post swarm development question?

Kathyp · May 14, 2008, 08:11:04 PM

last week i picked up two swarms. swarm 1 is doing well and i found brood. they were put on starter strips.
http://picasaweb.google.com/pearce.km/BeeCheckMay14th/photo#5200372598014853938

swarm 2 is smaller. i put them on drawn foundation. i found no eggs or brood and they are filling the brood area with nectar. i would assume they are queenless, but...this hive swarmed with a lot of drones. this is also the 2nd or 3rd swarm from this tree hive this year. might they have swarmed with a virgin queen? might they have swarmed without a queen? should i wait, or combine them with the other swarm?

they have been in 1 week tomorrow.

Michael Bush · May 14, 2008, 09:46:31 PM

Small swarms are usually afterswarms. They are usually headed by a virgin queen. She usually doesn't start to lay until at least two weeks later and sometimes three.

Kathyp · May 15, 2008, 01:09:29 AM

thanks. i will be a little patient. they are really nice bees and i'd like not to combine them if i can help it. does that explain why there were so many more drones with this swarm?

JP · May 15, 2008, 09:09:02 AM

Quote from: kathyp on May 15, 2008, 01:09:29 AM
thanks. i will be a little patient. they are really nice bees and i'd like not to combine them if i can help it. does that explain why there were so many more drones with this swarm?

Kathy I'm no M.B., but in my experience with swarms, I would agree that seeing lots of drones IS an indication of a virgin queen/ queens.

...JP

Kathyp · May 15, 2008, 10:27:45 AM

well, thanks guys. i'll give them a bit more time. just don't want to lose this batch if i can help it. i suppose the smart thing would be to stick some brood in there and see what happens.

JP, seems like there are a lot of drones in my hives this year anyway. maybe it's just that i have more hives, but each hive seems to have more than i have observed in the past. don't know if that means anything. anyway, the drones with the swam made me wonder about the queen. after all, why bring the guys on a road trip if you don't need them! :evil:

Dane Bramage · May 16, 2008, 12:19:07 AM

Quote from: kathyp on May 15, 2008, 10:27:45 AM... seems like there are a lot of drones in my hives this year anyway.

I'm seeing that too Kathy... of course I've 4x more hives than I had last year, lol.. but I'm also reading many, many reports of increased swarm activity in our area this season. I'm splitting and supering (on 2nd supers as of today) as fast as I can (gonna run outta gear soon if I'm not careful).

"bring the guys on a road trip"? hah - you're assuming she could make them stay behind! There life's mission is that aerial dismemberment (ouch! lol).. I imagine virgin queen pheromone is powerful stuff for them! ;)

Brian D. Bray · May 16, 2008, 01:06:20 AM

Quote from: Dane Bramage on May 16, 2008, 12:19:07 AM
Quote from: kathyp on May 15, 2008, 10:27:45 AM... seems like there are a lot of drones in my hives this year anyway.

I'm seeing that too Kathy... of course I've 4x more hives than I had last year, lol.. but I'm also reading many, many reports of increased swarm activity in our area this season. I'm splitting and supering (on 2nd supers as of today) as fast as I can (gonna run outta gear soon if I'm not careful).

"bring the guys on a road trip"? hah - you're assuming she could make them stay behind! There life's mission is that aerial dismemberment (ouch! lol).. I imagine virgin queen pheromone is powerful stuff for them! ;)

What do you expect, after several years of drought or near drought conditions the bees are doing what comes naturally and trying to build up the natural losses of feral bees that accompanies a drought.