Swarmy weather here

[Poly Hive]

Bees have been pretty much confined the last 48 hours.

Lots of munching mouths, far more bees at home making for far less pheromones each, leading to.............

Best to be prepared for the fun to come.

Get the plan dusted down and the spare kit ready, and ON SITE.

PH

 

[Tim.S]

Just got a load more foundation from Pa##es today. I know that the girls are in the hive plotting my future! The devil (rain) makes work for idle hands(whatever you choose to substitute!).

 

[bjosephd]

Indeed!

Currently trying to work out exactly how early I can get in the hives tomorrow morning to head off any potential swarming for later in the day! Want them flying and busy, and warm… but don't want to wait until swarm o'clock and watch one hive fly off as I'm inspecting the other!

And swarm o'clock is...

 

[YorkshireBees]

Indeed!

Currently trying to work out exactly how early I can get in the hives tomorrow morning to head off any potential swarming for later in the day! Want them flying and busy, and warm… but don't want to wait until swarm o'clock and watch one hive fly off as I'm inspecting the other!

And swarm o'clock is...

In my experience around 11am

 

[Robbo8916]

I'm hoping to check mine tomorrow after I have finished up at Guide Dogs, apparently they have been flying in any break in the rain though. Its cleared up now too and quite warm, hopefully they will have time to get some foraging done.

 

[idg]

As long as you can maintain 7 day inspections, you should be able to head off swarm attempts. Do bees ever swarm without Queen cells being built? I have always understood that the will swarm as soon as the QC is capped. Is this correct?

 

[bjosephd]

As long as you can maintain 7 day inspections, you should be able to head off swarm attempts. Do bees ever swarm without Queen cells being built? I have always understood that the will swarm as soon as the QC is capped. Is this correct?

Well I checked 7 days ago, but I could always have potentially missed something, and don't they cap on the 8th day?

So checking at 7 days seems on the edge…

 

[bjosephd]

In my experience around 11am

10am inspection it is then!

It better be nice and DRY and flying warm!

Pretty sure it's gonna be ****** windy… 14mph I think

 

[idg]

Well I checked 7 days ago, but I could always have potentially missed something, and don't they cap on the 8th day?

So checking at 7 days seems on the edge…

8 days plus or minus a day!! Is your queen clipped? There is always a chance of missing something but you cannot be in there all the while.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Colonies can and do swarm before capping queen cells.

 

[bjosephd]

Queens not clipped…

Does anyone ever retrieve a queen after a failed clipped swarm attempt?

I imagine it doesn't buy you much time.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Does anyone ever retrieve a queen after a failed clipped swarm attempt?

I imagine it doesn't buy you much time.

Several times.

With clipped queens I find they tend to hang around a lot longer before attempting to swarm, often right up until a virgin queen is about to emerge.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Colonies can and do swarm before capping queen cells.

 

[madasafish]

Colonies can and do swarm before capping queen cells.

My hive which swarmed at 1-.30am had no capped QCs as I inspected it at 3pm after swarm... (and took down lots of QCs with royal jelly. Left one large uncapped QC)

Inspected again today Uncapped QC is now capped..