When will my Bees swarm ?

[JC47]

I am a new beekeeper and received an over wintered Nuc. three weeks ago.
Is it possible that they may swarm this year ?
The books I have read do not give any indication, I was hoping the many experienced members of the forum could give me some advice.

 

[Dave /Oscroft]

Will bees swarm

Hi JC and welcome to the mad house,
The answer to your question is quite possibly yes, from past experience, but can depend on type of bee, as if they are carnies, they are notorious swarmer's. When I first started beekeeping some 7 years ago my first colony where carnies and they swarmed within 6 weeks of getting them. Try and inspect them every 7 days and look for queen cells, when the weather picks up abit perhaps over the weekend. Learn swarm prevention (if theres such a thing !) and how to do an artificial swarm. Get some help if you need it, don't be afraid to ask.
As its a nuc you should be ok for a while though, but bees don't read the books unfortunately.
Good luck

Dave W

 

[snelgrove]

You have to check weekly or fortnightly with clipped queens for cells. There's no easy answer I'm afraid

 

[Robbo8916]

Next tuesday at 3.17pm.

Joking aside it is difficult to predict. It is the pre-swarm signs you will have to look out for.

I have an over wintered nuc arriving next week and fully expect the need to split them!

As a lot on here say, bees don't do anything by the book.

Welcome and good luck with your stinging little beauts!

 

[Swarm]

Yes it is. Especially as you will have only foundation to offer them as additional frames but by manipulating the brood comb wisely, to encourage wax drawing, you will be able to stay one step ahead by providing laying space. Later, when they build up, you will need to provide space for bees, which is when you start thinking of a super.

 

[JC47]

Thank you for your quick replies, I will have to get another hive ready just in case.
Many thanks for the advice.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Have a look at this, print it so you have it to refer to
http://www.wbka.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/There-Are-Queen-Cells-In-My-Hive-WBKA-WAG.pdf

 

[Fatbee]

Swarming is an integral part of beekeeping. How you manage is what makes the difference. Read up on why they swarm and it will allow you to better understand their motivations

 

[Millet]

Yes it is. Especially as you will have only foundation to offer them as additional frames but by manipulating the brood comb wisely, to encourage wax drawing, you will be able to stay one step ahead by providing laying space. Later, when they build up, you will need to provide space for bees, which is when you start thinking of a super.

I did that or similar last year on a 5 frame nuc in a national brood box with 5 frames covered in the middle, i split the brood with fresh foundation, which some folk twist about but it worked ok for me, the bees quickly filled the new frames for the queen to lay in, when the brood box got to 7 frames of brood in all stages i stuck a super on top, half of the super frames where quickly drawn out with a little bit of honey stored, but the main thing they never thought about swarming the odd play cup was all i seen, maybe location/ bee type and forage may alter in different parts of the country but it worked for me .

 

[sbisme]

I did that or similar last year on a 5 frame nuc in a national brood box with 5 frames covered in the middle, i split the brood with fresh foundation, which some folk twist about but it worked ok for me, the bees quickly filled the new frames for the queen to lay in, when the brood box got to 7 frames of brood in all stages i stuck a super on top, half of the super frames where quickly drawn out with a little bit of honey stored, but the main thing they never thought about swarming the odd play cup was all i seen, maybe location/ bee type and forage may alter in different parts of the country but it worked for me .

Good luck this year 2nd year can be fun as I found out last year.

 

[snelgrove]

I did that or similar last year on a 5 frame nuc in a national brood box with 5 frames covered in the middle, i split the brood with fresh foundation, which some folk twist about but it worked ok for me, the bees quickly filled the new frames for the queen to lay in, when the brood box got to 7 frames of brood in all stages i stuck a super on top, half of the super frames where quickly drawn out with a little bit of honey stored, but the main thing they never thought about swarming the odd play cup was all i seen, maybe location/ bee type and forage may alter in different parts of the country but it worked for me .

will work with an overwintered nuc but not a full colony. Swarm control measures are required this year.

 

[MartinL]

Is it possible that they may swarm this year ?
.

When you least expect it, everything becomes possible!

 

[Millet]

will work with an overwintered nuc but not a full colony. Swarm control measures are required this year.

It was not a over wintered Nuc Snelly , it was bought in with a 2015 marked queen around June, the way they are going now though i would think swarm prevention or control methods will be needed in the near future.

 

[mjt68]

I am a new beekeeper and received an over wintered Nuc. three weeks ago.
Is it possible that they may swarm this year ?
The books I have read do not give any indication, I was hoping the many experienced members of the forum could give me some advice.

Yes it is. Maybe this year, maybe next, maybe the year after if you're really lucky but if your doing things right your bees will try to swarm and as we're human you'll lose a swarm or two eventually. If you're trying to keep expenditure under control, one hive and a nuc can be enough, but two hives (at minimum 2 floors, brood boxes, crown boards and roofs) is better.

 

[misterbee82]

The best way to avoid swarming from a nuc is to give them a more suitable hive. Example a empty langstroth hive with an ample food source will often satisfy them. Keeping them in the nuc box presents a host of issues (a) they do not have a lot of room to produce brood, (b) they don't have enough frames to produce an efficient amount of honey to survive the following winter, and (c) the materials nuc boxes are built with do not do well with warm humid weather, and as your weather begins to warm up could get warm and damp conditions, leading to mould issues inside the hive.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The best way to avoid swarming from a nuc is to give them a more suitable hive. Example a empty langstroth hive with an ample food source will often satisfy them. Keeping them in the nuc box presents a host of issues (a) they do not have a lot of room to produce brood, (b) they don't have enough frames to produce an efficient amount of honey to survive the following winter, and (c) the materials nuc boxes are built with do not do well with warm humid weather, and as your weather begins to warm up could get warm and damp conditions, leading to mould issues inside the hive.

I'm sure the OP is well aware of that. If you do a bit of research you will also discover that the majority of British beeks are on National format.
Can I suggest that instead of constantly cutting and pasting 'advice' on here you maybe sit back and learn a bit?

 

[B+.]

can depend on type of bee, as if they are carnies, they are notorious swarmer's. When I first started beekeeping some 7 years ago my first colony where carnies and they swarmed within 6 weeks of getting them.

I keep hearing things like this, but, it just doesn't tally with my experience. I suppose it just depends on where you get them from. The stock I use don't swarm under normal management conditions (although, I suppose, anything can be made to swarm if you push it hard enough)

 

[alldigging]

When you least expect it, everything becomes possible!

They normally give a few clues.

 

[Poly Hive]

Sorry to say but the advice is right B+

My Scottish blacks preferred to sup over swarm by a ratio of 60-40 and some years 70-30 and the preferred time was on the heather. Of course if your queens are not marked then it don't show.

My carnies though wanted to swarm every season and once I accepted that was how it was, and as I no longer was aiming at a heather crop that was fine too. Just took a bit more managing.

So bee strain has a distinct impact in my experience.



PH

 

[B+.]

So bee strain has a distinct impact in my experience.

All my queens are numbered with plastic disks so I know if she has been superceded/lost but I have different experience to yours. My mean yield from the test group in 2015 (2014 sister queens island mated to the same drones) was 72.225Kg and there were no swarms at all. I don't have heather within easy travelling distance so I can't comment about their late season performance. I think a lot depends on where you get your "carnies" from. Some suppliers take a lot more care than others.