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Offline gibb

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Lost a swarm today
« on: August 19, 2014, 05:27:02 pm »
Was waiting for the temperature to warm up this morning and one of my two hives swarmed. I am new to bee keeping and I am wondering why the bees would swarm so late in the season.
The bees landed in a dead tree 40 feet of the ground and I was setting up to retrieve them. I was just placing a frame of honey in the new hive and they took off flying across the lake. Had a sick feeling watching them fly off, they only clustered for one hour and took off.
I had two med super on top of two brood boxes.
We have had a very poor summer with lots of rain and cool weather.
Jim
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Offline riverbee

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Re: Lost a swarm today
« Reply #1 on: August 19, 2014, 05:54:21 pm »
because they do?!............ :D

there could be a number of reasons as to why your hive swarmed, and it is disheartening to see them fly off into the wild blue yonder. 

btw gibb, WELCOME TO THE FORUM!!!!  thanks for your post!  if you get a chance, introduce yourself in the WELCOME section of the forum.

lot's of folks here to help out and answer questions and share info! again.......

 :welcome:
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Offline Jen

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Re: Lost a swarm today
« Reply #2 on: August 19, 2014, 10:25:12 pm »
Hi Gibb and welcome. I have read in a couple of bee books that I have, that bees may light and then take off right away, or they may stay. It's anyone's guess ~  :sad:
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Offline Slowmodem

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Re: Lost a swarm today
« Reply #3 on: August 19, 2014, 10:40:48 pm »
Quote from: gibb on August 19, 2014, 05:27:02 pm
I was just placing a frame of honey in the new hive and they took off flying across the lake. Had a sick feeling watching them fly off, they only clustered for one hour and took off.

I know that exact feeling.  Earlier this year, we were reaching up in the tree to put the swarm in a bucket when they flew off and were never seen again.  :(
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Ten Mile, TN
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: Lost a swarm today
« Reply #4 on: August 20, 2014, 11:03:09 am »

   What Mrs. River said..    I ran inspections every week through the middle of July. Didnt have one swarm!!!!!   On the day of my first two week inspection one of my hives swarmed...   DAGNABBIT!!
   I did catch that swarm and they are building up well in a nuc for winter.
   Of the dozen or so swarm calls I got this year I could NOT arrive in time to catch them. I even watched as you did, one of those swarms disperse as I was setting up..   I only managed to catch a single small swarm all year.   
   I blame the availability of hive locations for most of it. We lost a lot of feral colonies last winter, so the swarms this year have excellent available locations, and it does not take them long to find and use these locations.
   Welcome to the forum! Glad to have you with us gibb!

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Offline Perry

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Re: Lost a swarm today
« Reply #5 on: August 20, 2014, 06:26:27 pm »
Glad you found us.
You will find as your numbers increase, so does your acceptance of swarm losses. I've lost more this year than probably most other years combined. That said, I've also caught more swarms as well, so it all comes out in the wash.  ;D
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Offline kebee

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Re: Lost a swarm today
« Reply #6 on: August 20, 2014, 07:08:34 pm »
 Welcome gibb to the forum.

Ken
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