Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: MarkF on August 14, 2008, 10:26:44 PM

Title: How far will they go?
Post by: MarkF on August 14, 2008, 10:26:44 PM
Well Sunday while I was on the road (I'm a truck driver) one of my hives threw a swarm, from the pictures my wife took it was fairly large. By the time I arrived home they had left the tree they were in and there is no sign of them. Since its 14 Aug and there is not a lot of time for them to build up any stores their chance of surviving a winter is almost none I'd like to try to find them and get them back any idea how far they could have gone?
Title: Re: How far will they go?
Post by: Moonshae on August 15, 2008, 08:35:28 AM
I've heard that swarms can travel up to 5 miles away, but usually not that far. Several miles is possible. If no one even saw which direction they went, your chances of finding it are probably nil.
Title: Re: How far will they go?
Post by: bassman1977 on August 15, 2008, 09:21:24 AM
QuoteI'd like to try to find them and get them back any idea how far they could have gone?

I've heard up to 10 miles.
Title: Re: How far will they go?
Post by: MarkF on August 15, 2008, 06:56:03 PM
Oh well, I hope they find a good place and have time to bring in enough stores to get them through the winter. :'(
Title: Re: How far will they go?
Post by: Michael Bush on August 15, 2008, 07:51:24 PM
They MIGHT go quite a ways, if they can't find a good spot, but usually they are just a quarter mile or so away.
Title: Re: How far will they go?
Post by: Jerrymac on August 15, 2008, 08:32:54 PM
Bee lining  :-D
Title: Re: How far will they go?
Post by: JP on August 16, 2008, 12:26:59 PM
It seems to make sense that they would conserve their energies, their last honey meal, so 5 or more miles to me seems far fetched, under 2 miles makes sense to me.


...JP