Author Topic: cluster or beard?  (Read 6900 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline tedh

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1346
  • Thanked: 65 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Henry County, Iowa
cluster or beard?
« on: June 01, 2022, 08:56:43 am »
Hey Everyone,
I hung a swarm trap this past weekend and it appears that a swarm has moved in.  There was a nice cluster/beard (approx 3lbs) hanging on the bottom of the trap a few days ago.  I knocked them into a box thinking if it was a queenlees beard they'd head back to the trap and if it was a queen right cluster they'd stay put.  They've been in their new box for 3 days now.  This morning there was a huge cluster/beard (approx 5lbs) hanging there on the bottom of the trap.  I've knocked them in to a new box thinking as I did above, they'll stay or go back.  I have no idea what's happening.  I plan to check the first box later today to check for a queen or signs of a queen, that should tell me something.  also I'll keep an eye on todays box to see what happens there. I'd like to check the trap but wanted to wait until they get moved as it will be rather involved, take it down, unscrew lid, blah blah blah. And its not my trap.  A friend put it there as we were hoping to catch a cluster that's out of reach.  The question I have right now is: I'm right, right?  If its a queenless beard they'll go back to the trap, if its a queen right cluster they'll stay put.  Right?  Ted
Share that which you have an abundance of.  In doing so both the giver and receiver are enriched.

Offline LazyBkpr

  • Gold Member
  • Posts: 6842
  • Thanked: 205 times
  • Gender: Male
  • www.outyard.net
    • The Outyard
  • Location: Richland Iowa
Re: cluster or beard?
« Reply #1 on: June 01, 2022, 08:35:34 pm »
YEP!!!! Unless you put eggs in the box, then some of em will stay and some will go.
Drinking RUM before noon makes you a PIRATE not an alcoholic!

*Sponsor*

Offline tedh

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1346
  • Thanked: 65 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Henry County, Iowa
Re: cluster or beard?
« Reply #2 on: June 01, 2022, 08:50:48 pm »
None are leaving, 2 empty drawn frames, 1 or 2 frames of honey (I cant remember right now, been a long day) and the rest were undrawn foundation. Thats how both boxes were set up.  No brood, no eggs.  I wonder if I knocked them into boxes before they had orientaion flights. I'm grasping at straws.  I've gotten into the habit of putting a queen excluder on top of the bottom board when catching clusters out of trees to prevent absconding but if there are queens in the new boxes they're probably virgin so I'll remove them. I'm thinking out loud now so should probably sign off.  Ted
Share that which you have an abundance of.  In doing so both the giver and receiver are enriched.

Offline Jen

  • Platinum Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10175
  • Thanked: 240 times
  • Gender: Female
  • Location: Upper California
Re: cluster or beard?
« Reply #3 on: June 02, 2022, 12:22:12 pm »
Hahaha, Ted I have never stopped thinking out loud with bees. Hubby knows when I'm pacing the back yard that I'm problem solving.

'If I do this.. then this will happen' ... maybe
'I think I'll do this, that will help them stay put' ... maybe
'I'll add some of this, that will appease them for awhile' ... maybe
'I'll give them some syrup' ... maybe
'I don't have to suit up today, this colony is soo peaceful' ... maybe
There Is Peace In The Queendom

Offline LazyBkpr

  • Gold Member
  • Posts: 6842
  • Thanked: 205 times
  • Gender: Male
  • www.outyard.net
    • The Outyard
  • Location: Richland Iowa
Re: cluster or beard?
« Reply #4 on: June 02, 2022, 12:36:11 pm »
Right!!!?
Drinking RUM before noon makes you a PIRATE not an alcoholic!

*Sponsor*

Offline The15thMember

  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 679
  • Thanked: 93 times
  • Gender: Female
  • Traveler of the Multiverse, Seeker of Knowledge
  • Location: Western North Carolina
Re: cluster or beard?
« Reply #5 on: June 02, 2022, 01:14:25 pm »
Hahaha, Ted I have never stopped thinking out loud with bees. Hubby knows when I'm pacing the back yard that I'm problem solving.

'If I do this.. then this will happen' ... maybe
'I think I'll do this, that will help them stay put' ... maybe
'I'll add some of this, that will appease them for awhile' ... maybe
'I'll give them some syrup' ... maybe
'I don't have to suit up today, this colony is soo peaceful' ... maybe

I am totally like this, except I talk TO the bees.  I'm like "Do you guys need this, or maybe this would be better for you?  I think we should do this, what do you say?"  The other day I was up with the hives, and my parents were working on the compost pile down the hill, and my dad asked my mom, "Who is she talking to up there?" and my mom was like, "Oh she's just talking to her bees again."   :D
I come from under the hill, and under the hills and over the hills my paths led.  And through the air, I am she that walks unseen.

Offline Jen

  • Platinum Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10175
  • Thanked: 240 times
  • Gender: Female
  • Location: Upper California
Re: cluster or beard?
« Reply #6 on: June 02, 2022, 02:08:37 pm »
'And if I don't do anything... They will all be dead by the end of the day' ... maybe
There Is Peace In The Queendom

Offline LazyBkpr

  • Gold Member
  • Posts: 6842
  • Thanked: 205 times
  • Gender: Male
  • www.outyard.net
    • The Outyard
  • Location: Richland Iowa
Re: cluster or beard?
« Reply #7 on: June 03, 2022, 06:43:50 am »
'And if I don't do anything... They will all be dead by the end of the day' ... maybe

   And of course there are all the old timers that tell you that more bees are killed by OVER care than UNDER care.

