Swarming - help!

[bees knees]

We are just watching our bees swarm unfortunately. We think they already swarmed before inspection a week ago. There are currently 3 separate clumps in a tree and 1 clump at the hive entrance. Is it possible that there are 4 separate swarms with queens each or is it more likely they will eventually merge into 1? Not sure whether to try Nd collect the biggest now or watch and wait a bit longer.

 

[will]

Collect ASP

 

[stenibee]

collect now

 

[Erichalfbee]

If they swarmed before your inspection a week ago then you could indeed have 4 separate casts in front of you, each with a virgin queen

I have on one occasion collected three like this for a friend. We put them all in together, added a frame of open brood and a queen excluder on the floor for a couple of days hoping the ensuing battle would produce one queen. They were OK. The battle could have been won or there could have been just the one queen.

 

[Cazza]

Someone is going to say it, so it might as well be me,

If you felt they had swarmed before your last inspection, then your management has been a little lax to allow a series of cast swarms. I'm sure you will learn from this.

Hope you have them all collected soon.
Cazza

 

[bees knees]

Thanks everyone. Have just collected them all and put them all in 1 new hive. It was a difficult job as they were all hanging from a tall tree above a shed. The first 2 clumps didn't seem to settle and it wasn't until we got the last one in the box that they all seemed to be happy to stay so we are hoping there is just 1 queen in there. The clump at the original hive entrance had diminished so I don't think that was a separate swarm. Now they are in a hive, some seem to be flying back to their original hive but I don't suppose that matters too much does it? We are just leaving them to sort themselves out for a few minutes while we have a well earned cup of tea (or maybe something a bit stronger) then we'll see what's going on and inspect our other hives which is what we went out there to do in the first place! Fingers crossed...

 

[bees knees]

Someone is going to say it, so it might as well be me,



If you felt they had swarmed before your last inspection, then your management has been a little lax to allow a series of cast swarms. I'm sure you will learn from this.



Hope you have them all collected soon.

Cazza

Cazza. We are lax through inexperience I fear. I'm guessing we should have destroyed all but 1 q cell last week. Is there anything else we should have done? Is it normal for a series of cast swarms to occur almost simultaneously?

 

[psafloyd]

Cazza. We are lax through inexperience I fear. I'm guessing we should have destroyed all but 1 q cell last week. Is there anything else we should have done? Is it normal for a series of cast swarms to occur almost simultaneously?

I just watched a swarm or cast leave one of my hives just now. Despite the best of intentions and efforts, you may still miss a QC or they may just swarm anyway.

I rehomed a small swarm with a year (marked) old queen whose hive I artificially swarmed last week when there were a couple of charged QCs, but none even near being capped.

She, however, clearly has other ideas and decided sitting on the damp grass was better than staying in her nice new BB with new foundation.

 

[oliver90owner]

You need to prevent any more casts appearing, as well.

 

[Cazza]

Cazza. We are lax through inexperience I fear. I'm guessing we should have destroyed all but 1 q cell last week. Is there anything else we should have done? Is it normal for a series of cast swarms to occur almost simultaneously?

Personally I leave only 1. Looks like you missed another which is easily done. The important thing is that you tried. Nothing else to be done. Being a belt and braces person, I check again a few days later.
Cazza

 

[whoosling]

Cazza. We are lax through inexperience I fear. I'm guessing we should have destroyed all but 1 q cell last week. Is there anything else we should have done? Is it normal for a series of cast swarms to occur almost simultaneously?

I'm having trouble with mine this year and am learning like you, hopefully each year (if I manage to keep the bees) will bring more understanding, at least we've got all the guys on this forum to put us right