Swarm Time(s)

[Lance Hutchings]

Just a thought
Is there a particular time of day that bees prefer to swarm ?
Ive caught two this year and both have come between 3pm and 5pm, do bees swarm regardless of weather, or as soon as a queen cell is capped or will two queens tolerate each other until better weather during rain etc ? (This seems slightly unlikely).
More of an enquiry than anything but would be nice to hear peoples views

Lance

 

[Illo]

We've caught two also; both have come in the morning and settled at about lunch time. Perhaps it depends how far they've travelled?

 

[beeatshellards]

i have had swarm calls morning noon and night.. i think there are lots of factors in deciding when to swarm, when the conditions are right off they go...

 

[susbees]

i have had swarm calls morning noon and night.. i think there are lots of factors in deciding when to swarm, when the conditions are right off they go...

....tell that to the decision makers in the swarm I spent three hours recovering today from the top of a thirty foot holly tree in a hedge (which was at least half that as thick) at the top of a Welsh hill. They had arrived 3pm yesterday and I had not had my phone on me so didn't pick it up til mid-evening when the householder was out.

Last night the wind howled and the rain was torrential into this morning. But still they sat up that tree, two feet from the top. Again it rained this morning. Can't they tell bad weather is coming, like sheep and cattle say?

Weighed in at 15 500 bees approx

 

[beeatshellards]

thats dedication for you..

 

[RoseCottage]

Susbees,
Is there some form of basic calculation that can be made to assess the size of the swarm? Knowing this would be quite useful,
All the best,
Sam

 

[susbees]

3500 bees to the pound weight is the figure stuck in my head. First time we've actually weighed a swarm and not very accurate as involved my partner standing on the bathroom scales complete with loaded skep...then taking off the weight of skep/sheet/elastic weighed on the kitchen scales afterwards.