I was in the yard resetting my swarm traps when I heard a swarm coming in. At first I thought that's not possible because it was starting to rain. They did not care. They did not go in my traps. At first they went into a very small swarm nuc box that I got from a side swarm that I figured were just separated from another swarm that refused to go in a box. I had put a box in front of this handful of bees and started scooping them up and put them in the box. On the third scoop I found a queen. As soon as I put her in the marched in.
I suspect she will be killed by the new queen because the new swarm has a lot more bees.
Half way through the swarm they also started going into the other nuc box that had the rest of the original swarm that the small swarm came from.
Before this event the second hive looked pretty strong. I don't know what will happen to that queen. Not sure there was 2 queens to take over both hives.
Jim
Man I wish it had been that swarmy this year for me...I caught 2 early in traps and then recovered a small queenless one but its been dry for 3 weeks now ;-(
I have out 10 traps and no swarns as yet caught however it has been a cold rainy spring so far.I used some of that high dollar spray sent and so far it isn't much at catching bees!Going back to lemon grass oil only!
Blacksheep,
If that is a queen pheromone, use it with the LGO. Don't use much. If it is too strong it runs them out.
Jim
The last two swarms I caught swarmed right before the rain set in. So much for bee radar & weather report. Several times I've saw bees just mass migrate back to the hives from foraging. Then a little while later it'd rain.
Several times I have seen them return to the hives just before a storm. When I am in or around the apiary they provide a good warning.
Jim