Mating swarm or cast?

[Fritillary]

They are doing poo. They eat and make poo, just like you. Nothing interesting in it.

Two approaches:
a. Observed phenomena - University research - 'Fact'.
b. Observed phenomena - Doesn't seem to fit with previous knowledge, therefore ignore. Must be - 'Fairytale'.

(I am looking forward to the Queen Squeezer's 'Proof of the Non-Existence of God' though!)

 

[Finman]

Two approaches:
a. Observed phenomena - University research - 'Fact'.
b. Observed phenomena - Doesn't seem to fit with previous knowledge, therefore ignore. Must be - 'Fairytale'.

(I am looking forward to the Queen Squeezer's 'Proof of the Non-Existence of God' though!)

Third aproach: 56 years beekeeping, and never seen mating swarm and never read from university research about mating swarm.

Clearly = UFO......
URO = unidentified returning object.

Many swarms have returned back to home, but nothing to with mating.
.
But beekeepers may dream what ever. It does not harm anything. Even professionals do it.
.

 

[beeno]

I seem to recall reading somewhere that cast swarms were originally referred to as 'mating' swarms thereof the confusion.
In my mind there is no such thing as a mating swarm. They are all aborted swarm attempts because the laying queen in the case of a prime swarm or the virgin in the case of a cast did not go with them, so they have to return to the hive. Same with clipped queens that gets lost in the grass. Alternatively, they can be bees that ultimately abscond.

 

[Finman]

- Doesn't seem to fit with previous knowledge, therefore ignore. Must be - 'Fairytale'.

!)

Even if you are a beekeeper, do not loose your brains.
.
It is Jenkins fairytale. It is not a general rule. Jenkins is only beekeeper in the world who tells those tell about mating swarm in the hedge.

 

[Bakerbee]

If my bees were pooing then they had a whole bunch of poop to get rid of. Three days of poop flights on the trot? Thats interesting. They must not of pooped since. Its interesting they havent pooped since my virgin got mated. Im not calling it matung swarm just commenting on my observations of my bees behaviour. They definetly all got excited flew about in their thousands each day around the timing of my virgin mating. Call it what you will it was a sight to see.

 

[Finman]

They must not of pooped since. Its interesting they havent pooped since my virgin got mated. .

Oh dear

When a bee eates pollen granule, it takes 4 hours to go from mouth to rectum. Mating can take 3-4 days. I cannot imagine what happens in hives during mating week without poo swarm.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

In my mind there is no such thing as a mating swarm.

Luckily most. of us don't think much of your mind, or what emanates from it

 

[Millet]

I seem to recall reading somewhere that cast swarms were originally referred to as 'mating' swarms thereof the confusion.
In my mind there is no such thing as a mating swarm. They are all aborted swarm attempts because the laying queen in the case of a prime swarm or the virgin in the case of a cast did not go with them, so they have to return to the hive. Same with clipped queens that gets lost in the grass. Alternatively, they can be bees that ultimately abscond.

From the forum maybe

 

[Millet]

Luckily most. of us don't think much of your mind, or what emanates from it

Not nice, can you reply without insulting members, or is it not in your nature.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I think you are probably the one person who can definitely not claim the high ground in this matter - some of your replies to various members have ranged from beyond impolite to definitely in the gutter.
When someone constantly posts drivel then I think I am justified in responding.

 

[Millet]

I think you are probably the one person who can definitely not claim the high ground in this matter - some of your replies to various members have ranged from beyond impolite to definitely in the gutter.
When someone constantly posts drivel then I think I am justified in responding.

Can you not see why though, your insults are far worse and hurtful , not to me by the way as i do not give a ****, but spare a thought for the person you are taking the piss out of who is trying to help someone.

 

[Fritillary]

If my bees were pooing then they had a whole bunch of poop to get rid of. Three days of poop flights on the trot? Thats interesting. They must not of pooped since. Its interesting they havent pooped since my virgin got mated. Im not calling it matung swarm just commenting on my observations of my bees behaviour. They definetly all got excited flew about in their thousands each day around the timing of my virgin mating. Call it what you will it was a sight to see.

Jenkins fairytale/Unidentified Finnish Object or something else?
- I'm with Bakerbee on this one.

I'm all for disagreement and entertainment in with advice and sharing of experience, but why the nastiness?

 

[Beefriendly]

Well, whatever this behaviour is, in both instances I've seen, queens weren't clipped, and there was no outside interference. In the first case, I'd caught a prime swarm from a colony, and 14 days later there appeared from the original colony a swarm which hung in a bush and then went home again. In both cases also the colonies subsequently had laying queens. That's all I know really.

I've seen it myself a few times.
Yesterday I thought there was swarm up a tree as 1000's of bees flying about.....watched them all eventually return into a hive where I am expecting a virgin to get mated around this time. No bee poop on my suit and I was stood underneath them for a long time...
I think when it does happen they are possibly going along as "protection in numbers" on their virgins mating flight.

 

[Bakerbee]

Beefriendly that is exactly what i witnessed with mine. I thought they were swarming to start with. I dont need to put a label on what it is called just a great sight to witness as a beginner. Though ive never heard or read of a poop swarm!

 

[Finman]

.
Beefriendly, you mean that the colony went up to tree to look and protect virgins mating.
Then they returned home.

IT is not exactly what mating researches tell about mating flights..

 

[Fritillary]

I dont need to put a label on what it is called just a great sight to witness as a beginner.

It would be practically useful to know though don't you think?
If I had caught a crowd of bees out with its new virgin queen, and taken them somewhere else in a nuc, the bees left behind at home in the original hive would then have been stuffed, without virgin- if she were the only one - and eggs.

 

[Curley]

(I am looking forward to the Queen Squeezer's 'Proof of the Non-Existence of God' though!)

Well the non-existence of a benign god doesn't take much proving.

 

[Curley]

It would be practically useful to know though don't you think?
If I had caught a crowd of bees out with its new virgin queen, and taken them somewhere else in a nuc, the bees left behind at home in the original hive would then have been stuffed, without virgin- if she were the only one - and eggs.

I don't think mating flights land away from the hive though. Its out - do the business -(repeat till full) - then back. Maybe in bad weather but would she set out on such a day?

 

[Fritillary]

I don't think mating flights land away from the hive though. Its out - do the business -(repeat till full) - then back. Maybe in bad weather but would she set out on such a day?

The first one I saw did apparently do just that: land for half an hour and then return. Are these cast/virgin swarms that change their minds and return home when there is no other virgin left in the hive? I don't know.

 

[Finman]

The first one I saw did apparently do just that: land for half an hour and then return. Are these cast/virgin swarms that change their minds and return home when there is no other virgin left in the hive? I don't know.

No..

If they do not get the Queen with swarm, they return home. Virgin may be violated and cannot fly with swarm.
It is same with old Queen, which is clipped. Half an hour on tree branch and then to home to wait better Queen.
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