Prompted by another post A heads UP!

[Fraise]

I lost a swarm last month (on 19th April). They only stayed a short time in a nearby tree before flying off, I know not where.
Loosing a swarm like this seems to have been unavoidable if we follow advised practice.
We are told not to open hives when the temperature is below 15 degrees to avoid chilling the brood and around here it had not been that warm in the preceding weeks. There was therefore no opportunity to inspect the hive for swarming preparations.
What do the "Never Lost a Swarm" goody goodies suggest ?

p.s. I was talking to another Beek at the weekend who said he had not done the first inspection of some of his hives because the weather had not been warm enough.

 

[drex]

Commercial bee keepers often have no choice other than to open hives when the weather is less than optimum. For me a quick inspection of tipping a box and looking at underside of frames, and perhaps pulling a couple of frames from centre of brood nest, is often sufficient when weather not good.

 

[user 6228]

Lighten up... A swarm in flight is magnificent a real experience to stand in the middle . For this experience there is price to pay in making sure it doesn't annoy others. However, much of the annoyance/panic is ignorance. An ignorance of generations of little experience of natural processes in the countryside around them. More are familar with the animals moving on the Serengeti than honeybee swarms.

 

[Quis Custodiet]

A very good post Derek.

 

[peteinwilts]

I lost a swarm last month (on 19th April). They only stayed a short time in a nearby tree before flying off, I know not where.
Loosing a swarm like this seems to have been unavoidable if we follow advised practice.
We are told not to open hives when the temperature is below 15 degrees to avoid chilling the brood and around here it had not been that warm in the preceding weeks. There was therefore no opportunity to inspect the hive for swarming preparations.
What do the "Never Lost a Swarm" goody goodies suggest ?

p.s. I was talking to another Beek at the weekend who said he had not done the first inspection of some of his hives because the weather had not been warm enough.

I'll repeat myself. I do not know a beekeeper that does not lose at least the odd swarm, and do not know anyone that claims to.

Inspecting will very much be dependant on the hives location. In sheltered sunny spots, so the air temperature around the hive feels a lot warmer than the temperature seen on the weather. 15°C in a sheltered spot on a sunny day is very different than 15°C in an exposed location. 15°C is a rule of thumb, and does not take into consideration of the immediate microclimate.

As a beginner it is a good rule of thumb, but is not a hard fast rule. Take into consideration windchill or shelter and the inspection temperatures can swing either way.
In some locations, simply the sun coming out pushes the localised air temperature up enough to inspect.

If the weather is not optimum. a quick check for QC's, sufficiant laying room and a heft for stores is enough. this can take seconds.
Just because it is too cool to inspect does not mean they are not plotting to abscond.

2010 caught a lot of people out. A subzero windchill in april and may, until about May 20th. The wind dropped, the sun came out, the air temperature hit 20°C and all hives wanted to swarm at once.

 

[bingevader]

Purposefully letting swarms go whilst understanding and not caring about the implications = irresponsible

This is still too black and white and a gross generalisation.
What about:
Purposefully letting swarms go whilst understanding and deeply caring about the implications = ?
As I said previously, especially if it's out in the sticks with no neighbours, but plenty of forage for wild colonies to establish!?

I have caught very few swarms with good temperments. For a new beekeeper, this could be a baptism of fire.

You've been unlucky then. Our first ever swarm appeared whilst we were still waiting for our first ever nucs, new bee keepers and delightful baptism, little darlings.

Lighten up... A swarm in flight is magnificent a real experience to stand in the middle .

Yep, the same swarm I mentioned above, I walked in the middle of and followed to its landing place!

 

[Uncle Betty]

We are told not to open hives when the temperature is below 15 degrees to avoid chilling the brood and around here it had not been that warm in the preceding weeks. There was therefore no opportunity to inspect the hive for swarming preparations.

You might be interested in this -

On fine days colonies can be fully inspected. As a general rule colonies should not be examined below 10, quickly between 10 and 14... Bees do not usually fly below about 10 so this is a very useful guide.

...Many beekeepers worry about chilling brood during early inspections but chilled brood is only found where brood
has been left exposed for some time usually as the result of a sudden drop in adult bee numbers such as occurs following a spray incident.

...Also many beekeepers particularly when new to the craft do not realize the
importance of these early checks and loose swarms without realizing it and find the
brood at the periphery of the brood nest chilled due to the drop in adult bee numbers.

- From National Bee Unit, Best Practice Guideline No. 6, 'Spring Checks'.

(It's on the Beebase website)

 

[madasafish]

At our Association apiary, we regularly open hives below 15C to check for swarming during swarming season.
But :
we are prepared in advance
we do it when there is little wind - flat calm is best - over 10mph is not good so we do not.
And if action is needed, we have everything ready.

This year we have had ONE Saturday when temperatures were 15C or over. April? 10C - or lower..

 

[JonnyPicklechin]

For any newbie back yard beeks reading this great thread:

I had a swarm and a cast last year. Subconsciously I think I wanted that to happen more than I did to find and deal with tell tale queen cells. Up to then I had been a bit stressed, in heed of all the warnings, connotations and concerns but not really prepared as I should. Watching the swarm and then dealing with it gave me a new feeling of responsibility, not only to the bees but to my neighbours. I learnt a great deal about how my neighbourhood felt about bees, and my beekeeping, through those swarms - Far more than the honey I go around and offer them in fall and winter.

I would say then it is one's attitude to swarms. Just as we should be to its rhythms and vibrations, ones awareness of life and the responsibility of living it apply very much to swarm handling, a thrilling part of bee keeping.

I learned that if there is a swarm, make it the best swarm you can and just go with it (but that does mean you should be out of the game if you ignore it). If prevention be the way, then do it well. (Experienced beeks, see my post in the beginners section.)

 

[Briarfield]

At our Association apiary, we regularly open hives below 15C to check for swarming during swarming season.
But :
we are prepared in advance
we do it when there is little wind - flat calm is best - over 10mph is not good so we do not.
And if action is needed, we have everything ready.

This year we have had ONE Saturday when temperatures were 15C or over. April? 10C - or lower..

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Briarfield]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sorry. Mistaken posting.