Swarmy season?

[psafloyd]

Despite this being a swarmy season for me (I did AS in good time this year, but they would still swarm) I have had very few calls concerning swarms.
I've had a lot of calls about bumbles, but honest to goodness swarms have been very thin on the ground. Whereas, in the last two years, I've had at least a couple of dozen calls.
What have others found?

 

[Haughton Honey]

Same here.

3 swarms and 27,001 bumble bee nests.

 

[Barbarian]

Bumbles

In my area, the local councils pest controls are referring callers to the BBKA web-site as soon as the word "bee" is mentioned.

I wish the site gave more emphasis about bumbles. This year, I have had more calls about bumbles than honeybees. I have got to the stage that if the caller mentions bird boxes or bees in property ---- "I do not deal with those conditions".

 

[VEG]

Yep bumbles but no honey bee swarms this year.

 

[madasafish]

2 honey bee swarms, 5 bumbles.

 

[BILL.HEARD]

It hasn't been a swarmy season down here, and now with a good nectar flow its almost finished.

 

[susbees]

Same here.

3 swarms and 27,001 bumble bee nests.

Exactly so....three swarms and zillions of bumble calls. And missed a couple of swarms when "between phones" (three to be exact and one still MIA)

 

[Outlander]

23 swarms and lost count of calls for bumbles but all calls have been logged for association. Lot of the swarms were passed on for collection by others and also given a few to keepers that had losses over winter and 5 kept not counting two that left.

 

[Robbie & Jans Bees]

In Plymouth I have collected 5 swarms lost two on returning at night mt skep and had three hives swarm. 16 calls for bumble bees one for My lawns full of bees?????? I am baffeled by people who don't know what a bumble looks like.

 

[rockdoc]

One swarm to my bait hive and one from a compost bin, other than that, and bumbles, its been quiet down here.

 

[madasafish]

I expect if the weather continues, lots of swarms in August.. holidays.

 

[BeeNice]

Not many swarms in Sheffield area, plenty of bumbles though. Have learnt a lot about the life cycle of the bumble bee. I was wondering with the hive losses over the winter whether beekeepers have less hives to look after and are doing a better job?

 

[psafloyd]

It hasn't been a swarmy season down here, and now with a good nectar flow its almost finished.

Dreaming of a good flow. Four good productive hives are not sticking much away.

Not very happy...

 

[Hivemaker.]

Four good productive hives are not sticking much away.

Four good unproductive hives.

 

[Teebeeaitch]

For me, swarm collections down appx 30% on previous two years. I would also say the calls started 3 weeks later than previous years. However mid July and calls have tailed off as I would expect. So overall, less swarms and in a shorter period (so far).

 

[beeno]

Dreaming of a good flow. Four good productive hives are not sticking much away.

Not very happy...

Hi psafloyd,
You ought to be on a good flow, so are they putting it all into brood or did they swarm?

 

[psafloyd]

Four good unproductive hives.

Quite. They had been very busy, but seem to be twiddling their thumbs...

 

[psafloyd]

Hi psafloyd,
You ought to be on a good flow, so are they putting it all into brood or did they swarm?

I think we are on the cusp of a flow, Beeno. I'm wondering if the current dearth –*it's warm but there's been little precipitation for days –*is the June gap delayed because of the late start we've all had.

They don't appear to have swarmed lately, nor are they making plans to, but our blackberry is not all out in flower yet, despite being in bud several weeks ago. Would the brambles slow down flowering until enough moisture to release nectar or am I reading too much into it?

No idea as never did biology at school as it required me to drop an arts subject. As an arts type, I couldn't face yet another science.

 

[Roola]

I think we are on the cusp of a flow, Beeno. I'm wondering if the current dearth –*it's warm but there's been little precipitation for days –*is the June gap delayed because of the late start we've all had.

They don't appear to have swarmed lately, nor are they making plans to, but our blackberry is not all out in flower yet, despite being in bud several weeks ago. Would the brambles slow down flowering until enough moisture to release nectar or am I reading too much into it?

No idea as never did biology at school as it required me to drop an arts subject. As an arts type, I couldn't face yet another science.

Mine went through a rampant flow 2 weeks ago, the last week seems to have slowed down a bit.