Rain Swarm

[Coldwater]

Wandered down to the apiary this morning in between thumping showers of rain to see a swarm in a small larch tree nexto to one of the hives (swarms seem to love that tree). They were looking very sorry for themselves, must have swarmed yesterday afternoon and got caught out by the rain. A sad bunch of dead bees on the ground beneath them that must have not coped with all the rain, but I quickly brushed, grabbed handfuls of wet swarm into a box and then straight into a new dry hive beneath the tree with QE under and kingspan crown board to help them warm up.

They tried some plaintive fanning at the entrance, but their hearts didnt look in it really. I let the stragglers still on the tree congregate - probably a handful or two and then took them into the hive as well. There are a hundred or so throughly soaked scattered throgh the tree that sadly arent going to make it, but hopefully I have saved the swarm. They were clustering nicely on foundation, so I closed up again and the next shower is coming through.

Hopefully the queen is in there, but I impulsively took a frame of eggs from the mother hive and gave that to them to give them further reason not to abscond in the next break between showers... Was this a silly thing to do, as a swarm presumably is not expecting to find itself in a hive with eggs and larvae?

I assume their honey stores will be a little depleted having spent all that time out in the cold and rain and no prospect of foraging today... Do you think a little fondant would be a good idea?

Fingers crossed they'll be ok, but any advice welcome.

 

[curry756]

Wandered down to the apiary this morning in between thumping showers of rain to see a swarm in a small larch tree nexto to one of the hives (swarms seem to love that tree). They were looking very sorry for themselves, must have swarmed yesterday afternoon and got caught out by the rain. A sad bunch of dead bees on the ground beneath them that must have not coped with all the rain, but I quickly brushed, grabbed handfuls of wet swarm into a box and then straight into a new dry hive beneath the tree with QE under and kingspan crown board to help them warm up.

They tried some plaintive fanning at the entrance, but their hearts didnt look in it really. I let the stragglers still on the tree congregate - probably a handful or two and then took them into the hive as well. There are a hundred or so throughly soaked scattered throgh the tree that sadly arent going to make it, but hopefully I have saved the swarm. They were clustering nicely on foundation, so I closed up again and the next shower is coming through.

Hopefully the queen is in there, but I impulsively took a frame of eggs from the mother hive and gave that to them to give them further reason not to abscond in the next break between showers... Was this a silly thing to do, as a swarm presumably is not expecting to find itself in a hive with eggs and larvae?

I assume their honey stores will be a little depleted having spent all that time out in the cold and rain and no prospect of foraging today... Do you think a little fondant would be a good idea?

Fingers crossed they'll be ok, but any advice welcome.

I'm no expert, but it sounds correct. I would have done the same thing. Interesting to know if its right though!

Well done

 

[davnig]

warm enough for syrup, much easier for them

 

[enrico]

Appropriate forum name for you for that swarm methinks!!!

 

[Teemore]

Were there enough bees in the swarm to cover the frame of brood you added? If too few, the brood may chill and die. Keep an eye on the tree in case you didn't gather up the queen previously. Hopefully this new colony will make it.
Do you think that the swarm came from one of your own hives? If it did, you would be well advised to reduce the number of queen cells remaining in the colony that swarmed.

 

[Coldwater]

There was a very good number of bees (a decent rubly ball sized bundle that i got into the hive) so the brood should be fine, and with any luck the queen is in there too. I had a look through the hive that I think it came from, but it was not ideal conditions - no sealed queen cells but plenty of queen cups charged with jelly, so perhaps that coloby was not the source of the swarm and it is still to go. Didnt want to look properly, just tipped up the brood box, so there may be sealed cells ni there. I will go through when conditions impprove, but it's tipping down and quite chilly at the moment.

Bees seen taking orientation flights form the new hive during the last break between showers so hopefully thats a good sign, and soe bees flying up to the tree where the remaining stragglers are and look like they are encouraging them to follow them into the new hive, although I have never seen that before....

 

[Teemore]

Colonies will swarm before Queen cells are capped. When you get a settled spell of weather, have a hunt for eggs - at this time of the year that will be a fairly reliable indicator of whether the queen remains in the hive or not. Be careful as to how you handle frames with Queen cells on though.