First swarm caught 2017

[Sniper338]

I still havent seen a swarm down here in texas.  I thought since it was warmer and wild flowers have been out already, everythings blooming that they would be swarming already...

[Acebird]

"Honeybee Democracy"  The swarm tries to get away from the parent hive as much as 5 miles.  You can understand that if they didn't it would over populate an area with the same genes.  If you catch a swarm it most likely came from somewhere else.  This would also explain why a swarm tries to leave if it was boxed and came from the same apiary.

[bwallace23350]

Do they do the same with a split?

[Acebird]

No because a split is not a swarm.  It is either an unrelated queen that gets added or an emergency where the queenless split is trying to survive by making a queen.

[MikeyN.C.]

Bewall, please read as much as you can.  A split at your house is to avoid a swarm , as i have been learning? ??

[bwallace23350]

Bewall, please read as much as you can.  A split at your house is to avoid a swarm , as i have been learning? ??

Yep it is. It is also a way to grow your apiary. I also have been going around asking people and getting my name out that if you see a swarm please call me I will come get it.

[BeeMaster2]

I just check the trap this evening and there is only a small handful of bees in there and bees coming and going. There was not a queen in there. Hopefully I will catch a bunch more.
Jim