What do you think?

[MrB]

wanting to swarm or wanting to chill?

As you can see, the hive on the right is on a double nat BB with 2 supers on.
Previously this colony has swarmed and then thrown a cast.
not sure if you can tell from the pic but there is a QE under the bottom BB to prevent any more casts whilst i await the emergence of a new queen (just in case there is a QC i have missed).
The new Q is due to emerge approx yesterday or today, so has she emerged and they want to swarm because there is more than 1 Queen, or are they just wanting to chill in the 28 deg c ??

 

[Chris Luck]

I would think wanting to swarm...

....38°c shade here, (low 22°C in the night), and my bees although clustering round the entrances and staying like that way into the night aren't forming huge great clusters like that halfway up the hive and never have done as a result of heat.

Chris

 

[MrB]

Think you are right Chris, as you can see, they have now all gone back in!
i guess the bottom QE has done its job

queens will be having a battle royal inside!

 

[biggles]

Stand well back when you do open them up.

 

[For want of a better word]

Stand well back when you do open them up.

Spray them with VIMTO... or is it IRUN ~BRU ????

 

[unclesteen]

Great photo MrB. If I may make a couple of observations, not in any way criticisms. You must have very large no. of bees to require two brood boxes, the frames seem to be stacked in the hot fashion and the entrance block is set with a small opening. I cannot see if there is an OMF in place and the hives look to be in a fairly airless though very tidy position. None of these things in isolation would cause the bees to overheat as they can regulate the temperature very well themselves I believe but maybe the combination of all of the above and the extremely hot day yesterday is over warming them.

Just a thought.

 

[victor meldrew]

How long do you intend keeping the q/e in place ?, remembering the colony is still short of a fertile Queen !

VM

 

[Erichalfbee]

Isn't a queen excluder under the brood box a faff to take off?
Wouldn't a piece cut to size over the entrance do the job just as well and be easier to remove?

 

[Hivemaker.]

Isn't a queen excluder under the brood box a faff to take off?
Wouldn't a piece cut to size over the entrance do the job just as well and be easier to remove?

No, it's very easy to remove,about five seconds. Excluder over entrance would cause to much congestion regards drones trying to get in and out.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I suppose you mean that there would be so many drones in the way the workers would find it difficult to get in and out. I guess that makes sense. I've put excluder over entrance after hiving swarms but I guess there aren't many drones in a swarm.

 

[MrB]

Unclesteen

Yes there is a very large amount of bee's! and they were a 5 frame nuc in spring!!!
and yes the hive has an OMF.

VM

I intend to keep the QE on for about 3 or 4 more days, want to make sure there is only 1 virgin left before i remove it!