Anybody seen any swarming yet?

Started by Fishing-Nut, February 23, 2020, 11:58:38 AM

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Fishing-Nut

February 23, 2020, 11:58:38 AM
I'm in georgia, haven't messed with the bees yet but they are definitely gathering pollen, the Bradford pear trees in my yard are humming with bees, the red maple is budded and wanting to bloom, henbit is blooming as well. What are yall seeing?
Take a kid fishing !

Ben Framed

#1
February 23, 2020, 04:55:29 PM
Quote from: Fishing-Nut on February 23, 2020, 11:58:38 AM
I'm in georgia, haven't messed with the bees yet but they are definitely gathering pollen, the Bradford pear trees in my yard are humming with bees, the red maple is budded and wanting to bloom, henbit is blooming as well. What are yall seeing?

Not in my area.

The15thMember

#2
February 23, 2020, 05:02:39 PM
Still basically winter here.  My bees just started gathering pollen this past week, but I'm not sure where they are getting it.  We had snow a couple days ago. 
I come from under the hill, and under the hills and over the hills my paths led.  And through the air, I am she that walks unseen.
https://maranathahomestead.weebly.com/

BeeMaster2

#3
February 23, 2020, 07:01:26 PM
I have a hive that did a prep swarm and then went back in the hive. We split the hive using a double screen board and gave the queen a drawn super box to lay in.
Jim Altmiller
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

CapnChkn

#4
February 23, 2020, 07:38:26 PM
I'm in North Alabama, and I've seen the bees build up, but not any signs of swarming yet.  Right now the Winter Honeysuckle is starting to put on leaves here.
"Thinking is like sin, them that doesn't is scairt of it, and them that does gets to liking it so much they can't quit!"  -Josh Billings.

van from Arkansas

#5
February 23, 2020, 10:54:39 PM
Crocus and chickweed blooming.  Bees just started finding small amounts of pollen.  Still see frosty mornings in N. Arkansas.  Kinda a colder February than normal in my area.

Mid Arkansas, Searcy, a good friend found swarm cells in a hive.
I have been around bees a long time, since birth.  I am a hobbyist so my answers often reflect this fact.  I concentrate on genetics, raise my own queens by wet graft, nicot, with natural or II breeding.  I do not sell queens, I will give queens  for free but no shipping.

AR Beekeeper

#6
February 24, 2020, 11:02:18 AM
Van;  Had your friend been feeding a pollen supplement or syrup to the colony that has the cells?  Cells now is a little early, even for central Arkansas.

van from Arkansas

#7
February 24, 2020, 12:40:48 PM
Yes, Norvel, agreed; queen cells this time of year is unusual for central AR.  I know Steve is community feeding ultra bee, substitute pollen and has sent me many pictures of brood frames, like 3 full deep frames per hive.  I do not know if Steve is feeding syrup?  I was sent a pic of the queen cell located on the bottom of the frame which I interpret as a swarm cell but I agree could have been supercedure.  The hive was loaded with bees and multiple brood frames, drone cells galore, so swarm cell is the most likely conclusion.  2019, there was a swarm, again Searcy area about mid February.

Searcy is South of me, kinda mid Arkansas and about 8 degrees warmer than my immediate area of N Arkansas.
I have been around bees a long time, since birth.  I am a hobbyist so my answers often reflect this fact.  I concentrate on genetics, raise my own queens by wet graft, nicot, with natural or II breeding.  I do not sell queens, I will give queens  for free but no shipping.

FatherMichael

#8
February 24, 2020, 09:21:03 PM
Deployed two swarm traps today.

Will have a bait hive made tomorrow.

Mary's hive will function as a bait hive this season and she has almost finished it.

Two more in planning stages with materials purchased.
41 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?

42 And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.

43 And he took it, and did eat before them.

Bob Wilson

#9
February 25, 2020, 04:07:42 PM
No swarming here yet. I also have two traps I will be putting out soon. I figure the beginning of March for swarms here in mid-Georgia. Meanwhile, I had three empty frames on the back of my hive, and added another two, because when I poked my head in two days ago, I saw this...

van from Arkansas

#10
February 25, 2020, 05:49:57 PM
Thank you, Bob for the picture.  A beautiful mass of healthy looking bees!

