BeeMaster Greetings
Yesterday, one of my stronger hives looked like it was starting to swarm. (Lots of mass flying and hovering just outside the entrance and outside festooning not normally found on hives on a relative cool day in SE CT.) Thus I feared the worst in losing half of the hive.
However, when I checked the hive today, all seemed OK and I found the original marked Q.
Could the hive have swarmed with a virgin Q? All my reading indicates that swarms fly with the parent Q.
What would have made them behave that way? I have seen much outside festooning on hot days - helping them to keep cool etc. But the temps were in the high 50s - low 60s.
Thanks for your thoughts.
George
If they are just hovering in front of the hive they are orienting:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfaqs.htm#orientation (http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfaqs.htm#orientation)
If they are swarming they are not just hovering in front of the hive, but filling the air of the apiary and then make a comet over to a limb somewhere.