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Offline iddee

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Swarm season
« on: March 24, 2014, 08:05:55 pm »
There was a good sized swarm captured in the Piedmont area of NC today.

SWARM SEASON HAS ARRIVED.  :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Forecast is for snow tomorrow.   :'(  :'(  :'(
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Offline tbonekel

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Re: Swarm season
« Reply #1 on: March 24, 2014, 08:55:28 pm »
I feel sorry for any swarms that were not captured and are out in the weather tonight. Maybe they will be okay if it doesn't stay cold long.
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Offline Jen

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Re: Swarm season
« Reply #2 on: March 24, 2014, 10:43:46 pm »
tbone- Mee Too! 
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Offline Barbarian

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Re: Swarm season
« Reply #3 on: March 25, 2014, 02:29:27 am »
The posts about swarms is giving me the itch.     It's been too cold to do my first inspection.

May and June are my main swarm months.  I'm trying to find a couple of sites for swarm traps. According to the inspectorate there are 101 apiaries within a 10km radius of me.

A lot of UK swarm collectors were overwhelmed last year by calls about the non-native Tree Bumblebee (Bombus Hypnorum).  I am a little anxious.

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Offline tbonekel

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Re: Swarm season
« Reply #4 on: March 25, 2014, 07:48:39 am »
Quote from: Barbarian on March 25, 2014, 02:29:27 am

According to the inspectorate there are 101 apiaries within a 10km radius of me.

That sounds like a lot of hives! If I were to guess about the 10km radius around me, I would say 3-5. I've never been to the other side of the world but when I do, I wand to visit a few apiaries. I can imagine that there are a lot of beautiful settings!
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Offline blueblood

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Re: Swarm season
« Reply #5 on: March 25, 2014, 09:03:07 am »
That's great Iddee! Now we just have to tell mother nature to change he clothes.  I hope this is the last day here I have to feed the wood stove to stay warm.
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Offline Barbarian

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Re: Swarm season
« Reply #6 on: March 25, 2014, 07:54:53 pm »
For info ...

Recent posts on a UK forum has one beek with 176 apiaries within a 10km radius and another with 230. The mind boggles !!    :'(
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Offline iddee

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Re: Swarm season
« Reply #7 on: March 25, 2014, 08:07:26 pm »
Question, Barbarian. Are you calling a hive an Apiary?

Here we call a beeyard an Apiary, whether 1 hive or 300. I'm wondering if you are referring to that many beeyards or that many hives.
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Offline Bamabww

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Re: Swarm season
« Reply #8 on: March 25, 2014, 08:20:43 pm »
We have a forecast of 25 degrees F tonight. The weather guy say this should be our last hard freeze.  I hope to catch several swarms this season to not only increase my apiary but one of my former scouts is anxious for a hive or two for his young orchard.
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Offline Barbarian

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Re: Swarm season
« Reply #9 on: March 26, 2014, 03:42:18 am »
Iddee ........ here an apiary is equivalent to a beeyard. As you say, can be 1 hive or 300.

The figures come from the inspectorate database. I suspect that the records have been compiled from many year's reports. I can imagine that quite a few of the apiaries are no longer in use.

The database may help a new inspector and be very useful when disease is reported. If a case of AFB or EFB is reported, the affected apiary and surrounding ones go on standstill until checked by an inspector. I suppose an abandoned apiary has to be checked in case it has been re-activated.

Thanks for the question. I hope my answer helps other members.   :)
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Offline iddee

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Re: Swarm season
« Reply #10 on: March 26, 2014, 06:53:36 am »
Thanks.
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Offline Ziffa

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Re: Swarm season
« Reply #11 on: March 26, 2014, 10:34:42 am »
That many apiaries makes me wonder about resources.  10k is approximately 6 miles, right?  That seems like an awful lot of hives in a small area.  What is your main nectar producing plants over there?  How much honey do they usually put on in a season? 

Interesting!   I'm always wondering how many hives my back yard will support, given the resources in the area.  So hard to tell.

love,
ziffa 
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Offline iddee

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Re: Swarm season
« Reply #12 on: March 26, 2014, 11:04:36 am »
Ziffa, that is a 12.5 mile diameter circle.  That's almost 123 sq. miles.
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“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 Ziffa

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Re: Swarm season
« Reply #13 on: March 26, 2014, 03:28:57 pm »
 :-[ :D

Volumes and lengths - I have no concept.  This also drives my husband up a wall.   Makes ya wonder what I do that doesn't drive him up a wall, huh?   :-\    :laugh:

I guess that sounds about perfect then.  one hive for every 2 square miles. 

le sigh.  See - beekeeping.  You feel so smart one minute and so foolish the next! 

Thanks Iddee. 

Love,
ziffa
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Offline apisbees

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Re: Swarm season
« Reply #14 on: March 26, 2014, 04:20:27 pm »
A beekeeper with a bee yard lets say 9.9 k away it's forage area would be centred on the edge of her 10 K radius so the population density would be about 1/2 for hives on the fringe.
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