HM Honey
House Bee
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2013
- Messages
- 427
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Wakefield, Yorkshire
- Hive Type
- 14x12
- Number of Hives
- 4
So I went to inspect the two hives I keep in my mums garden and got there just as one them was in full swarm..... What a fantastic sight it is, and the noise is astounding.
I inspected the hive last week and it had one sealed Q cell and about 6 unsealed but charged ones so it had already swarmed I reckoned. I made the mistake of not knocking down the excess Q cells.
I think the swarm I witnessed today was a cast swarm from the cell that was sealed last week. I caught the swarm and have housed it in a nuc.
I went through the main hive and removed all but one of the now sealed Q cells. Ther are still lots of bees in the hive and lots of capped brood so I have added a super full of undrawn foundation. Hopefully this will stop anymore cast swarms.
My second hive had queen cells in it 4 week ago and had already swarmed, I left two Q cells in it which are both empty this week. Judging by the number of bees in it this week I think I have lost another cast swarm but I did see eggs in cells this week. Not lots, and they were a bit scattered but I'm guessing thats just a newly mated queen learning the ropes so to speak.
So in the last week, I have gone from two colonies to four (two originals, one swarm collected and a swarn from my own hive recaptured)
So my plan is to see how this cast swarm develops. The swarm I collected last week is going great guns. Bringing in lots of pollen, drawn all the frames and lots of eggs.
I will keep an eye on the now week colony in hive 2 to make sure there is a viable queen and if not, I will combine it with either the swarm I collected last week or the cast swarm I recaptured today (assuming that queen gets mated).
On top of all this, my wife said she noticed some scouts sniffing round the empty brood box I have in my garden (miles away from my bees) so I have put some drawn frames in it in the hope of attracting a swarm....
Any other suggestions on a postcard
Ah the joys.....
I inspected the hive last week and it had one sealed Q cell and about 6 unsealed but charged ones so it had already swarmed I reckoned. I made the mistake of not knocking down the excess Q cells.
I think the swarm I witnessed today was a cast swarm from the cell that was sealed last week. I caught the swarm and have housed it in a nuc.
I went through the main hive and removed all but one of the now sealed Q cells. Ther are still lots of bees in the hive and lots of capped brood so I have added a super full of undrawn foundation. Hopefully this will stop anymore cast swarms.
My second hive had queen cells in it 4 week ago and had already swarmed, I left two Q cells in it which are both empty this week. Judging by the number of bees in it this week I think I have lost another cast swarm but I did see eggs in cells this week. Not lots, and they were a bit scattered but I'm guessing thats just a newly mated queen learning the ropes so to speak.
So in the last week, I have gone from two colonies to four (two originals, one swarm collected and a swarn from my own hive recaptured)
So my plan is to see how this cast swarm develops. The swarm I collected last week is going great guns. Bringing in lots of pollen, drawn all the frames and lots of eggs.
I will keep an eye on the now week colony in hive 2 to make sure there is a viable queen and if not, I will combine it with either the swarm I collected last week or the cast swarm I recaptured today (assuming that queen gets mated).
On top of all this, my wife said she noticed some scouts sniffing round the empty brood box I have in my garden (miles away from my bees) so I have put some drawn frames in it in the hope of attracting a swarm....
Any other suggestions on a postcard
Ah the joys.....
