Swarming is begginning

[beehive1234]

Scouts are out. Swarming is just getting underway. Prepare, Inspect and God be with you.

 

[snelgrove]

Scouts are out. Swarming is just getting underway. Prepare, Inspect and God be with you

Not here !

 

[curry756]

They are out in SE London too. Also seen drones hanging about in the garden too.

 

[Jimmys Mum]

Charged queen cells in one strong hive here in Berks today. Nine frames of brood and 2 supers. Perhaps I should have Demareed but have no spare drawn comb left and seemed a bit early. I've followed Wally Shaws instructions for the modified Snelgrove II method of swarm control as opposed to pagden which wasn't always a success for me last year.

Feeling a bit anxious leaving the queen and queen cells together in a hive but I have followed the instructions to the letter and am hoping that all will be well.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Feeling a bit anxious leaving the queen and queen cells together in a hive but I have followed the instructions to the letter and am hoping that all will be well.

Don't worry. They have no foraging bees

I will try this when it's time......not yet......
Let us know how it goes, please.

 

[SixFooter]

Put my bait hives up on Saturday. No interest as yet. I get lots of investigating bees during the swarming season, so hoping it's not quite started yet.

 

[BILL.HEARD]

As it was trying to snow here last week and no drones are yet flying i don't think swarming is going to be a problem for several weeks yet.

 

[oliver90owner]

Swarming will likely be a problem only for hives with no brooding space in particular. Those that fed fondant blindly, without thinking, throughout the winter will reap the rewards of their wasted endeavours.

 

[BILL.HEARD]

Swarming will likely be a problem only for hives with no brooding space in particular. Those that fed fondant blindly, without thinking, throughout the winter will reap the rewards of their wasted endeavours.

Yes the newer beekeepers of today seem to think that feeding fondant throughout the winter is the way forward. Older beekeepers just fed heavily in Sept. if required, which in most years was sufficient until the following March.

 

[REDWOOD]

This old beekeeper did not feed.... only a small cast swarm in a nuc that is flying along nicely.

 

[REDWOOD]

One of the key elements of beekeeping is, does the queen have enough room to lay, if you find too much stores in a hive remove it and replace with comb or fondation making sure not to insert it in between the brood nest, what you do with the stores after is up to you, you can store it and feed back when required, it's handy also when making up nucs, or feeding a swarm.

 

[philipm]

Checked my hives today they are hammering in the rape seed and one hive on 11 frames of bias has decided its time to make swarm preparations, Oh what fun this Beekeeping is!

 

[Minxpinx]

I found uncapped queen cells in one of my hives today - I'd put a super on it last week. This colony needed no feeding over winter and has built up so quickly.
A/s tomorrow I think.

 

[jonnybeegood]

I wonder how many people think because its cool & not many bees are flying, that they arent doing anything? My polys are filling up nicely, its just a bit cold to get back into them at the moment. :-(

 

[MikeT]

22oC in Norfolk today, hotter tomorrow, swarming weather. First real warm weather this spring, blackthorn just coming out at last.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I wonder how many people think because its cool & not many bees are flying, that they arent doing anything?

Whenever we get a few cool days in-between hot ones my bees plot.

 

[dexter's shed]

checked both garden hives today, bees doing great, lots of BIAS a few drone cells and room to lay, can stand down from deathcon 5 to 1

 

[BILL.HEARD]

I found uncapped queen cells in one of my hives today - I'd put a super on it last week. This colony needed no feeding over winter and has built up so quickly.
A/s tomorrow I think.

Hope you have plenty of mature drones in your area then.

 

[Minxpinx]

Hope you have plenty of mature drones in your area then.

So do I. I have seem some flying today. I do have a few weeks before I really need them though.

 

[beeno]

Don't worry. They have no foraging bees

I will try this when it's time......not yet......
Let us know how it goes, please.

With a swarm made up to 70% of young bees, this would in theory seem to be the perfect storm if they have enough stores?!!