why are bees swarming

vabeeman · May 18, 2011, 08:47:50 AM

why are a lot of peoples bees swarming? they have plenty of room ................. any ideas

hardwood · May 18, 2011, 09:05:13 AM

Where are you located? Is your spring just starting? Bees swarm to reproduce in the spring and crowding isn't necessarily the only factor involved.

Scott

indypartridge · May 18, 2011, 12:25:24 PM

Here in the midwest, we've had weeks and weeks of rainy weather, leaving the bees crowded in a hive instead of out working spring blooms. Even if there was plenty of space in the hive, it would feel crowded since they've been cooped up so long. Bored, crowded bees often make swarm cells.

JP · May 18, 2011, 12:28:46 PM

See below :-D

JP · May 18, 2011, 12:29:40 PM

Reproduction

Congestion/Honey Bound

Absconds due to parasites/critters

New Equipment that the bees don't like the smell of, usually lots of paint smell

...JP

AliciaH · May 18, 2011, 04:17:15 PM

Quote from: vabeeman on May 18, 2011, 08:47:50 AM
why are a lot of peoples bees swarming? they have plenty of room ................. any ideas

Sometimes, if a 2nd deep gets added to soon (before the bees have really filled out the 1st deep), the bees will stick to a "tower" formation and not move outwards. They'll swarm even though they could have multiple frames of new foundation available on the sides, in both deeps.

One of many possibilities.

BjornBee · May 18, 2011, 10:37:56 PM

It's because they are lazy beekeepers who are irresponsible. :-D

Oh wait.....that was someone calling me lazy because I have an occasional hive swarm. And partly due to my farmers actually looking out for me, while I got their backs. I think some could not handle this as they are lacking in their own personal relationships. :roll:

Anyway....I am in the corner that it's nature taking it's course and bees do what every insect does....perpetuate their species!

And no.....I don't think anyone is lazy or a a bad beekeeper due to a swarm. ;)

Here is a interesting thread not too old on what I am referring....

http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,31729.0.html

vabeeman · May 18, 2011, 11:14:55 PM

i'm from the out side of martinsville va all have plenty of room just keep on swarming.i'm starting to double some back up now

Finski · May 19, 2011, 01:39:11 AM

.
Swarming is bee's natural habit to reproduce.

Unswarming is result of human selection. It is an anomaly in genes. It is unnatural, because every animal must produce. Otherwise they cease to bee.

When you cross your bees, gene anomaly heales easily and bees habit to swarm comes back.

Habit to protect the hive and sting is same thing. Non agressive is gene anomaly and selected by humans.

thegolfpsycho · May 19, 2011, 02:33:01 AM

Don't know the cause, but I've seen colonys swarm much more often than is usual in very wet years. We've had a very wet year here, and I expect the swarming to start when this wet cycle breaks in the next week or 2. There was new snow Tuesday, rain all day today in the valley with freezing temps tonight and more snow expected. Just keeps pushing things back, and the mountains are already at 200% of normal snow pack.

wd · May 19, 2011, 02:50:15 AM

I'm beginning to believe bees swarm more on that side of the states ;)

Michael Bush · May 19, 2011, 02:50:54 AM

>why are a lot of peoples bees swarming? they have plenty of room ................. any ideas

http://bushfarms.com/beesswarmcontrol.htm

The first mistake people make about preventing swarms is they think you can just throw on some supers and they won't swarm. But they will. Yes, it's nice to have room for them to store the honey, so the supers are helpful, but the bees intend to swarm and the supers will not deter them from the plan to do a reproductive swarm.