Will your bees attempt to swarm in May

[The Drone Ranger]

DR you may be looking in the wrong place
Try looking at the pretty pictures on the SNHBS Facebook page
Most Amm don't live in OSR areas so slower to get going


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Thanks Jumbo
I was wondering where everyone on here had gone

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[The Drone Ranger]

Thanks Jumbo
I was wondering where everyone on here had gone

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I'm still wondering where everyone has gone
I haven't posted much either so if everybody is the same that might be the reason

When would AMM be ready to swarm normally ?
In most of the areas on SNHBS page I guess never

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[Poly Hive]

About now.

PH

[greengumbo]

About now.

PH

Just witnessed a huge swarm happening in front of my eyes.

Brilliant to hear, see and catch

[fatshark]

Just missed one

[lindsay s]

When would AMM be ready to swarm normally ?

Late June up here, but it could be earlier this year. I still have a few colonies awaiting their first super. I only lost one last year but they were determined to swarm anyway. In the first few weeks of July last year it was swarmtastic up here. Luckily none of them were mine.

[The Drone Ranger]

Once the rape comes to an end the bees really get into swarm mode
If you had a board on for the last month then you can take the old queen out to a nuc
Take your supers of 🍯 honey spin them out
Put the young queen in the bottom with the new wax
Get rid of some old frames from the top and take the board out
Then it's back to watching like a hawk

I thought you would be less likely to see swarming so far North Lindsey
Shows how little I know

I watched Countryfile Spring diaries this morning
About 5 mins from the end the new beekeeper had lost a swarm and spots varroa on the bees left
Then the bees turned nasty during the inspection and they had to retreat to the car
The joys of beginning beekeeping
He did have some honey though so not a total wash out



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[The Drone Ranger]

Just missed one

If it was 40ft up a conifer you probably didn't miss much fatshark

Usually I find low down swarms on a post or bush will have a new queen and will stay put when hived
Ones that enter a bait hive will stay put
Ones at the top of tall trees where you risk life and limb just fly off even if you get them




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[fatshark]

Mid-chest height in a sycamore sapling. Easy peasy. But gone by the time I extracted myself from back-to-back meetings. The only thing that remained were two tiny crescents of wax, no more than 1 mm long, and two or three lost bees.

I have a strong suspicion this was a cast from one of my splits. All the mated Q's were present and correct. I suspect I left an overly-strong box below the board. My fault ... I should have twiddled with a few more of those little doors ... or used a board with more than one in the first place.

I can't see 40 feet up into a conifer ... or at least I never seem to be able to see swarms in dodgy locations that others are demanding I remove.

Surely that's a clump of ivy?

Nope ... not a chance ... it's a crows nest

Asian hornet ... not honey bees ... definitely not bees ... very distinctive them Asian hornets

Bombus hypnorum ... very good for pollinating your dahlia/blackberry/rhubarb/carrot/prize onions ...

[The Drone Ranger]

Mid-chest height in a sycamore sapling. Easy peasy. But gone by the time I extracted myself from back-to-back meetings. The only thing that remained were two tiny crescents of wax, no more than 1 mm long, and two or three lost bees.

I have a strong suspicion this was a cast from one of my splits. All the mated Q's were present and correct. I suspect I left an overly-strong box below the board. My fault ... I should have twiddled with a few more of those little doors ... or used a board with more than one in the first place.

I can't see 40 feet up into a conifer ... or at least I never seem to be able to see swarms in dodgy locations that others are demanding I remove.

Surely that's a clump of ivy?

Nope ... not a chance ... it's a crows nest

Asian hornet ... not honey bees ... definitely not bees ... very distinctive them Asian hornets

Bombus hypnorum ... very good for pollinating your dahlia/blackberry/rhubarb/carrot/prize onions ...

Bad luck you'll have to get Mrs fatshark a beesuit and a deputy sheriff badge

I was up a conifer yesterday afternoon
The hives that had chalkbrood I didn't use boards for
I relied on regular (ahem!) Inspections and bait hives with old comb
They prefer the conifer
Never again Grrr👿

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