Swarm or not

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Beeandy

New Bee
Joined
Oct 16, 2017
Messages
10
Reaction score
0
Location
Cambridgeshire
Hive Type
Langstroth
Number of Hives
4
Hi
I have four hives three have bees and are strong the forth has been empty for months, and this morning I notice bees going in and out of the forth. So l suited up and opened it up and found a small cluster of bees drawing comb. In Cambridgeshire the weather has been cold and rainey for a couple weeks.
Any ideals how a swarm has taken over this hive so late?
Andy
 
Hi
I have four hives three have bees and are strong the forth has been empty for months, and this morning I notice bees going in and out of the forth. So l suited up and opened it up and found a small cluster of bees drawing comb. In Cambridgeshire the weather has been cold and rainey for a couple weeks.
Any ideals how a swarm has taken over this hive so late?
Andy

Hello Beeandy
Strange how the weather/perception of weather is different between adjacent counties. Here in Suffolk we've had prolonged drought for six weeks except for a day of welcome rain last week. Lawns are bone-dry and yellow. I reckon it's been warmer than average and my bees have been really busy, especially today.
Sorry, but I can't answer your question!
 
Thanks for the replying
I may have a answer to my swarm, I found two queen cups recently used in one of my hives.
I am thinking that this hive went queenless and two emergency cups were made, now normally only one queen reigns.
I haven't see the queen in this hive or in the swarm hive so now its all guess work for me, maybe some of the more experience members may have some insight.
 
In emergency they are much more likely to build many more queen cells than two, so your scenario is unlikely. Do you know the difference between queen cups and queen cells, emergency, swarm and supercedure cells?
I tend not to worry about why things have happened, but think more on what I am going to do about it. As said get the " swarm" nice and cosy and in this and the other hive keep an out for eggs and larvae. In summer it can take a queen up to about 3 weeks to come into lay.
 
Thanks drex
It's no to you're first question but I have fed them and will give them a frame of broad soon as possible.
 
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