Swarm Season

[Karsal]

I thought the swarm season was nearly over.

Three swarms in two days. They must have known the nice weather was approaching.

Has anyone else had the same this weekend?

 

[enrico]

Swarm season nearly over? Dream on.......know what you mean but the little burgers will always catch you out!

 

[Al-In-Italy]

We had relatively good weather in SW Pembrokeshire last week and a swarm set up house in one of our bait hives last Thursday (14 July). Noticed a few bees investigating another bait hive this afternoon. Didn't look too serious, but that's what I also thought about the bees wandering in and out last Wednesday.

 

[Bearhouse]

We had relatively good weather in SW Pembrokeshire last week and a swarm set up house in one of our bait hives last Thursday (14 July). Noticed a few bees investigating another bait hive this afternoon. Didn't look too serious, but that's what I also thought about the bees wandering in and out last Wednesday.

Not sure whereabouts in SW Pembs you are, but there's a chap in Pennar/ Bufferland who had several swarms last week, his rather unpleasant sounding neighbour was shouting about it on facebook. Neighbour seems to think he should keep his bees on a lead I think

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

his rather unpleasant sounding neighbour was shouting about it on facebook. Neighbour seems to think he should keep his bees on a lead I think

Well, if his hives are chucking out swarms left right and centre - I know which one I'd be labelling a 'rather unpleasant neighbour' or at least a rather anti - social one!

 

[Al-In-Italy]

Not sure whereabouts in SW Pembs you are, but there's a chap in Pennar/ Bufferland who had several swarms last week...

We're about 4 miles SW of Pennar. The two swarms we've received in the last 3 weeks came from that general direction, but the straight-line route would involve crossing about ½ mile of estuary. Have to be pretty desperate bees who would - from their perspective - head out to sea in the hope of finding a new home!

 

[Vortex]

Had another call for a large prime swarm last night..
Picked up but they didn't want to stay in the nuc and were all on the outside at 7:30 this morning. Offered them a langstroth with old comb but they decide to abscond at 8.25.

 

[Bearhouse]

We're about 4 miles SW of Pennar. The two swarms we've received in the last 3 weeks came from that general direction, but the straight-line route would involve crossing about ½ mile of estuary. Have to be pretty desperate bees who would - from their perspective - head out to sea in the hope of finding a new home!

Ah, you must be about 2 miles from me then, I'm just outside Hundleton.

I don't know who else keeps bees around here, although there are a lot of hives in an orchard at Angle.


jenkinsbrynmair, true. It does sound as though he has a lot of bees, and maybe hasn't taken the time to explain anything to his neighbours about swarms, although to be fair I think he was round there within about 1/2 hour to collect them.

 

[Joseph]

Just had a swarm call near Finsbury Park, you know what they say a swarm in July, isn't worth a fly, but I'll go for them soon if they're still there.

 

[Sammo]

We had two swarms arrived in our bait hives in two days. Such excitement to see them take up home.

 

[Karsal]

Another

I thought the swarm season was nearly over.

Three swarms in two days. They must have known the nice weather was approaching.

Has anyone else had the same this weekend?

Make that four swarms in three days.

Massive prime swarm today two miles from home in village of Mellor.

Now run out of kit completely!

 

[birdsandbees]

A swarm in July is not worth the fly... Not this year it seems!

One swarm hived into a Nuc Sunday afternoon, quick peek into them tonight reveals five drawn frames stacks of nectar and pollen! With the Himalayan Balsam just bursting out into flower 1/2 mile away and the bees on it they will be definitely worth the fly IMO.

 

[Tom Jay]

Got into a daft caper yesterday:

Pal who doesn't know bees told me about a swarm cluster near his home. Got there and he tells me it's been hanging there a week 'but it was much bigger before'. The bunch of bees was perhaps three tennisballs big. I was there with my kit so I thought I'd go for it, suspecting them to be the remnant of a primary swarm which for some reason had moved on or been caught already. Result: I learned how a queenless swarm does not know how to congregate once disturbed! I persevered in the interests of ongoing learning on my part, spattering the frames in my travelling nuc with sugar syrup. Perhaps three quarters of this lot got interested and I brought them home. I'll take a look at them tomorrow. Is it worth me offering them a frame with eggs to see if they can make a queen for themselves? I have strong colonies I could offer them a frame from, and, following my experience last year with a late queenless remnant after that crazy casting of last summer - they made a wonderful success of emergency queening and this year its my strongest colony - following that experience, I fancy trying it.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Got into a daft caper yesterday:

Pal who doesn't know bees told me about a swarm cluster near his home. Got there and he tells me it's been hanging there a week 'but it was much bigger before'. The bunch of bees was perhaps three tennisballs big. I was there with my kit so I thought I'd go for it, suspecting them to be the remnant of a primary swarm which for some reason had moved on or been caught already. Result: I learned how a queenless swarm does not know how to congregate once disturbed! I persevered in the interests of ongoing learning on my part, spattering the frames in my travelling nuc with sugar syrup. Perhaps three quarters of this lot got interested and I brought them home. I'll take a look at them tomorrow. Is it worth me offering them a frame with eggs to see if they can make a queen for themselves? I have strong colonies I could offer them a frame from, and, following my experience last year with a late queenless remnant after that crazy casting of last summer - they made a wonderful success of emergency queening and this year its my strongest colony - following that experience, I fancy trying it.

don't waste your eggs, they'll struggle to raise a half decent queen anyhow just unite them with one of your other colonies to give them a boost

 

[Heather]

Agreed..

 

[Tom Jay]

don't waste your eggs, they'll struggle to raise a half decent queen anyhow just unite them with one of your other colonies to give them a boost

Agreed..

I took your advice. A day on and I think many bees had fled their queenless remnant. But I had placed the nuc box in which I had caught them next to a colony which has been slow this season, so they're on the top of them now with some more spattered sugar syrop and with paper to chew through.