Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Keith13 on April 23, 2009, 11:05:26 AM

Title: Check this monster swarm out!!!
Post by: Keith13 on April 23, 2009, 11:05:26 AM
(http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/4260/largeswarm1.th.jpg) (http://img54.imageshack.us/my.php?image=largeswarm1.jpg)

(http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/2721/largeswarm2.th.jpg) (http://img246.imageshack.us/my.php?image=largeswarm2.jpg)

(http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/166/largeswarm3.th.jpg) (http://img149.imageshack.us/my.php?image=largeswarm3.jpg)

(http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/2400/hives2.th.jpg) (http://img140.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hives2.jpg)


Check this monster out!!!  I went to hive a swarm out at my bee yard yesterday and as I was walking around this is what I found!! They were in a tree behind my main hives. The bad thing is they were over a canal about 15 feet up so there was no way to get to them, though I had nowhere to put them had I caught them. It was cool to see a swarm that big  Easily 3 feet from top to bottom and about a foot wide probably 5 or 6 lbs. The really bad news though is I think they were my bees. I had a Crazy commy hive that has become large and mean that I don't like to fool with. They were going gangbusters they had two full deeps back in January I was trying to manage them by supering them it looks like I didn't to a great job though. But hopefully the queen they left behind will be a gentle queen if she picked up some of the feral traits.  The hive on the left is the Russian hive

Keith
Title: Re: Check this monster swarm out!!!
Post by: jimmy on April 23, 2009, 12:29:12 PM
Keith I know a little about the "commy "hives . Just when you think they are going to make you alot of honey they disapear on you. Sorry about you loss.
Title: Re: Check this monster swarm out!!!
Post by: ArmucheeBee on April 23, 2009, 03:43:10 PM
Keith

Do you (or anyone else) think the heat and humidity have a negative effect on the Russians and their "cold" genes?  Making them more swarmy?   Wondering.



Title: Re: Check this monster swarm out!!!
Post by: JP on April 23, 2009, 08:03:58 PM
Sorry you couldn't get to them, maybe next time.


...JP
Title: Re: Check this monster swarm out!!!
Post by: annette on April 23, 2009, 09:10:40 PM
Now that's what I'm talking about - that is a swarm!!!!  To bad you couldn't catch them.
Title: Re: Check this monster swarm out!!!
Post by: dpence on April 24, 2009, 12:42:02 AM
Bummer you couldn't hive them, nice pictures though. 

David
Title: Re: Check this monster swarm out!!!
Post by: Keith13 on April 24, 2009, 08:32:50 PM
Quote from: ArmucheeBee on April 23, 2009, 03:43:10 PM
Keith

Do you (or anyone else) think the heat and humidity have a negative effect on the Russians and their "cold" genes?  Making them more swarmy?   Wondering.





That very well could be a consequence of the Russians

Keith
Title: Re: Check this monster swarm out!!!
Post by: 1reb on April 24, 2009, 09:37:19 PM
The  bees might be looking for JP..
he is the one who catch the most swarm here so far

Johnny