Cool Weather & Swarming

[Tucker1]

Does cool (less than 55 F, more than 45 F) weather preclude swarming?  Assuming that a colony is crowded and ready to swarm.......will cool weather delay the swarming?

Regards,
Tucker1

[enchplant]

I have seen bees swarm on the nice warm day just before a nasty cold snap or rain storm that would kill them stone dead. So I know they are not good at weather forecasting. I haven't seen them swarming on a cool day however.

[JP]

I would say yes, cold weather will hold them back some, until a warmer day comes. I happen to believe they are good at forecasting the weather.


...JP

[iddee]

Thanks, JP. It's nice to know I'm not the only one that thinks like that.

[JP]

When we were at Brendhan's get together in West Palm Beach, we didn't realize a cold front was moving in Saturday night, but the bees did.

Literally hours before the winds appeared the bees were clustering in the hives.

All of the hives.


...JP