   "Perfection in beekeeping is not found in a multiplicity of appliances, but in simplicity and the elimination of everything not absolutely essential."  -- Brother Adam

Drinking RUM before noon makes you a PIRATE not an alcoholic!

*Sponsor*

Offline tedh

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1346
  • Thanked: 65 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Henry County, Iowa
Re: cluster or beard?
« Reply #8 on: June 03, 2022, 08:36:12 am »
Theres been a cluster/beard about the size of a cantaloupe hanging on the bottom of the swarm trap for the last couple days. Its been in the upper 50's the last two mornings.  Why would they beard at 58°F? Im going to inspect all three boxes later today and try to make a decision for moving forward.  Ted
Share that which you have an abundance of.  In doing so both the giver and receiver are enriched.

Offline Jen

  • Platinum Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10175
  • Thanked: 240 times
  • Gender: Female
  • Location: Upper California
Re: cluster or beard?
« Reply #9 on: June 04, 2022, 12:54:24 am »
Let us know what you find Ted  ;)
There Is Peace In The Queendom

Offline tedh

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1346
  • Thanked: 65 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Henry County, Iowa
Re: cluster or beard?
« Reply #10 on: June 04, 2022, 08:53:43 am »
I didnt see a queen or signs of a queen in two of the boxes so i added a frame of brood with eggs in each of those. I knocked the cluster/ beard into a bucket and dumped them on the ground in front of one box and they marched right in.  Stil haven't checked the trap itself, we'll do that today or tomorrow. If the 2 start building queen cells I'll order queens, kill the cells and install the mated queens. Ill be glad to have this situation stop perplexing me.  Ted
Share that which you have an abundance of.  In doing so both the giver and receiver are enriched.

Offline Jen

  • Platinum Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10175
  • Thanked: 240 times
  • Gender: Female
  • Location: Upper California
Re: cluster or beard?
« Reply #11 on: June 04, 2022, 01:18:32 pm »
Hi Ted, I often wonder why humans won't let the bees build their own queen, when it's perfectly natural for them to do that. Especially in the spring when there is plenty of time for the bees to do that?

Totally understand purchasing mated queens in late summer tho.

Not a criticism Ted. Just wondering the reason behind that choice?
There Is Peace In The Queendom

Offline iddee

  • Administrator
  • Gold Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 6122
  • Thanked: 405 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Sophia, N. C.
Re: cluster or beard?
« Reply #12 on: June 04, 2022, 02:11:30 pm »
I'm not Ted, but I'll throw my 2 cents worth in here. If from swarm or supercedure cells, I agree with you.
Since mass produced and emergency cells are similar, the 3 to 4 weeks laying time makes the difference, even in early spring.
“Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”
― Shel Silverstein

Offline tedh

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1346
  • Thanked: 65 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Henry County, Iowa
Re: cluster or beard?
« Reply #13 on: June 04, 2022, 10:43:34 pm »
As iddee pointed out, in this circiumstance its a time thing.   Ted
Share that which you have an abundance of.  In doing so both the giver and receiver are enriched.

Offline RAST

  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 309
  • Thanked: 46 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: MASCOTTE AND CHASSAHOWITZKA FL.
Re: cluster or beard?
« Reply #14 on: June 05, 2022, 07:13:12 am »
Jen, in my queen flying radius I seem to have hot drones in the DCA's.

Offline Jen

  • Platinum Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10175
  • Thanked: 240 times
  • Gender: Female
  • Location: Upper California
Re: cluster or beard?
« Reply #15 on: June 05, 2022, 12:10:37 pm »
Hi Rast, I'm up in years and don't remember what DCA means. Somehow when we turn 60, or earlier, acronyms don't compute in our cranium nerves anymore. HA! 

DCA might mean 'Drone Community Association'?  :laugh:
There Is Peace In The Queendom

Offline iddee

  • Administrator
  • Gold Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 6122
  • Thanked: 405 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Sophia, N. C.
Re: cluster or beard?
« Reply #16 on: June 05, 2022, 02:36:19 pm »
Drone congregation area, better known as

SINGLES BAR

 :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
“Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”
― Shel Silverstein

Offline tedh

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1346
  • Thanked: 65 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Henry County, Iowa
Re: cluster or beard?
« Reply #17 on: June 05, 2022, 07:17:08 pm »
The swarm trap was taken down last evening, there was only a few bees in it.  The cluster on the bottom of the trap was shaken out in front of the hives. There's still a handful of bees clustered on the tree where the swarm trap was and I'll drop them in front of the hives tomorrow morning.  Then I'll check for queen cells. It'll be interesting to see what I find. It's almost like I caught a swarm a little at a time, a slow motion capture. We'll see.  Ted
Share that which you have an abundance of.  In doing so both the giver and receiver are enriched.

Offline LazyBkpr

  • Gold Member
  • Posts: 6842
  • Thanked: 205 times
  • Gender: Male
  • www.outyard.net
    • The Outyard
  • Location: Richland Iowa
Re: cluster or beard?
« Reply #18 on: June 06, 2022, 08:32:35 am »
May I ask what he used as a lure in the swarm trap?
Drinking RUM before noon makes you a PIRATE not an alcoholic!

*Sponsor*

Offline tedh

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1346
  • Thanked: 65 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Henry County, Iowa
Re: cluster or beard?
« Reply #19 on: June 06, 2022, 11:34:55 am »
Hey lazy!  Swarm commander.  Smells like lemon grass oil to me.
 Just checked both boxes, there's an active queen in one and loaded queen cups in the other.  I killed the queen cups and did a newspaper combine.  It must have been a cluster the whole time, they just chose the bottom of the swarm trap to cluster on, I think.  Ted
Share that which you have an abundance of.  In doing so both the giver and receiver are enriched.