I cannot open my hives yet, to cold, high 40F tomorrow.  So I just am enlightened when I see pics of bees and/or flowers.  My time is very soon and I can play with the bees as the weather warms.  Until then, I appreciate the pics.

I hope Bob and Father Michael both catch swarms in their traps.  I?ll be watching on BeeMaster.

Health to your bees.
I have been around bees a long time, since birth.  I am a hobbyist so my answers often reflect this fact.  I concentrate on genetics, raise my own queens by wet graft, nicot, with natural or II breeding.  I do not sell queens, I will give queens  for free but no shipping.

Bob Wilson

#11
February 25, 2020, 09:48:11 PM
Help with a problem...
I read it in a thread here, that I should wait till I see drones before opening up for a complete hive inspection and moving the brood cluster towards the front of my long lang...
But how do I see the drones?
1. Watch the entrance? What time of day?
2. Check an outside frame in the box? Do drones sit on every frame?

BeeMaster2

#12
February 25, 2020, 10:54:18 PM
Bob,
Watch for drones after noon, they will fly before that but normally the queens are flying after noon and that is the prime time for the drones to be flying.
I find the drones throughout the hive but usually more so on the honey frames. They depend on the nurse bees to feed them so where ever nurse bees are you can find drones.
Jim Altmiller
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Bob Wilson

#13
March 01, 2020, 06:29:03 PM
Well, I messed it up, and waited too long...
As a newbee, I tried to keep an eye out for drones before opening up for a full hive inspection. I new I could hurt my colony if I opened it too early.
Well, I got into the hive today, and there were at least 5 or 6 obvious queen cells, not counting the ones I am sure I missed. I opened one of the cells and it was full of royal jelly and pupae. I wasn't sure what to do.
1. I put my other long langstroth box next to the first.
2. I took the 16 or so frames and divided them between the two boxes. Some of the capped honey in both boxes. Brood in both. Queen cells in both.
3. Then I added a handful of empty frames in each.
4. I inserted some of the empty frames in between the brood frames.
Let me know what you think guys. i don't know which box has the queen. I never saw her.

BeeMaster2

#14
March 01, 2020, 08:01:56 PM
Bob,
It is too early to put empty frames in between the brood frames. I would move them to the outer frames. If the nights were going to be warm for the next week or so and you have a good flow on that would be the way to go. It will be another 2 months or more before you can do that.
Jim Altmiller
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

iddee

#15
March 01, 2020, 08:43:59 PM
Ditto what Jim said. Keep brood frames together with a pollen frame next to them.

PS. A swarm was caught in Greensboro Feb. 27, 2020.
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

*Shel Silverstein*

Bob Wilson

#16
March 01, 2020, 09:56:34 PM
Great. It is night now, and rain tomorrow. Ah, well. I will remove the empty frames as soon as I can. They were already unhappy today.

Ben Framed

#17
March 01, 2020, 10:00:31 PM
'Anybody seen any swarming yet?''

I have not actually visually seen any swarming but I have seen the results of that swarming as I described in another topic.  "Pleasant Surprise Today"

Phillip Hall

Bob Wilson

#18
March 01, 2020, 10:02:16 PM
Great. It is now night and there is rain tomorrow. Ah well. I will remove the empty frames as soon as I can. The bees were already angry today. I suppose I should have given more empty frames at the back of the box earlier in the season, but then I was concerned with too much unoccupied space for the bees to keep warm. I did great this spring/summer/fall, but the timing of what and when to do things early spring continues to escape me. Thanks for good advice guys.

Ben Framed

#19
March 01, 2020, 11:01:07 PM
From curiosity built form reading some of the above post, it seems that things are running a little early in some areas of the South this year. This Spring will mark my second year of beekeeping. I am wondering if these early signs of queen cells and a reported swarm or so in the locations that have been reported, are uncommon this early, or does this occurrence happen from time to time, some years? No doubt the warmer weather plays a great part.

Phillip Hall
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