Swarms not as plentiful this year

[Moobee]

No. It doesn’t. Maybe it’s more about the size? Relative to the original colony?

Prime = earliest, first or main, so wouldn’t that also mean the original queen. That’s how I understand it anyway

 

[JamezF]

Very quiet all round earlier this morning, presumably because it was a bit overcast and the bees weren't desperately keen to get out of bed, but now the Sun has broken through the sycamores are buzzing and there's a great deal of excitement around the entrance of my latest bait hive. I suspect there might be another swarm incoming.

James

 

[Cuckmere couple]

I am on my 5th AS so far...no swarm yet tho

similar

i am surprised at the capacity people have to take more swarms when our own colonies are multiplying fast

 

[jeff33]

similar

i am surprised at the capacity people have to take more swarms when our own colonies are multiplying fast

Agreed. I have resisted the urge of placing bait hives and responding to swarm collection calls!

 

[Wilco]

I understood that the first swarm is a prime swarm and is usually headed by a mated queen- but not always.

However, in this situation the bees swarmed and then came back, so have both swarmed and not swarmed.

I therefore propose that instances such as this be hitherto referred to as a 'Schrödinger's swarm'.

 

[JamezF]

Agreed. I have resisted the urge of placing bait hives and responding to swarm collection calls!

I made sure I had lots of brood boxes and floors available before the season really kicked off (or perhaps before I thought it was really going to kick off) with the intention of attempting to increase the number of colonies I have this year. So far I've hardly done any splits because many boxes have been taken up by swarms. Still, as long as they're nice ones...

James

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The first swarm out, with the laying queen is a prime swarm - as you stated recently.

no I didn't

 

[JamezF]

I therefore propose that instances such as this be hitherto referred to as a 'Schrödinger's swarm'.

You can't know whether they've swarmed or not until you open the hive and find a dead cat. And even then you won't be sure.

James

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

No. It doesn’t. Maybe it’s more about the size? Relative to the original colony?

no - prime is from the latin Primus - first

 

[JamezF]

no - prime is from the latin Primus - first

Now we know you're making it up. "Primus" is Latin for "portable camping stove", obviously

James

 

[user 20297]

Don't know where you are in the country but in a week or two were expecting solid daily late teen temperatures for a few weeks..
We're I am you can set your clock to the swarm season .... its usually from 22nd of May onwards and peaks around 31st .... I've even seen them in the pouring rain

Yes, I can predict them here on 1st June.

 

[user 20297]

Do the bees know about weekends?

Yes they do, that's why they swarm on weekdays.

 

[E&MBees]

I understood that the first swarm is a prime swarm and is usually headed by a mated queen- but not always.

However, in this situation the bees swarmed and then came back, so have both swarmed and not swarmed.

I therefore propose that instances such as this be hitherto referred to as a 'Schrödinger's swarm'.

Quantum intanglement. As long as the position of the bees is not defined, they can be a swarm and not a swarm.

 

[jeff33]

I made sure I had lots of brood boxes and floors available before the season really kicked off

So did I but they have all gone now ...got plenty of supers though as they haven't been able to bring much up until last weekend.

I have planned to increase as I expected to get hold of a new site from a water company but legal are taking so long it is unlikely for me to get it before 2055. In the meantime, my 3 sites are overun with splits, mating nucs and I am now desperate for a new site to offload all this.

 

[The Poot]

no I didn't

Apologies if you didn’t. I must of dreamed it. (Not that I dream about a lot, you understand!)

 

[Ian123]

I’ve always understood a prime swarm to that issued with the old and laying queen anything after that is a cast….Does it really need to be more complicated……Anyway I’m back to some more grafting!

 

[user 20297]

This is the definitive Prime Swarm


https://www.amazon.co.uk/placeholder_title/dp/B0B8NMD6HC

 

[simonwig]

Putting the predicted debate to one side, what are the best guesses for when another swarm will emerge?
Simon

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

swarming season has started here anyway - one landed in the home apiary a week ago, settled in a brood box, drawn comb, filled a frame of stores, busily bringing in pollen yesterday morning.
Buggered off again yesterday afternoon
two swarm call in the last three hours and others reporting swarm call as well

 

[Karsal]

We (the family) were just commenting on the lack of swarms this year. Last year we’d caught four or five swarms by now. This year so far we’ve caught only one.
It hasn’t been the warmest or the driest, especially in the morning.

How has it been for you?

We are way behind last years count for swarms here. I think we should see an increase towards the end of May beginning of June as the weather has been so bad this spring, we must be at least a fortnight late this season.
I have been called out to four prime swarms in the same two gardens next door to each other over the last fortnight. Three I've hived and one flew off as I got kitted up.