Another 1 Hive Question.

[Dishmop]

Something I hadnt given much thought to before about only having one hive:-

Not likely to swarm in the first year but damned sure to in the second, which leaves you with half a colony.
If you left them alone, would they swarm in the third year, or not until the fourth?

 

[Russel]

If the old queen is superseded in the "swarm" colony then they should not but then they's bees and bees do as bees do, not what we want them to

 

[Ely]

It will allways vary depending on how successful the bees are throughout a season depending on conditions in the hive and conditions in weather. Every colony will want to multiply if the conditions in the hive a right for them. Some more than others if you take genetics into account. My first colony was a swarm and they needed an a/s in the same season and every season since. Sometimes twice. Must get around to buying less swarmy queens

 

[enrico]

Always believe they will swarm every year and then you will never get caught out! An early swarm one year may lead to another in the SAME year let alone the next one!
It doesn't take long to go from one hive to 500!
E