July and August Swarms?

[brooksbeefarm]

With the 3 swarms i caught in one out yard last week and two swarm calls last Tues. my wife yelled to tell me a swarm was taking place in the walnut tree by the drive this afternoon:o Well it wasn't a big swarm and they would start to settle on a limb and bunch up, then leave that limb and go to another one? I had a swarm trap in the tree about 100 ft.  from them and put a few drops of lemongrass oil on it's landing board, then went and fed some calf's grain hoping they would find it , Well when i come back they were still going from limb to limb? but i heard bees coming from the swarm trap and when i went to look, bees had moved in and covered the whole front of the 10 frame swarm trap ? a big swarm?? What's with all these Ju;y and August swarms Here's one for you :yes:A club member called and said he had a swarm for over a week now, that would stage in one place in his yard and the next day would go to another place in his yard and staged again in his yard? He said he had heard that a swarm in July was sure to die and didn't want it and ask what i would do I told him i would catch it and combine it to a weak hive if i had one or pour the feed to it and add some frames of honey if i had any.I've never heard of a swarm acting like that, have you??? Jack

[Perry]

Strange behaviour indeed. Still seeing the odd swarm, lots of upper brood boxes plugging up, but with no rain and no flow I'm thinking they will be needing it over the next while.

[gibb]

Finally getting some rain here today, all the blueberries are burning off, the golden rod is coming on strong. Been to hot for to long.

[brooksbeefarm]

Club member called back this mourning and said he put a step ladder in his pickup bed and cut the limb the swarm was on yesterday and they had started building comb on the limb. He shook them off into a hive box( that's when he seen the comb) and stuck the limb with started comb in with them, but this mourning they were back in the tree where he had got them I replied, I should have told him to put a frame of brood in the hive and they would have stayed, he said he would think about it, but thinks with the heat index 110F  he'll leave them be. Jack 

[Bakersdozen]

Jack, are you using deep brood boxes?  Shallow boxes could just be a matter of not enough space.  If you are using deeps, what would happen if you put a 3rd box on top?

I was thinking, even packaged bees will start building comb in box if they have been in there a while.  I just wonder why they think they can survive on a tree limb?  It has been so beastly hot that they might be confused about what latitude they are at!!

[rober]

a rerun of last year? I had 2 strong hives abscond & got 4 swarm calls in sept & oct.

[brooksbeefarm]

B12, i learned a long time ago to use deeps for swarm traps. I had big swarms come to a 5 frame nuc swarm trap only to leave within the next 48 hrs. because of not enough room Jack

[Bakersdozen]

Good to know, Jack.  I used a 5 frame nuc box to catch a swarm this year.  Next year a 10 frame? and I might  catch more?

Are your colonies in 10 frame deeps?  I sometimes wonder if everyone is talking about the same size hive body when they are referring to problems with their bees. 

[brooksbeefarm]

B12, my hives are in every configuration  2 deeps, 1 deep with one med, 3 med., ect. I am trying to go 2 deeps for brood chamber and have come a long way in doing so? I never seem to have the right equipment with me when i need it to do so

[Bakersdozen]

I would be curious to know if some of the problem is not having enough room for the queen to lay.
I completely understand not having what you want with you when you need it.  You have so many outyards, it would be impossible to be prepared for every situation.

[G3farms]

I got a little swarm at the Wal-Mart today, it's about a half gallon or better in size.  I am going to set them up in a 5 frame nuc box with 3 deep drawn frames and a inside feeder, and will see if they make it through the winter.

[apisbees]

A lack of forage could also be causing swarms. with nothing to do I think bees become board and build queen cells just for fun. Lack of forage can be caused by 4 or 5 days of bad weather. Above 95 deg temperatures that will cause plants to shut down and go into a moisture conservation mode. Both these can be tricky to identify are happening in the area at the time, as there is still flowers and the bees are working them they just are not getting anything from them. A lack of flowering plants is easier to recognize for causing a dearth but I have seen 100's of acres of flowers in a field with the hives only bringing in enough to cover what they are using.

[Perry]

A lack of forage could also be causing swarms. with nothing to do I think bees become board and build queen cells just for fun. Lack of forage can be caused by 4 or 5 days of bad weather. Above 95 deg temperatures that will cause plants to shut down and go into a moisture conservation mode. Both these can be tricky to identify are happening in the area at the time, as there is still flowers and the bees are working them they just are not getting anything from them. A lack of flowering plants is easier to recognize for causing a dearth but I have seen 100's of acres of flowers in a field with the hives only bringing in enough to cover what they are using.

This is what is happening here right now. Goldenrod is out like crazy, but nothing much coming into the hives. Grass is brown, everything is so dry we are hoping for rain, and lots of it.

[LazyBkpr]

We have had plenty of rain, some of it came too fast, but I do not see anything besides pollen coming in, so started feeding every couple of days..  I am hoping the goldenrod provides nectar when it blooms... not started yet here...