Realtime:- To Swarm ot Not to Swarm that is the question?

Sorry for the title....

Interesting one this, weather today, is thundery and lightining, with sunny spells, and very heavy rain!

At 1.30pm today, I noticed a "vortex of bees in the garden", it certinaly was not the usual foraging flights, and bees started landing on the pear tree, and more bees left the hive, and stayed on the front of the hive.

AND, then the heavest of downpour of rain! (how bees have evolved I'll never know, you would think, they could work out what the weather was going to do)

anyway, so now I'm left with this....see photos

do I just leave and see what happens, and see if the bees on the hive, leave and gather in the pear tree?


or do something else?

Thanks

Andy

PS The weather is not getting any better!

Added!

I've now got a small "swarm" size clump forming in the pear tree!

Leave them until they all find the queen!
E

@E.

Thanks for your prompt reply, I thought someone maybe around, on this wet day! (it's cancelled my inspctions!)

But fascinating to watch....

See attached photos...of how we are progressing....

I've got a video, but it's taking a while uploading to YouTube!

Thanks

Andy

Hi Andy,
I take it this is the hive you left QCs in on the 2nd of May. Personally, I would collect the one in the pear tree. If they did not have a queen with them they usually find out pretty quickly and the weather is only going to get worse. They are in swarm mode so they will not be aggressive. Then you can sit back and wait and see where the other casts will settle! Have fun. Thanks for posting the pictures. Can't wait to see what happens with the bees on the hive.

beeno said:

Hi Andy,
I take it this is the hive you left QCs in on the 2nd of May. Personally, I would collect the one in the pear tree. If they did not have a queen with them they usually find out pretty quickly and the weather is only going to get worse. They are in swarm mode so they will not be aggressive. Then you can sit back and wait and see where the other casts will settle! Have fun. Thanks for posting the pictures. Can't wait to see what happens with the bees on the hive.

Click to expand...

Thanks for your reply, this is the hive, that possibly swarmed on the 24th April 2014, (which could have been a failure), and one Queen cell left (to my knowledge), but could not confirm, or do followup inspections because of agression, so it's possible this could be a cast (maybe!).

So this hive, has been left no inspections, waiting for queen to emerge, mate, return to hive, and check for laying, which would be due, (4 weeks 24th).

But, this hive has been very full of bees, and very busy since, so has made me wonder, if a prime swarm had ever gone. e.g. lots of flying bees.

So do you think possibly two casts here, one on hive and one on tree ?

Is the small "swarm" on pear tree viable, just knock off into box, collect and hive (in a nuc or bb?)

I'll maybe give it a few hours, and see what happens?

ah, well this could be the answer....

found another one forming....life gets complicated.

I could knock both into boxes, and leave on teh ground?

Hi again Andy,
I think you have to change tack on this one and deal with facts. There is a swarm in the pear tree which needs collecting. OK give it another hour if you like.

beeno said:

Hi again Andy,
I think you have to change tack on this one and deal with facts. There is a swarm in the pear tree which needs collecting. OK give it another hour if you like.

Click to expand...

@b, Thanks, just needed the boot up the arse to do it! So Thanks for the encouragement, first time at doing this....

Okay, dealt with the pear tree swarm, I had to enlist the help of SWMBO, and she does not keep bees or interested either, she said I don't need to wear a bee suit or gloves, and I said just for safety and protection. I needed her to cut the branch, whilst I went up the ladder to steady and get the cut off branch - bad idea, as she cut, she must have jolted the branch, and all the bees, fell on the gound and her! Stood there covered in bees, I brushed them off, and she ran indoors!

I returned with ladders, bees had clustered again in same place, and I cut off smaller branches with smaller rachet cutters (hand held) much easier than big lopers, and then shock the branches into the box up the ladder.

Sprayed site with air freshner, and left swarm box on floor, for bees to enter.

the other in the magnolia, seems to have stopped clumping and has cleared.

So now I have a swarm (small cast) in a box, I think I've read the next bit, is to wait until all flying bees have entered, then take box away and hive them, I'd like to take them to Apiary No.2, SWMBO wants the garden back!

Should I try this in a six frame nuc, can supply picture of bees in box, as it looks small, and add six frames of foundation.

