When do people de-Demaree?

[Finman]

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If you look a swarmed colony on the balance, it foes not make surplus any more. IT tells that quite a big part of foragers have gone.

On second swarm after a week there are only young bees. But soon they are old too. When the virgin gets its new workers after 4-5 weeks, all swarm workers are at the age of foragers.

So, bees in swarm are young but not very long time.


When primary swarm starts to get new emerged bees, half out of swarm bees have died on working. So we live time 4 weeks after swarming.
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[B+.]

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So, bees in swarm are young but not very long time.


When primary swarm starts to get new emerged bees, half out of swarm bees have died on working. So we live time 4 weeks after swarming.
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I am not disagreeing, There must be young bees present in the swarm, but, there must also be older scout bees whose job it is to find the new nest site. That is why I am saying the entire spectrum of adult bees must be represented.

If you take this further, the composition of a swarm must change in subsequent swarms compared to a prime swarm. In secondary swarms the oldest bees have already left (with the prime swarm). So, even the oldest bees would be comparatively young.

 

[Finman]

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The lenght of bee life is short, 3 weeks as home bee and 3 weeks as foragers.
6 weeks = 1.5 months.

 

[Finman]

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3 factors must be in balance in productive hive

1) brood, which produce new home bees

2) home bees, which nurse brood, handle nectar and pack ready honey.

3) foragers, which bring pollen and nectar.

After swarming colony is out of balance. Join swarm parts, that balance is OK.

 

[masterBK]

Having found a suitable new nest site and guided a swarm to it then do most scouts stay with the swarm at the new site or go back to the site of the parent colony ?

 

[Erichalfbee]

According to Seeley some stay some go
It’s not as simple though. Scouts don’t just find a place and off the swarm goes. The swarm will bivouac and come to a diplomatic decision. So maybe some of the returning scouts will go with the bees that return once the swarm clusters

 

[drex]

Wally Shaw's instructions for a Snelgrove 2 say to place two " bee free" frames of brood in the new box on the old site, the artificial swarm. He goes on to say these two frames must contain eggs and larvae. Hence these larvae will be looked after by returning flying bees, since no nurse bees are transferred with them.
It seems to work for me and others on this site.
??????

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

You let swarms go?

I took my traps down on 30 June. To be clear I do NOT lose swarms if I can possibly help it but am quoting:

A swarm in May is worth a cart of hay
A swarm in June is worth a silver spoon
A swarm in July; let it fly (or: is not worth a fly)


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