Swarms

[DENNIS]

hi
When a hive swarms does that leave the hive without a Queen. One of mine swarm and was only about peach size ball.  I put it in a nuc. Should just let it go or try to start a hive being so late in season and little bees?
they are carnola [spelling?]
thanks
Dennis

[pdmattox]

Not sure for your area but this past sunday I had a swarm that i put in a box and they are already laying and building. I would let them try and build up, if nothing else you can always combine them later with another hive.

When a hive swarms it swarms with about 30-40 % of the workers and the queen.

[Brian D. Bray]

If your hive swarmed it either had a new queen or one due to emerge with a day or so.  The peach sized ball indicates it is one of several after swarms.  The number of bees available to swarm was very low.  This is why the old saying goes:
A swarm in May is worth a shock of hay,
A swarm in June is worth a silver spoon,
A swarm in July isn't worth a Fly.

I would combine it back to it's parent hive, may the best queen win.  It is better to concentrate on developing what you have, at this late date, than trying to increase with the deck stacked against you.

If you go back and look at the parent hive you may find that it's numbers are so low from after swarms that it is now in danger itself and may actually need in infusion of brood frames from another hive to get back to a survivable state.

If you had a 2-3 frame observation hive it might be worth the education to put such a small hive in it, otherwise just combine back with the parent hive.

[Michael Bush]

>When a hive swarms does that leave the hive without a Queen.

Not unless you've been destroying queen cells.