Bees still on the original hive, getting smaller, but now seems to be in two clumps.

Hi Andy,
Hope the wife is OK. She is not the first one to have bees raining down on her, if that is any consolation. I presently have a small swarm in a nuc box, doing OK, as always good to have a spare queen on hand in the short term - if she is mated properly. Put them in the nuc as there is most probably more to come tomorrow! Apparently, three swarms put together will not fight!

@b... thanks, yes she's fine, just got, I'm never helping you again, and I'm itching, are you sure I've not been stung, got bees in my hair! She hasn't, "it's in her mind!"

I'll put them in a nuc, and take them to Apiary No.2 this evening.

some more photos of the original hive...and a very quiet bee box! (full of bees!)

and a picture of limbs cut off the pear tree and no bees!

"Apparently, three swarms put together will not fight! "

On your last point, of combining all swarms up to three together, with queens as well, just dump all collected swarms of three in one box?

I had read this of, if swarms come out on the same day, they can be merged, so I assume queens will fight, and one will win over! *unless you can pick through the swarm and find the queen!)

okay Answered here - http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/swarmhiving.html !!!

The bees on the hive are still there in the rain, if these are two casts, what to do?

should I leave them overnight, or scoop them both up, and dump all in the same bee box, soon to be nuc at Apiary No.2

beeno said:

Hi Andy,
I take it this is the hive you left QCs in on the 2nd of May. Personally, I would collect the one in the pear tree. If they did not have a queen with them they usually find out pretty quickly and the weather is only going to get worse. They are in swarm mode so they will not be aggressive. Then you can sit back and wait and see where the other casts will settle! Have fun. Thanks for posting the pictures. Can't wait to see what happens with the bees on the hive.

Click to expand...

I've hived or nuced the swarm from the pear tree. It does seem a small quantity of bees, when put in a nuc with six frames of foundation.

The bees are still there on the hive, two groups, a very small huddle, and a much larger bunch not moving anywhere.

Should I now scoop of these dump them in a box, and merge with the nuc ?

before nightfall?

Hi Andy,
I have actually scooped them up once myself and they were most unhappy! So, if you are asking me I would say let them divide themselves in due course. If you get a couple of hours sunshine tomorrow your predicament will probably be solved.
Maybe someone else has other ideas? All the best.

@b...

It's done, two clumps of bees clinging to the hive, merged with the earlier nuc of bees, which looking at the frames covers two frames only (previous swarm in pear tree!), so with this addition, hopefully will make a strong nuc.

So put in a nuc of 6 frames of foundation, closed floor, reduced entrance, and put on top of excluder, will remove after a few days.

Thanks for your help and encouragement. Not sure if what I did is correct beekeeping practice, but It would be a shame to leave them out in the wet, if they can boost my
nuc numbers and make it more viable.

We will see what fun, tomorrow brings, it's been a busy day, and I've got nothing done, I wanted to!

A 1 minute clip of them starting their swarm...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZCLVVz2fSY

Hi Andy,
Whatever happens your heart was in the right place. Be interested to see how the nuc box pans out. Probably quite noise at the moment? Oh, a good tip on what remains in the old hive, if you hear piping there is more than one virgin queen in there, so another cast will probably issue.

@b...

Thanks for your kind words and encouragement.

Another showery, sunny day, Apiary No.1 Hive1 (in garden!), seems quite this morning, a few flyers foraging.

Apiary No.2 , both Hive 1, and Hive 2 are flying well, nuc is also flying well.

and the surprise of the day, both of the Bait Hives located around, have lots of interest today, I went to one bait hive this am, to replace some brood frames I stole out of it yesterday for the new nuc, and was greeted by many bees, when I took off the crown board (and not wearing any suit!) - no swarm in the the box, but lots of bees, checking out the foundation.

They do tend to come together in the end! Glad it worked out and can you congratulate your very very brave wife from me!
E

I think they may have absconded, typical!

Just been up to the Apairy No.2, and listened on the nuc, nothing! I'll check after a few days.

SWMBO said, "so what's the point of all that effort, if they've swarmed to the pear tree, you might as well let them go and be free!" - I'm not bothering to help next time, it's a waste of time!

Hi Andy,
Let's hope they go in one of your bait hives then. There will not be another time like this next time you will be in full control!