2014 swarms

[RHBee]

Today at 10:00am. Caught.

[GSF]

Ray, Sweet!

Rob, I sent you a couple of emails. That gentleman is going through his hives tomorrow to remove queen cells.

[cdray]

# 7, from one of my hives again. It looks like I would do a better job managing my bees.... :-D

[buzzbee]

I forced more than one by too much syrup early on.   :-D

[BEEMAN]

This week had five swarm calls. Caught all five. Also did two extractions from customers walls. Second one actually had two separate hives in it. So I guess you can say did three extractions. Caught all three queens. It was a busy week. Already have one extraction scheduled for next week and another call that I need to go check out for another extraction. South Louisiana is "buzzin" right now

[RHBee]

# 7, from one of my hives again. It looks like I would do a better job managing my bees.... :-D

Yeah,  I feel your pain. All my plans were implemented to late. I didn't have enough local timing information. Next year open brood nest mid  February,  nectar management end of January. Consequences not an issue.

[RHBee]

Had 4 today caught only one. A real big one got away. Here's a picture of the one that got away. I'm out of equipment but still disappointed.

[10framer]

all out of your hives ray?

[RHBee]

all out of your hives ray?

Yep, when the smoke settles and swarm season is done I'm combining.

[GSF]

Macon Mississippi/Bud 6; I'm thinking 5 or 6 over the weekend.

[10framer]

all out of your hives ray?

Yep, when the smoke settles and swarm season is done I'm combining.

you need some new blood in the mix. 
how big are the hives that are swarming?  how big are the swarms?

[RHBee]

Rob,
Biggest swarm I've ever seen. Today and I missed it. I timed my swarm prevention measures a little bit late this year. I'm not worried about it. I'll be able to fix things for the flow. This is what healthy bees do.

[GSF]

I will stand corrected on the swarm count at Buds. I've done seen a couple of videos of swarm captures I wasn't aware of.

(Modified) From what I'm gathering somewhere in the mid 20's to 30ish. All them beehives, all them people, and 80 degree temp just the right combination. I haven't seen a swarm of bees in a couple of decades or so. I wasn't at Buds 24 hours and seen 3 or 4.

[10framer]

CaugHt one of my own today.

[RHBee]

CaugHt one of my own today.

Congrats. Maybe it's your turn now.   :-D

[10framer]

ray, i have three hives that i haven't pulled nucs from since march 15 or weren't started from those nucs.  i went through them yesterday and either found the queen or multiple frames of eggs and no queen cells.  none of them looked depleted of bees.  i should only just be getting laying queens in the first of the hives i pulled from now.  the swarm was small (maybe 2 pounds) i'm wondering if i have a virgin queen or if a nuc swarmed on me.  i'll know better this weekend.

[divemaster1963]

I'm hoping for some for some swarms this weekend. I have caught only 2 so far from my own hives. I have 2 additional I got from 3 cutouts I lost one today from the cold weather. But have 2 more to do the next two weekends. I'll be back up to 15 hives. Only 32 more to get to be back to were I started last summer. Then to add another 68 to be were I want to be.

[10framer]

CaugHt one of my own today.

Congrats. Maybe it's your turn now.   :-D

thanks ray!  i had another one hanging so close to where i found the one yesterday i decided to open it up before i went to the barn to get another hive.   monday i had a plan and enough equipment to to do it.  now i'm down to mix and match dadant deep frames and rossman deep foundation and you have to modify the top bar to get a good fit.  thinking about trying to get some dadant foundation overnighted.   

[capt44]

Here in Central Arkansas the bees started swarming just after the last cold snap last week.
They are swarming like there is no tomorrow.
I got 4 day before yesterday and 5 yesterday and so far 2 today.
All swarm calls.
fruit trees have about slowed down on blooming.
All we have left to bloom is pear and apple.
The scarlet and white clover is not blooming here yet, probably next week.

[hjon71]

Any swarm activity in Tennessee? I put out 2 traps buy haven't seen any activity. My 1 hive shows no sign of swarm prep either.