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- #131
soarwitheagles
True BYH Addict
Yes, Happy, I hope you are right!
For the first time in many days I saw scout bees hammering two of the swarm traps...now it is a wait and see time...
2017 Bee hive swarm information, history, lessons, successes, etc.
- Thread starter soarwitheagles
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Yes, Happy, I hope you are right!
For the first time in many days I saw scout bees hammering two of the swarm traps...now it is a wait and see time...
- Thread starter
- #132
soarwitheagles
True BYH Addict
Caught two more swarms today...
It was really strange and wonderful. For the first time, I was able to video the swarm in action as well as a few minutes after they arrived...I will do my best to post a video of the swarm actually flying in a little later. I have it on my phone. This Youtube is after the swarm shifted from one swarm trap to another...it was kinda strange...they appeared to be a little confused...
Enjoy!
Here's some pics too!
It was really strange and wonderful. For the first time, I was able to video the swarm in action as well as a few minutes after they arrived...I will do my best to post a video of the swarm actually flying in a little later. I have it on my phone. This Youtube is after the swarm shifted from one swarm trap to another...it was kinda strange...they appeared to be a little confused...
Enjoy!
Here's some pics too!
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Happy Chooks
Loving the herd life
Nice! Do you think it came from one of your hives?
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- #134
soarwitheagles
True BYH Addict
Good question HC!
To be honest with you, I am fairly certain none of the swarms were from our yard. Here is why I believe this:
1. We carefully inspect our hives often, and are careful to add boxes and frames as the bees build up.
2. A swarm [to the best of my knowledge] will take the existing queen with her and allow the bees to make a new queen in the mother hive.
3. I am fairly certain we would recognize if half the bees left any of our existing hives.
4. We mark all queen bees to be certain she did not leave.
Hope this helps!
PS I am beginning to wonder if one of the larger bee outfits brought in some more bees nearby...
PSS I accidentally watered both of those swarm traps with irrigation sprinklers three days ago...not sure if that had something to do with it...
Happy Chooks
Loving the herd life
I'm dying to check my hive #1, but it's hands off for another 10 days. I'll probably go up and watch outside activity for a bit, just to check on them.
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- #136
soarwitheagles
True BYH Addict
HC, yes, I know the temptation to "over monitor" the hives...esp. after splitting or installing a nuc!
Today, we had another surprise...
We had a hive that went 100% drones...not even sure what causes this...I think I heard an infertile queen?
Well, the master beekeeper that came over and worked our hives told me it was as good as dead, and he suggested we simply let it die out. That was two weeks ago...
Checked the beeyard today, and what a surprise! Never seen this before, but there was a good size cluster of bees on two of the sides of that drone hive...and the beard went all the way down to the ground, with hundreds of bees on the ground too...what the heck is this? I have absolutely no clue. The only thought that comes to my mind is that a swarm took over this drone hive and is making it their own? If this is true, then this is swarm #18.
What are your thoughts on this?
Thank you.
Today, we had another surprise...
We had a hive that went 100% drones...not even sure what causes this...I think I heard an infertile queen?
Well, the master beekeeper that came over and worked our hives told me it was as good as dead, and he suggested we simply let it die out. That was two weeks ago...
Checked the beeyard today, and what a surprise! Never seen this before, but there was a good size cluster of bees on two of the sides of that drone hive...and the beard went all the way down to the ground, with hundreds of bees on the ground too...what the heck is this? I have absolutely no clue. The only thought that comes to my mind is that a swarm took over this drone hive and is making it their own? If this is true, then this is swarm #18.
What are your thoughts on this?
Thank you.
babsbag
Herd Master
No clue on the drone hive. I have heard of laying workers that produce only drones but not an entire hive of them. Are the ones on the box workers?
One of my hives is queenless. No brood except for a few drone cell so I guess I have a laying worker too. But there isn't much drone brood so I am going to buy a queen on Monday and just install her. Might grab one frame of brood from the other hive, or might not. I saw the queen in the other hive and she is doing well. I don't expect any honey off of either hive and I am ok with that. Both hives have three deeps on them and I saw no sign of any swarm or supercedure cells which is good.
One of my hives is queenless. No brood except for a few drone cell so I guess I have a laying worker too. But there isn't much drone brood so I am going to buy a queen on Monday and just install her. Might grab one frame of brood from the other hive, or might not. I saw the queen in the other hive and she is doing well. I don't expect any honey off of either hive and I am ok with that. Both hives have three deeps on them and I saw no sign of any swarm or supercedure cells which is good.
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- #138
soarwitheagles
True BYH Addict
Babs,
I hope your hives work out and begin to thrive more than ever before! Three deeps? Wow, have you experienced exponential growth or what?
I hope your hives work out and begin to thrive more than ever before! Three deeps? Wow, have you experienced exponential growth or what?
babsbag
Herd Master
Last year both hives moved the brood nest up to the top deep and stored pollen in the bottom deep. I even switched them around and in a few months they moved the brood again so I gave up. I put a third deep on them and they filled that with honey and started on the super before all the robbing started and I lost them.
This year I thought I would just give them what they wanted last year and sure enough, the one hive has its brood in the middle deep and honey in the top, which they can keep.
This year I thought I would just give them what they wanted last year and sure enough, the one hive has its brood in the middle deep and honey in the top, which they can keep.
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- #140
soarwitheagles
True BYH Addict
Well, congrats on your success!
Here, I think we were at 112F today. I covered all our hives with plywood with an air barrier to remove all direct sunlight on the boxes and provide greater cooling.
Having massive bearding on many, many hives...
Here, I think we were at 112F today. I covered all our hives with plywood with an air barrier to remove all direct sunlight on the boxes and provide greater cooling.
Having massive bearding on many, many hives...
