Swarms

[Aggravated]

Hi

I am I right to assume that when a hive swarms, the old existing queen leaves the hive and the new virgin queen is left behind.

After a swarm is collected, I understand that it is fed with syrup for a couple of days, when should the next inspections take place, and should any treatment be given for varroa or anything else

Thanks

 

[Tom Bick]

If the old queen leaves with the swarm this is referred to as a prime swarm and several queen cells can be left in the hive

Swarms can leave with virgin queens often after a prime swarm but not always, in this case they are known as cast swarms.

Some people feed a swarm after 24 hours some people don’t feed at all. If you knew the swarm was hanging around for a couple of days then perhaps best to feed.

For me I would leave a swarm for a week before inspecting and I would monitor it for varroa to get an angle on the varroa load and then perhaps consider treatment.

 

[REDWOOD]

Don't treat bees if varroa drop is low

 

[susbees]

Hi

I am I right to assume that when a hive swarms, the old existing queen leaves the hive and the new virgin queen is left behind.

After a swarm is collected, I understand that it is fed with syrup for a couple of days, when should the next inspections take place, and should any treatment be given for varroa or anything else

Thanks

Monitoring varroa is very useful...easy as swarms like it dark. The new queen is generally left behind in a newly sealed cell.

Swarms shouldn't be fed for three days and then only if there is no flow or the swarm is a cast. All honey brought with the bees should go into comb making to reduce the chance of disease. The exception to this might be a swarm that has been caught out in bad weather for several days when immediate feeding might be sensible....again depends on a forage available.

 

[oliver90owner]

Covered pretty well.

There is the exception - which like swarms from managed colonies, should not normally happen - is when a clipped queen is lost and the swarm which returned to the hive (after the queen was lost) go again with the first virgin to emerge. Tecnically a cast, I suppose, but usually far bigger than a normal cast and often larger than most proper primes.

I follow the feeding, as given by Susbees. The exception to feeding only after three days might be when the provenance is known (swarm issued from your own colony).

RAB

 

[Rosti]

Don't treat bees if varroa drop is low

Agreed, but if you are going to be selective in treatment (and why not?) then by definition there has to be close monitoring. If you can't monitor then treat with OA by default given there isn't a chance of building varroa resistance given it's a physical rather than metabolic intervention. Do so after the queen has mated but before any capped brood - maximises the chances for the new colony on two counts (IMO)