What are the temperature parameters for swarming? Last week was cold and rainy with sleet. This week is going to range from mid-60s to about 80. Night temps fall into the 30s to low 40s. What are the chances for swarms this week?
Tip up your brood boxes and look along the bottom for swarm cells. That will tell you a lot more than temperature. A guy here in Montana just collected a swarm and it is still close to freezing most nights. BTW a retired fireman.
This will be a busy week for swarms. I caught 2 just over a week ago then it got cold so look out when it warms up :-D
not sure temps have much to do with it, but i have noticed that i get lots of calls right before and during thunder storms. this led me to consider that pressure changes might have something to do with triggering the swarming time...not with the actual urge to swarm.
we had a whole thread on that a couple of years back.
note: swarms in T-storms ARE NOT gentle.
I had 2 swarms here the morning after the last cold snap here. I don't think temp has a thing to do with it. When the bees are ready, they leave out.
Sounds like the Wolverines are ahead of the Buckeyes again.....
I just caught my third swarm today in Michigan. A pretty big one at that :)
(http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j365/MichiganBee/Honey%20Bees/SwarmApril29a.jpg)
(http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j365/MichiganBee/Honey%20Bees/SwarmApril29b.jpg)
I gave this swarm to my neighbor and the photo is her wood hive. All my bees are in foam hives.
I caught my first swarm here on April 19th. I would expect this week will be a big one for swarms in Ohio. I agree with Allen; don't think temp has anything to do with it.
Most of the swarms in our area happen after it rains on the first good sunny day.