

Thanks.

No I didn't have any treatment on. ( For some odd reason I haven't detected ANY varroa on any of my five hives- another mystery)

 

[Ian123]

IMO probably more chance she’s failed than swarmed but it’s possible. I’d have probably left a couple of decent cells as they would have most likely sorted it out themselves this time of year!

 

[drex]

Thanks.

No I didn't have any treatment on. ( For some odd reason I haven't detected ANY varroa on any of my five hives- another mystery)

They will be there. How are you doing the "detecting"?

 

[Tigger]

They will be there. How are you doing the "detecting"?

The usual white board under the mesh floor. checked about once a week. cleaned off and put back in. I know what varroa look like as I had a lot last year.
Thanks.

 

[drex]

Fair enough, but not very accurate. It simply shows the number of phoretic mites that die and drop off and remain on the board. If I decided to be treatment free I would only rely on alcohol wash monitoring

 

[Erichalfbee]

The usual white board under the mesh floor. checked about once a week. cleaned off and put back in. I know what varroa look like as I had a lot last year.
Thanks.

Natural drop is a poor indicator. I have in the past had colonies drop very little then drop hundreds after a vape

 

[Tigger]

Natural drop is a poor indicator. I have in the past had colonies drop very little then drop hundreds after a vape

Thank you very much for that. I'll put on the Apivar since I've already bought it.

You're always very generous with help. much appreciated.

J

 

[StephenT]

Agreed. I did a natural drop check drop a month or so ago and very little. After putting Apivar on I can see quite how infested they actually were.