Swarm ... I think?

[Boston Bees]

I was sure I had cut down all queen cells but one. There were only two frames that could have queen cells on to start with, so surely not that hard......

But then they swarmed this morning. When I first saw it, I thought "ahh, mating flight of that single queen cell I left behind". But then they clustered on a branch, and looked very like a swarm.

So I cut them down from the top of the tree, and saw the queen running around on the branch. They are now nuc'd, and I assume the queen is in there, because they are all still in there.

So, my stupid question is - presumably this must have been a swarm, right? I know bees get excited about mating flights, and can look like a swarm, but a queen on a mating flight wouldn't go and sit in the tree with them, right?

Anyway, back into that hive for me to see what is going on....

 

[Ian123]

Looks like a swarm to me am sure you’ll find another cell/virgin remaining. Ian

 

[Boston Bees]

Looks like a swarm to me am sure you’ll find another cell/virgin remaining. Ian

Sigh, yes, I think you must be right. I feel professionally embarrassed.

 

[Erichalfbee]

It’s like an AA meeting.
“I’m a beekeeper and my hive has just swarmed”
After this period of rubbish weather I’ll probably be there on the naughty step too

 

[Ian123]

I think there’ll be a lot of it a friend reported lots of activity around a bait hive on his shed roof earlier. Fortunately I have no hives close

 

[StephenT]

I’ve had two . Caught both of them though. My excuse is that I’m a junior beeaholic.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

It’s like an AA meeting.
“I’m a beekeeper and my hive has just swarmed”
After this period of rubbish weather I’ll probably be there on the naughty step too

I was concerned about the weather here causing delay to inspecting but finally had an opportunity yesterday. Had a pleasant surprise to find no sign of swarm preparations (yet) although stores were getting low. No doubt the recent rain will result in an osr flow starting so I'm going to have to stay on my toes. Interestingly my phone brought up some photos from previous years which showed our lawn under a layer of hailstones on this date.

 

[enrico]

You are lucky. I never saw mine go and certainly didn't get to retrieve it! We all lose swarms. You will hear many a beekeeper quoting that they have had their queen superceded! I smile quietly. I know what they really mean!

 

[Boston Bees]

I was concerned about the weather here causing delay to inspecting but finally had an opportunity yesterday. Had a pleasant surprise to find no sign of swarm preparations (yet) although stores were getting low. No doubt the recent rain will result in an osr flow starting so I'm going to have to stay on my toes. Interestingly my phone brought up some photos from previous years which showed our lawn under a layer of hailstones on this date.

Decent hailstorm here today, and we are in Yorkshire too.

 

[Horseradish]

Both of my swarm traps had scouts visit today for the first time this season. Eveything is a bit behind.

 

[Boston Bees]

Update

Went into this colony again.

I hadn't missed one queen cell. I had missed two (making three QCs in total) .... oh dear

Two were neatly uncapped, like bean cans, so I knew two queens had emerged. One queen I knew I had caught in the swarm, but had I lost the other to a swarm too?

Searched through, couldn't see her. Final act was to tip the remaining bees into a new box, so I inverted the nuc and lo and behold, there was a cluster of bees hanging under the OMF. Guess who was in there with them ..... She must have failed to find the entrance.

She wouldn't come out of the cluster, so I lay a frame of drawn comb on top of them and they clambered up on to it, including the queen. Now safely nuc'd.

Eventful hobby as ever ...

Useful lessons I think:

1) Always look under the OMF if you are searching for an errant queen!
2) Drawn comb is like a magnet for bees - I have used it to rescue a queen from a swarm stuck in grass before too - it's a great way to move them from A to B at low risk to a queen

 

[Finman]

LESSON 1

to leave one queen cell into the hive is not swarming control.

When you see queen cells, make at once padgen to cut off the swarming fever.

If you do not have laying queen in the hive, first swarm has already gone.

 

[Boston Bees]

to leave one queen cell into the hive is not swarming control.

Unless the prime swarm has already left, and you know that there is no brood young enough to make more QCs. Which was the case here.

In hindsight I missed one of course - there were two queen left after the swarm, not one. So I have split the hive into two to see what happens. One part has the queen that got stuck under the floor. The other part has the remaining capped QC, which is probably a dud as it is 18 days old, but there are lots of nurse bees on it. I will go and check it today to see if it has now emerged. If not I will give this nuc a QC from another hive.