I usually rotate my deeps the last weekend of February, I wanted to last weekend, but we've been getting a lot of rain and cold. I generally start seeing swarms in March. Started middle March about 3 years ago, earlier the next year, and last year I had a huge swarm on March 1st, and then a swarm every weekend after for 3 weeks! :cool:
We have had rain and cold all week this week, but it's supposed to be sunny and 50F Friday, and I took Friday off.... Would it be too cold still to open the hives and swap the deeps?
(http://s5.postimg.org/u0vvzo4s3/March2014_Swarm.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/u0vvzo4s3/)
(http://s5.postimg.org/uex7z9ovn/swarm4.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/uex7z9ovn/)
The swarm on the ground, the wind was doing about 30mph... I think it blew the queen on the ground and the swarm followed. I was working in the garden and just happen to see a brown patch, I didn't remember seeing before. Went and got a deep, some queen scent and made some ramps out of sticks and they went right in! This was March before last 2013.
BeeW, at 50 I'd say too cold. Remember this time of year is when the brood nest cranks up. Then again the other factor would be the wind. If you reverse your supers be careful not to split the brood nest. Bees don't see two boxes they see one. If part of the brood nest is in the second box when you reverse it you'll split the brood nest and one of the parts may not have enough workers covering it for warmth. I saw that on a you tube video from (I think) West Penn beekeepers association.
Thanks GSF...it ain't looking better, course it's only 1 degree, and the weather ain't that exact, but now they show 49 with wind 5-10mph.. and only 52 Saturday partly cloudy with rain again Sunday...
Maybe since it's been so cold and rainy the last 2 weeks it has kind of held them up some?
Mon-Thurs 69-71 if you can get it between the rain showers....and at those temps I would not be scared to make certain my brood is together, if I were concerned. Personally I do not rotate boxes they will move down. JMO