Swarm from Colony of a May emerged Queen?

[Abbee]

Hi all.
We did a successful split swarm back in mid April and a new queen emerged first week of May. Hive was doing really well and numbers building. This morning the hive swarmed into the tree next door. Too high to catch so we've put a box with lure and fingers crossed.
The question is how is that possible that a swarm would come from a colony with a 2 month old queen?
The numbers were building and great brood but there was still room to grow and it has 3 supers that have plenty of space.
Baffled

 

[drex]

If bees have the swarm fever they will swarm regardless of space. If there was still " room to grow" ( I presume in the brood box) why did you have 3 supers on?

 

[hemo]

They do so because they can, I see it sometimes with my bees. Same as you a new queen last year in mid/late May and they tried again in July, placed Q, brood and bees in another BB and this year going well. Sometimes you just have to go with what the bees decide.
I don't think about it and act on what I see, more so because the bees are calm /gentle on the combs and usually produce a good harvest for a static hive.

 

[ericbeaumont]

a new queen emerged first week of May. Hive was doing really well and numbers building.

Human evaluation may conclude that they're doing really well, but maybe the bees knew better and superseded the new queen (perhaps spring mating was inefficient).

Bees will swarm readily on supersedure QCs during summer. In late summer they'll settle for perfect supersedure (although mating at that time is also erratic due to declining drone supply).

 

[Boston Bees]

Hi all.
We did a successful split swarm back in mid April and a new queen emerged first week of May. Hive was doing really well and numbers building. This morning the hive swarmed into the tree next door. Too high to catch so we've put a box with lure and fingers crossed.
The question is how is that possible that a swarm would come from a colony with a 2 month old queen?
The numbers were building and great brood but there was still room to grow and it has 3 supers that have plenty of space.
Baffled

Always worth remembering that their main generic purpose in life is to reproduce (via swarming).

And assuming your supers were above a QE, that space doesn't really count in their calculations of how full their nest is.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Abbee, have a read of this thread with regard to space: What is going on, Drone brood in supers

 

[Abbee]

If bees have the swarm fever they will swarm regardless of space. If there was still " room to grow" ( I presume in the brood box) why did you have 3 supers on?

I meant to say 2 supers. Although it was a split it was a new queen in the parent hive which already had a super. We added the other super at the end if May because it was filling up

 

[Loxley]

Hi all.
We did a successful split swarm back in mid April and a new queen emerged first week of May. Hive was doing really well and numbers building. This morning the hive swarmed into the tree next door. Too high to catch so we've put a box with lure and fingers crossed.
The question is how is that possible that a swarm would come from a colony with a 2 month old queen?
The numbers were building and great brood but there was still room to grow and it has 3 supers that have plenty of space.
Baffled

I have just caught a colony trying to do the same thing, they swarmed at the end of may so I pulled 4 virgins one of which duly mated and started laying nicely, seemed like they were going well but today there was 6 QC's. I've nuc'd the queen and reduced the parent colony down to 1 nice QC so we'll see. I think the BB was a bit congested with stores.

 

[Loxley]

Sorry, double post

 

[Swarm]

It's as if some colonies have over reacted this year. I say some because with the rest it's the usual approach albeit not a great year so far. Virgin mates, begins to lay and they are straight into cell building, even the queen in the nuc split.
Other colonies are rammed and happily getting on with things.

 

[Ian123]

How full was the brood box. Doesn’t matter how many supers they have if she’s congested down there that will push them out.

 

[madasafish]

Swarmy bees raise swarmy bees. Genetics.

I requeen all but my own swarms (none this year so far but early days still)

 

[Finman]

Swarmy bees raise swarmy bees. Genetics.

I requeen all but my own swarms (none this year so far but early days still)

That is true. I got enough from my breed when my swarming rate rised to 120% a few years ago.

 

[Abbee]

Well we lost that swarm in the end, but the saga continues! We inspected the hive afterwards, shook every frame and found 2 capped Q cells, one looked damaged so removed it. Inspected the hive yesterday, that's 9 days later and saw the new queen and erupted CQC. Thought all was well but today they swarmed!! In a tree again way too high.
But they've swarmed leaving a hive queenless as there was only 1 CQC?
We'll inspect tomorrow to see. Never a dull day in this beekeeping malarkey!

 

[Boston Bees]

But they've swarmed leaving a hive queenless as there was only 1 CQC?

Probably not ....

 

[hemo]

What's an erupted CQC ?

 

[Erichalfbee]

What's an erupted CQC ?

Capped Queen Cell?
Was EVERY frame shaken? Hope not

 

[Hull Bees]

Have a Google for "Russian Scion", make one and hang it between your hives and that tall tree.

 

[hemo]

Never heard the term erupted queens cells, they don't erupt they are vacated or the proper term is a VQ has emerged but not erupted.
One suspects two VQ have emerged and one was missed during development.

 

[Abbee]

Have a Google for "Russian Scion", make one and hang it between your hives and that tall tree.

OMG ! Fantastic! Too late for this lot but will have one made ready for next spring. Thank you