Will a hive that has swarmed make honey?

[dgc1961]

I was reading an article about swarm control and it mentioned that a hive that has swarmed won't make much honey.  What are everybody's experience with that?

[dgc1961]

I meant to say, will they make enough honey to harvest.

[annette]

When you lose all that work force, you lose the potential to have extra honey for you.  But it depends on the strength of the remaining population, the nectar flow in your area etc.

Many factors come into play, but I would not expect to have a surplus from them.  If you get any extra this is a nice surprise. My hive swarmed 2 years ago and I did not get any honey from them.

[dgc1961]

The hive seems to be strong.  I have 2 deeps and when I inspected today, both deeps were full of bees, they were bees between most of the frames, hopefully I will be lucky and get some extra honey.

[annette]

I also hope you get some. How many hives do you have total??

[dgc1961]

I have 2 hives now.  I was able to catch the swarm.  I posted it here about 1 1/2 weeks ago.  In 1 week the swarm hive drew out 8 deep frames.  I am going to add a second brood box this weekend.  The hive that swarmed was started last year.

I am not looking to make money with my hives.  I just want to have plenty of honey for myself and some to give away.  I am dissapointed now.  When my first inspection of the hive, I noticed that there were tons and tons of bees.  I figured that they might hive and I switched some empty frames around to help.  But I guess it didn't.

[annette]

Please do not feel disappointed about anything that happens with the hives.  It is all a learning experience.  Believe it or not, some beekeepers actually let their hives swarm because it is a natural occurrence.

I spent my first and second years beekeeping feeling fearful of the swarming thing. I still try and keep them from doing this, but if it happens, well ok it happened.  The bees love to do it, I hear it is like sex for them. All good.

I had to many ups and downs related to the bees when I first started 3 years ago. Now I just do the best I can do,and whatever happens, well it happens.  Even the experienced beekeepers here lose hives every winter.

Try to relax more with it all.

congratulations on catching that swarm last week

Annette

[dgc1961]

Thanks Arnette.  I am bummed because I am WANTING some honey this year. Enought to last me throught the year.  I love eating a honey biscuit in the mornings.  Also I am not a coffee drinker but I love hot tea with honey in it

What do you do to help keep the hive from swarming?

How many hives do you have?  How much honey do you get out of them?

[Scadsobees]

Yes, a hive that swarmed still can make honey.  Depending on the weather, of course.  And how much drawn comb you have. Just not as much honey as a full size strong hive that didn't.

Swarm prevention?
1. Keep them with plenty of room, super early and open the broodnest up.
2. if you see swarm cells, split them.  Put them back togather when the new queen is mated.

And there are are various and sundry methods, proven or not, in addition to those two.

Rick

[Brian D. Bray]

A swarm is a temporary setback that slows the foraging ability of the original hive a bit.  Most beekeepers harvest honey from hives that have swarmed, even if they've tried to control the swarming issue.  A swarm, on the other hand will usually not make enough combs and honey to harvest the year they swarm.  Their attention is survival and in the wild they have to start from zero and build up so most of what they do goes into infastructure.

An established hive, on the other hand, can throw a swarm and still produce enough honey to ensure sufficient stores for overwintering and some for the beekeeper too.

I would tend to believe that what you read was that a swarm won't produce enough honey to harvest rather than a hive that has swarmed won't produce enough.

[annette]

Thanks Arnette.  I am bummed because I am WANTING some honey this year. Enought to last me throught the year.  I love eating a honey biscuit in the mornings.  Also I am not a coffee drinker but I love hot tea with honey in it

What do you do to help keep the hive from swarming?

How many hives do you have?  How much honey do you get out of them?

I have 4 hives at the moment. Just caught a swarm 2 days ago and installed a new package 2 weeks ago.  But in general for the past 3 years I only had 1-2 hives total.  I really have not gotten that much honey.  The first year I only had one new package and took 8 lbs off them.  The second year I had 2 hives and got around 30 lbs.  (one hive got sick and did not make any).  Last year I did not get any for myself because we had a terrible drought and not much nectar in the flowers. In fact I had to feed them really a lot so they could build up stores for the winter.  It is difficult around here I am finding out because of the natural drought we have. It is like a desert here in the summer.  Also I probably would not get as much honey as most beekeepers because I am trying to feed my bees only natural honey so I leave much more for them to eat.  I also freeze frames of honey over the winter and feed it back to them in the Spring.  Most beeks would keep that honey and give the bees sugar syrup in the Spring, but I feel the bees need the honey which is their natural food.

It is more important to me to keep the bees healthy and if I do get honey well that is a plus.

To keep the bees from swarming I do what Michael Bush  told me to do. I keep the brood nest open by inserting empty frames in between the frames of brood. Michael has this all on his website

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesswarmcontrol.htm

Read his website. Really good important information that will help you a lot with the bees

[dgc1961]

I read his website quite often.  I have read about swarm control and will try that next year.  I don't think I need to do anything now.

[deerhunter]

I have a hive that I call "Hell Hive" :evil: It just a plain nasty mean hive but its honey production is twice that of my other hives.
It swarmed last year and I got 4 shallows off of both hives because I caught the swarm but other than that hive my other swarms never produce honey to be taken that year.

BTW: Now I have them named 'Hell Hive 1' and HH2 and there both nasty mean hives but I let them go.

[Michael Bush]

Certainly a hive that has swarmed would have made more honey if it had not.  But it might still make a crop or it might not.

Sometimes even a package makes a crop.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesexpectations.htm

[dgc1961]

Maybe they will make a crop.  All I need is enought for honey biscuits :)  We dded a super today and did a quick look-see.  Both deeps, between the frames it was full of bees.  The top deep, the bees covered the top of the frames.  Still lots of bees.

Now I am thinking that maybe they might throw an after swarm.

[tlynn]

Please do not feel disappointed about anything that happens with the hives.  It is all a learning experience.  Believe it or not, some beekeepers actually let their hives swarm because it is a natural occurrence.

I spent my first and second years beekeeping feeling fearful of the swarming thing. I still try and keep them from doing this, but if it happens, well ok it happened.  The bees love to do it, I hear it is like sex for them. All good.

I had to many ups and downs related to the bees when I first started 3 years ago. Now I just do the best I can do,and whatever happens, well it happens.  Even the experienced beekeepers here lose hives every winter.

Try to relax more with it all.

congratulations on catching that swarm last week

Annette

That's some great advice.  Sometimes it's healthy to step back and just chill.  The Zen of Beekeeping!

[Cockatoo]

I've only had my hive a week and I checked them yesterday evening.
The first super was built out and being filled with honey.
So I added another super. That one is MINE.
Ralph said at this rate, I'll have a harvest by July! :-D