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Offline Jen

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Swarm Number 3
« on: April 01, 2014, 04:12:04 pm »
I have a feeling I'm loosing my mother hive! Third swarm as we speak,  Heavy Siiigh

Swarm in full swing


Update: 20 minutes later, swarm came back to hive, some foragers are bringing in pollen


I think I know where the queen is :)


What The H E Double Hockey Sticks Was That All About?

Should I try and retrieve the queen?

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Offline barry42001

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Re: Swarm Number 3
« Reply #1 on: April 01, 2014, 07:05:44 pm »
Jen,  have you provided your colonies with plenty of space to store nectar, laying eggs at the same time, all the bees rest inside the hive without having to beard outside. how many queen cells did you allowed to mature, and are you certain you seen them all. swarm prevention and you will never entirely eliminated, but you can certainly limited, that has not happened here. storage space for incoming nectar, brood rearing space. right now your parents colony is in the process of destroying itself. issuing one after swarm after another. cutting of the total colony strength down to almost nonsurvival levels. examine your brood chambers, actually still there after all these swarms.
other to expect honey I did any of these colonies would be somewhat miraculous. I would stock up on sugar now so it's available when you need it. I have said all of them that beekeeping is not very complicated, you have a number of criteria that must be met to discourage swarming, seriously need to review that. goodness sakes examine those brood chambers for more queen cells

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Offline Jen

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Re: Swarm Number 3
« Reply #2 on: April 01, 2014, 07:35:37 pm »
Right now, all's I want to know is why did the swarm hit the sky and then turn right back around and go back into the hive. It's my understanding that the queen didn't leave with them, so they came back. I don't know if they came back to stay, or if they came back to get her to leave again with them.

In this pic, these are the two clusters that still remain outside of the hive, they've been there for a couple of hours now. It's a cold day today.



Iddee gave me permission (snork) to get into my hives on Friday, that will be almost three weeks since the first swarm. I'll have more info then.
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Offline barry42001

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Re: Swarm Number 3
« Reply #3 on: April 01, 2014, 09:17:05 pm »
Queen didn't accompany the bees, but check the grass in front the hive she may only have made it off the bottom board. it is more than apparent the colonies still is in swarm mode.

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Offline barry42001

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Re: Swarm Number 3
« Reply #4 on: April 01, 2014, 10:03:41 pm »
I should've read I think you'll find a queen and one of them clusters

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Offline Jen

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Re: Swarm Number 3
« Reply #5 on: April 01, 2014, 10:25:48 pm »
In my last pic, you can see that the left over bees that wouldn't go back into the hive... some are under the bottom board, and some are on the ground resting on a railroad tie and a board. I got the ones up off of the railroad tie and a good amount out from under the bottom board. They are in a big kitchen bowl, haven't gone thru them yet to see if she's in there.
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: Swarm Number 3
« Reply #6 on: April 01, 2014, 10:37:45 pm »
Was it a swarm or a mating flight???
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Offline Jen

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Re: Swarm Number 3
« Reply #7 on: April 01, 2014, 10:42:51 pm »
Does a mating flight involve say.... 2,000+ bees in the air? hovering the cedar trees and landing on the bank?

Ya know? I've never seen a mating flight?

Were you able to take a close look at the first three pics of this thread?
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: Swarm Number 3
« Reply #8 on: April 01, 2014, 10:47:56 pm »
Nope, on the wireless/laptop, too slow. I'll go up to the main comp in a bit and have a look.
   About half the time mating flights are a few moments of mass confusion...  other times I notice nothing whatsoever.  I'll check out the pics better shortly.
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Offline Jen

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Re: Swarm Number 3
« Reply #9 on: April 01, 2014, 10:55:06 pm »
K Thanks  :)
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Offline pistolpete

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Re: Swarm Number 3
« Reply #10 on: April 01, 2014, 11:00:15 pm »
Jen, one thing that I didn't notice anyone mentioning in all your swarm posts is genetics.   The propensity to swarm is an inherited trait.  All bees swarm, but certain breeds are much more prone to it.  If you are having swarm troubles year after year, in spite of swarm prevention measures, it might be time to try queens from another source.
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Offline Jen

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Re: Swarm Number 3
« Reply #11 on: April 01, 2014, 11:02:53 pm »
Hi there pistol, funny you mention that, cause this hive swarmed three times last year, I just didn't know how to handle to then. It has crossed my mind recently to get some other queens.
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Offline barry42001

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Re: Swarm Number 3
« Reply #12 on: April 01, 2014, 11:03:56 pm »
thank you for getting to that pistolpete, I was going to but you beat me to it. I don't think there's any doubt that Jen's bees are inclined to swarm. that is purely genetic, and she may want to consider another queen, different stock.

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Offline barry42001

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Re: Swarm Number 3
« Reply #13 on: April 01, 2014, 11:07:49 pm »
right now my thinking is what's left of the parents hive, and are the other colonies strong enough to forage enough to feed themselves, probably the primary swarm, but the after swarms need close attention

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Offline Jen

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Re: Swarm Number 3
« Reply #14 on: April 01, 2014, 11:12:01 pm »
I do know that there is barely any pollen coming in. I'm tempted to take the syrup off and make up a batch of winter patties for them. We're back to cold winter weather, 40/50 days, 30's night.
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: Swarm Number 3
« Reply #15 on: April 01, 2014, 11:14:07 pm »
That does seem a bit excessive, though not exceptionally so. I usually see mating flight frenzies from nuc's rather than hives so I cant give a definitive answer.  Lets HOPE it was a mating flight.

  I have considered telling her to get another queen but she seems quite enamored of the one.. (or more now) that she has, otherwise I would certainly agree with re queening from good stock.
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Offline Jen

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Re: Swarm Number 3
« Reply #16 on: April 01, 2014, 11:21:11 pm »
Well if each spring it's gonna be like this, and I'm not wanting a large apiary, I would consider re-queening!
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: Swarm Number 3
« Reply #17 on: April 01, 2014, 11:35:37 pm »
A fresh queen greatly reduces swarming tendencies.  With only a couple of hives you could be pretty choosy about what queens you decided to go with.  Wanting only two hives it wouldn't hurt you at all to put a new queen in those hives about every other year. The good thing about re queening is that if you don't like a queen, you can try again with a different line until you find a geneitc line you fall in love with.
   granted... you SHOULD be good to go for this year, but with those bees I am not going to stick my neck out making predictions!!!
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Offline Jen

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Re: Swarm Number 3
« Reply #18 on: April 02, 2014, 12:12:41 am »
Our friend is over visiting right now, he's the one who has one hive that he started from my last swarm last spring. He said that they wouldn't be swarming if I wasn't bothering them so much. I wasn't paying that much attention to them and was glad to see when they came out of hybernation. Gave them some winter patties once a week because they were very busy. Then about a month ago did a hive inspection, moved some frames around to give them some room. Switched out some frames from plastic to wood/wax.

The next day, they swarmed. And you guys know the story from then on.

Does this seem like too much bothering? considering that many of you check your hives once a week?
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: Swarm Number 3
« Reply #19 on: April 02, 2014, 12:15:10 am »
found a vid that the fellow claims is a mating flight. Look familiar???

   
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