Swarming signs or just paranoia?

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Honeypi

New Bee
Joined
Feb 14, 2015
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Location
Manchester
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
2
Following several weeks of wet and cold the weather has just taken a turn for the better.

At the last inspection that I was able to do, I saw play cups but no queen cells. Now, with a bit of sunshine there is a huge surge in activity. There are a lot of bees on the faces of the hives.

I think I'm just being a bit paranoid but could this be the early signs of swarming? See the photo below.

7c1cec7aa59d1f3bfc3a0799e016eff3.jpg




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If both colonies were very busy I would say they have found a working Fflow's hive to rob... but that looks a bit like the preamble to legging off to a new home... get a bait hive ready!!:hairpull::hairpull::hairpull:

Yeghes da
 
If both colonies were very busy I would say they have found a working Fflow's hive to rob... but that looks a bit like the preamble to legging off to a new home... get a bait hive ready!!:hairpull::hairpull::hairpull:

Yeghes da
Bait hive is already on the garage roof. Feels like a last ditch attempt but I suppose it's better than nothing.

Thanks for the help.

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If there are play cups and no sign of cells with grubs and RJ why are you convinced they are about to swarm?

Cart before horse here. Pic shows normal busy flights. How many frames of brood are they on?

PH
 
I did a quick inspection this morning as the weather was ok to do so and not inspected for two weeks, they were fine with a few play cups but defo no loaded ones, they are starting to fill a super too.

My reason for commenting is about 30min ago the sun came out and the hive burst with bees a bit like your pic above so for me I know no swarming intentions just them making the most of some very unusual sun, hopefully yours were doing the same.
 
Sun stayed out so we had an inspection.

The short hive towards the back of the photo had around 15 sealed and charged QCs. I imagine they would have swarmed sooner had the weather not been so bad.

Anyway, found the queen and popped her in a nuc with a couple of frames of brood.

Left 4 QCs in the hive and will let them battle it out. What's the done thing in terms of numbers?

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just come back from inspecting mine that were doing the same thing, lots of bees collecting pollen and orientation flights in the mix, as JBM said making the most of the nice weather
 
Left 4 QCs in the hive and will let them battle it out. What's the done thing in terms of numbers?

They might not battle it out.
If you nuc'd the queen you still have a strong hive with all its foragers/scouts.
You might get a swarm with the first virgin out and even the second.
I would have left one.
They might make more after you remove the queen so you'd have to look again.
 
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Following several weeks of wet and cold the weather has just taken a turn for the better.

At the last inspection that I was able to do, I saw play cups but no queen cells. Now, with a bit of sunshine there is a huge surge in activity. There are a lot of bees on the faces of the hives.

I think I'm just being a bit paranoid but could this be the early signs of swarming? See the photo below.

7c1cec7aa59d1f3bfc3a0799e016eff3.jpg




Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk
Ashamed to say one hive swarmed yesterday - lovely sunshine. Had not inspected for 14 days. However, as luck would have it I saw them go and followed to an accessible branch in my own hedge. Cut the branch and housed in a hive I had luckily prepared earlier! Lots of luck there.
 
They might not battle it out.
If you nuc'd the queen you still have a strong hive with all its foragers/scouts.
You might get a swarm with the first virgin out and even the second.
I would have left one.
They might make more after you remove the queen so you'd have to look again.

Yep ... that's ANOTHER back to front A/S ... recipe for a disaster ...
 
They might not battle it out.
If you nuc'd the queen you still have a strong hive with all its foragers/scouts.
You might get a swarm with the first virgin out and even the second.
I would have left one.
They might make more after you remove the queen so you'd have to look again.

:iagree:
 
Would you like to qualify that so as not to confuse newbies please?

Quite happy to leave it to you to qualify, if that is okay, just off out for the day now.
 
I'll help you out:
HM said to leave one QC or, if they were his hives, none.

Seems pretty clear to me - but just in case, I typed it nice and slow.
 
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