Author Topic: late weird swarm?  (Read 7085 times)

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Offline Michelle

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late weird swarm?
« on: August 27, 2016, 06:46:59 pm »
I left out an empty deep and I set it up about 5 feet off of the ground on the side of our shed. I thought I would catch a swarm in the spring but no, I just saw some bee activity at the entrance. I was going to take it down and store it this weekend. What should the next step be?
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Offline Perry

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Re: late weird swarm?
« Reply #1 on: August 27, 2016, 06:49:50 pm »
Define bee activity. It could just be some curious bees, or maybe there is enough stuff in there to make it interesting. I have had 3 small nucs (queens and 1 or 2 frames of bees) get robbed out during the dearth. When there is no flow you would be surprised what bees will check out.
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Offline Michelle

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Re: late weird swarm?
« Reply #2 on: August 28, 2016, 06:21:57 am »
I am going to have to check it out next weekend! definitely bees coming and going and were doing the ziggy zaggy in front. Now that could be for them to remember where it was or whatever!
“One can no more approach people without love than one can approach bees without care. Such is the quality of bees...”
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Offline Perry

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Re: late weird swarm?
« Reply #3 on: August 28, 2016, 06:23:52 am »
Ziggy zaggy sounds like robbing to me.
If you see pollen going in then I would be excited. ;)
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Offline Michelle

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Re: late weird swarm?
« Reply #4 on: August 28, 2016, 06:59:49 am »
ok I will check them today by sight! Not planning on going in! :P
“One can no more approach people without love than one can approach bees without care. Such is the quality of bees...”
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Offline Jacobs

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Re: late weird swarm?
« Reply #5 on: August 28, 2016, 07:03:13 am »
Your location makes your timing different, but this time of year, I expect to see "suicide swarms"/absconds.  I had one show up at my house last Friday at 4:50 p.m.  The cluster was about baseball sized.  I put them in a nuc box, and as soon as it was light the next morning, they took off.  I did find a queen and a few bees balling her (protectively) in front of one of my hives about 20 minutes after that.  I can't say for sure she was part of that swarm, but the bees in the functioning hive were not paying attention to her and that hive has a marked queen.  I put those bees and queen in another open hive with old comb.  I'm going to check this morning to see what is going on.

My general experience with these late season "suicide swarms" is that they are very dysfunctional and they will not stay put regardless of good comb and feed.  Has anyone else had similar experiences?

Offline Mikey N.C.

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Re: late weird swarm?
« Reply #6 on: August 28, 2016, 07:21:34 am »
Talked yesterday 2 different beeks, 1 had 3 hives swarm last week, the other had 1 hive swarm last week.

Offline Jacobs

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Re: late weird swarm?
« Reply #7 on: August 28, 2016, 07:41:17 am »
I hope we are not hijacking this post, but I am interested in experiences with these late swarms.  Did these beekeepers say whether small numbers of bees came out but left a larger population in the original hive?  Did they say whether the swarms were absconds?  Did they have any guess/idea about why the swarms issued?

Offline Wandering Man

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Re: late weird swarm?
« Reply #8 on: August 28, 2016, 08:52:02 am »
definitely bees coming and going and were doing the ziggy zaggy in front.

I like that. Doing the ziggy zaggy is a great description!
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Offline Perry

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Re: late weird swarm?
« Reply #9 on: August 28, 2016, 09:14:29 am »
definitely bees coming and going and were doing the ziggy zaggy in front.

I like that. Doing the ziggy zaggy is a great description!

 :yes: :yes: :yes:

Bobbing and weaving = orientation flights
Zigging and zagging = robbing
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Offline Wandering Man

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Re: late weird swarm?
« Reply #10 on: August 28, 2016, 07:04:49 pm »
Perry, that's really good to know.

I now have different descriptions for my bees behavior.  Without the bobbing and weaving, I would have described my bees as zigging and zagging every afternoon.  But you're right, it is more of a bob and weave pattern.

Sometimes I get the urge to go stand in the middle of all the fun.

I've walked through them before, so I could probably pull it off.  But I'm not much of a gambler, so I stay on the back porch with my beer.
Never argue with drunks or crazy people

Offline Michelle

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Re: late weird swarm?
« Reply #11 on: August 29, 2016, 08:40:53 am »
so..........................Perry you were right!  :o There was no activity at the entrance yesterday! Definitely just looking for food!
“One can no more approach people without love than one can approach bees without care. Such is the quality of bees...”
― Leo Tolstoy