SWARM REPORT... hows it goimg in your area

[For want of a better word]

Would be interesting to hear how beekeepers and swarm co ordinators are going in the regions
I hear that South Devon has been busy, with the usual mix of bumbles and Tree Bumble removal requests.

We in North East Cornwall / Tamar Valley seem to be inundated with small "cast" of yellow stripies... but despite my own best efforts have had 5 colonies swarm within various apiaries**... apiary vicinity swarming?

** not all mine!!

Phone ringing.... again!

Yeghes da

 

[nantmoel]

Only had a few this year, loads and loads of calls about bumble bees! The bloody council just give out my number to anyone who rings them.

 

[Hedgerow Honey]

As above, Caught three swarms that are going great guns plus another one that went again after two days but the phone has been ringing off the hook with bumble bees, Quite a few people have been stung by grumpy bumble's which I have not heard in previous years.

 

[Webby]

I'm in the south east. I have two swarm traps out but no luck yet. Fingers crossed.

 

[Martley]

Swarm calls

My 1st year on the list. Roughly 3 or 4 Bumble calls for every Honey bee call. So far this year collected 3 nice swarms, and walked away from a 4th requiring a kitchen roof dismantling

 

[madasafish]

Two swarms same day as SC.

None of mine have swarmed so far.. no obvious QCs either (excluding the QR hive which is Q- at times in parts using a Cloake Board)...

 

[stubee]

first swarm call 24th April, 19 up to 1st June at lease 7 bumble bee in bird boxes relocated ans lost count of calls for bumbles bees in buildings and 2 wasps

 

[Barbarian]

The local councils refer callers about bees to the BBKA website.

Lost one swarm from my hives.
Got one swarm in a bait hive.
Collected another swarm.
Attended another swarm but was unable to collect.
A lot of calls about Tree Bumbles.

 

[Karsal]

Sunny weather the other week 10 plus calls a day for bumblebees. One call for bees in a green round compost bin which had been there for two weeks. Cut out the comb and found the queen. Transferred to a nuc with 1:1 syrup now going great guns.
Not so many swarm calls so far this year as last year.
Bait hive in the garden caught one swarm.

 

[SDM]

All mine that are likely to have and most of them have laying queens already which has left both half of the A/S in a position to profit from brambles. I've not seen any bait hive activity or had a swarm call for nearly 2 weeks.

 

[Michael Palmer]

Rain, rain, rain, rain rain, swarm, swarm, swarm, swarm.....

 

[SDM]

All mine that are likely to have and most of them have laying queens already which has left both half of the A/S in a position to profit from brambles. I've not seen any bait hive activity or had a swarm call for nearly 2 weeks.

 

[Dadnlad]

All square here, lost a good prime but gained a nice calm prime a week later

No bait hive activity the last two weeks, flow on here now (and extra supers)

 

[daroco]

Insane here! Multiple calls a day some days, throughout May and although June seems to be easing off. A mixture of primes and casts, and the first couple that have begun to build comb starting to come in. But people seem to be a bit more sensible this year and a lot more have looked at what a swarm is this year. Quite a few bumble bee calls though.

 

[bontbee]

Rain, rain, rain, rain rain, swarm, swarm, swarm, swarm.....

Absolutely!

 

[Roola]

Just had another swarm arrive at my bait hive at home! That's 3 in the same spot this year (caught 6 in total). I ran down and got into the thick of it, in shorts and t-shirt... was incredible. I had bees landing on my head, face, body.... wonderful noise and experience i'll never forget.

 

[NickDub]

I got two swarms in the sunny weather the other week - one picked up in a neighbor's garden, one in an empty hive. I missed one call, as I was out, and another keeper took those. Nothing in the last 10 days.

 

[birdsandbees]

I've collected two huge Primes, one my wife tipped me off on the other was a call from another beekeeper that couldn't attend, four swarms caught in bait hives and four cut outs so far this year.

Lost one from my own bees but caught another when I missed a Q cell not included in the above numbers.

Not had any swarm calls from our association coordinator or website list at all for Honey bees, only for Bumbles and bees drinking water from a hot tub.

on the plus side the first big one I caught and Hived had a third Super put on this weekend!

as above, I'm sure once the weather improves it will begin kicking off again, also considering that the first swarmed hives will now be building up ready for another go

 

[mark s]

Not bad on the isle of wight, ive six traps out ,3 have swarms in and yesterday got called out to collect a nice swarm under a garden bench , easy collect ive ever done only 8" of the ground !!!