This year is turning into a swarming nightmare!!

[steve56616]

Doesn't seem to mater what I do all mine just want to swarm
Nuc placed in hive with loads of room a few weeks ago. Doing well, combined an odd nuc as needed the queen for a Q - hive last week and bring numbers up nd to drop numbers of hives. Checked this afternoon, queen gone and loads of QC's.
All Im doing this year is AS's, collecting lost swarms (when I can) and re-joining. One week all good loads of room after checker boarding, next week swarm cells Grrrr!!!
I am checking every 7 - 8 days but doesn't seem enough.

 

[enrico]

Doesn't seem to mater what I do all mine just want to swarm
Nuc placed in hive with loads of room a few weeks ago. Doing well, combined an odd nuc as needed the queen for a Q - hive last week and bring numbers up nd to drop numbers of hives. Checked this afternoon, queen gone and loads of QC's.
All Im doing this year is AS's, collecting lost swarms (when I can) and re-joining. One week all good loads of room after checker boarding, next week swarm cells Grrrr!!!
I am checking every 7 - 8 days but doesn't seem enough.

You're not the only one! Fun isn't it!

E

 

[Ely]

Strange. It's the first year my hives have grown massive without wanting to swarm yet. Previous years they wanted to swarm at 6 frames of brood

 

[RogueDrone]

Its sure a year for the kit suppliers as we are all caught out. Never known a year like it, all so early.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Decided not to put up my bait hives this year - too much bother

 

[REDWOOD]

Decided not to put up my bait hives this year - too much bother

Not like you to slow down

 

[REDWOOD]

One hive on amber alert

 

[Erichalfbee]

Decided not to put up my bait hives this year - too much bother

Yes, good idea.
I crowed about catching a cast a few days ago and this morning lost a good prime.
Serves me right!

 

[starflex]

Its sure a year for the kit suppliers as we are all caught out. Never known a year like it, all so early.

I was in Lin's at Stockbridge today. The shelves all looked very "Old Mother Hubbard".

 

[einsteinagogo]

Ditto.....worn out but exciting...now catching other Beeks swarms and the number going across the sky somewhere....is unbelievable I wonder now OSR is almost over it will slow....

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

 

[TOBY-3652]

Doesn't seem to mater what I do all mine just want to swarm
Nuc placed in hive with loads of room a few weeks ago. Doing well, combined an odd nuc as needed the queen for a Q - hive last week and bring numbers up nd to drop numbers of hives. Checked this afternoon, queen gone and loads of QC's.
All Im doing this year is AS's, collecting lost swarms (when I can) and re-joining. One week all good loads of room after checker boarding, next week swarm cells Grrrr!!!
I am checking every 7 - 8 days but doesn't seem enough.

JOIN THE CLUB

 

[aberreef]

Same here in the Welsh valleys. No Rape fields here but 2 overwintered nucs were combined with struggling colonies about a month ago and left on double brood. Both colonies are rammed with bees and ASing last week

 

[Dazzabee]

I seem to have the opposite situation.

Only had to do 1 A/S so far and have received 0 swarm calls so far.

The only extra colonies I have so far this year are the above mentioned A/S, one colony I found buried in the undergrowth at a new site and 1 which moved into my bait hive last week.

 

[Stiffy]

Have split (AS'd) one that was on OSR but the others which are on double brood and 'bouncing' with bees have not looked to swarm (yet)
At other sites, have some on 2nd super and no signs (again yet) of swarming and at home site AS'd two.
I am finding queens are taking time to get mated though and first batch only now starting to lay after 3wks, which although fine, I would have expected given the good weather to be earlier.
S

 

[MeatheadSnowman]

Glad it's not just me! My 2 hives have become 5 pretty strong colonies! I don't have room for anymore!!!
Is this mother nature kicking back after a few bleak years i wonder?!?

 

[Dazzabee]

My A/S was done on the 28th April leaving one open Q/Cell. Queen was due to emerge on 7 or 8th May and Q/Cell with open flap was seen on 8th (quen not seen). First quick check made today and 2 frames of eggs and lovely new fat queen seen. So 2 weeks to the day-ish......... Almost text book.

Maybe my bee's have read the books after all!

This is the first daughter of new Buckfast queen bought in last spring so lets see what happens...........

 

[davidchevell]

Swarms

Anyone having problem with Virgin queens mating, seems to be taking for ever.

 

[beenovice]

Anyone having problem with Virgin queens mating, seems to be taking for ever.

Mine were 3 weeks between emergence and eggs. First two weeks of that were pretty damp and cold though.

 

[beeno]

17 days from emergence