Happy New Year Jon and all,
Oddly as I drove past that tree yesterday on my way back from doing the Oxalic I had exactly that thought. Are they alive and continuous or are they being colonised. There are other keepers in the area and they do lose swarms as my bait hives and my spare kit gets colonised pretty frequently. I ain't complaining really but it can upset the master plan on finding three supers occupied when they are meant to be ready to install. LOL
I do indeed use Carnica and am very happy with them too but they are not nearly as back as the swarms that come in to the bait hive sited very close to the tree. Obviously I have no idea whether they are neat and swarm into the bait hive, or the bait hive is picking up a random swarm. *shrug* Nice bees though all the same.
The wife and I have just had a chat and we both know that tree well, and often when I am at the bees she walks the dogs down the road and always checks out that tree. She cannot recall a Feb when they were not flying. Our swarming starts late March to early April. On that basis they must be surviving. Actually getting a probe in might be awkward due to needing a ladder. I have a lazer heat gun so might be worth a go.
PH
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