November swarm.

BeeMaster2 · November 13, 2018, 09:24:07 AM

Yesterday my wife Judy and I were in the Apiary reducing the hives down, for winter, that we bought a month ago. Judy asked me why were there so many bees flying in the field to the north of us. Turns out that it was a small swarm moving in. They ended up moving into three different hives. They never balled up anywhere and we never saw a queen. It was quite surprising.
Jim

Ben Framed · November 13, 2018, 09:56:07 AM

When you get a chance to check them out, it would be interesting to know if you do find a queen in each one. I've read as heard that swarms sometimes have additional queens. If they split themselves per queen that is even the more interesting!! Thanks for posting.
Phillip

BeeMaster2 · November 13, 2018, 02:21:25 PM

Phillip,
I had just reduced all of these hives to 1 deep or medium box, for the winter. I?m hoping that I will not have to be in them until spring.
When a hive usurps another hive, as they enter they ball their queen to protect her and go after the other queen who is also balled by her bees.
I strongly suspect there was not a queen in this swarm.
Jim

MikeyN.C. · November 13, 2018, 02:43:10 PM

Jim,
Were colony's that small , to reduce to 1 box ???? And could usurpation happen in Nov. or would it likely be absconding? ???

BeeMaster2 · November 13, 2018, 08:42:29 PM

Quote from: MikeyN.C. on November 13, 2018, 02:43:10 PM
Jim,
Were colony's that small , to reduce to 1 box ???? And could usurpation happen in Nov. or would it likely be absconding? ???

Yes these hives are not real strong. There is not enough food around here during summer and fall. I was hoping the GR and Spanish Needle would help them build up.
The bees were coming out of the forest not from any of the hives.
Jim

Live Oak · November 16, 2018, 01:28:34 PM

Jim,

I would eye the "swarm" with great caution, especially this time of year. It could just be a swarm or it could be a mite bomb. One the defense mechanisms honey bees employ to resit varroa mite infestation is absconding when their hive reaches a critical level of mite infestatation. The hives they swarm to are very likely to be the beneficiaries of new arrivals that are heavily infested with phoretic varroa mites.

You may want to conduct some mite checks to confirm what your varrao mite levels are in those hives. Depending upon the results you may have to treat for mites yet again. If you have Apivar already installed in your hives, you are covered. Otherwise a round of OAV may be in order.

BeeMaster2 · November 16, 2018, 01:37:47 PM

Live Oak,
I am waiting on getting a OA vaporizer. I intend to fume all of the hives that I bought. My buddy designed one and he is making me 2 of them.
Jim

Ben Framed · November 17, 2018, 12:45:18 AM

@ Live Oak
Sound advice, Thanks for posting.....

Phillip

Ben Framed · November 17, 2018, 01:17:08 AM

Jim, did you happen to watch the video posted by Live Oak

Re: varroa heat treatment?
? Reply #16 on: November 02, 2018,

I would highly recommend this video to every beekeeper, its worth watching.

Phillip

BeeMaster2 · November 17, 2018, 01:57:40 PM

Yes I saw that, I think last year, when they first discovered it.
Thanks
Jim