Swarm dates for Qld

max2 · August 28, 2018, 01:08:45 AM

28. August - another swarms here at Crystal Waters - nice one and landed low enough.

Bamboo · August 28, 2018, 08:31:23 AM

Wow you sure are getting your share, and some! Must be the rarefied air up there!

max2 · August 29, 2018, 04:39:24 AM

29. August - another swarm. Pretty well filled a 10 frame super.

Bamboo - some of these swarms are from my hives but bees seem to attract bees. There are quite a few hives in the valley and some don't quite get the care they need as the owners have other committments.

I'm running out of space. I have made quite a lot of splits and need to make more stands. Our patch here is rather hilly....

Bamboo · August 30, 2018, 10:10:51 AM

Max
I guess on the plus side you should have plenty of nucs to sell this year. Looks like a few more showers coming our way next week.

Makes me a little cross that people don't manage their bees like they do other live stock.

max2 · September 02, 2018, 06:36:32 PM

Yes, I'm making as many nuc's as possible.

Another swarms in Beausang lane, one in Policemans's Spur and one right here at Crystal Waters - a near neighbour called me. He has 3 hives and by the time I went around the swarm had settled about 20 m up a tree...and I could go back home.
I suggested he place a trap hive - just in case.

Bamboo · September 03, 2018, 08:23:03 AM

Wow certainly pumping up your way.
Obviously there can't be that many hives down here, either that or they are better managed!

max2 · September 04, 2018, 05:38:00 PM

Went to get some Queens from my mate in Glasshouse.
He had 7 swarms so far - at least some simply have flown in.

PRYORDARNELL · September 05, 2018, 07:07:38 AM

3rd September
Swarm @ Ravensbourne. By the time I returned the phone call it had already "buzzed" off

Oh well maybe next time

PRYORDARNELL · September 17, 2018, 07:11:33 AM

Another swarm at Ravensbourne today. This time i got there in time and collected them.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

max2 · September 17, 2018, 11:56:50 PM

Well done !!
A swarms near Conondale yesterday, 17. September

max2 · September 22, 2018, 07:10:04 PM

I have heard of swarms in the past week on the coast( maroochydore area) , Witta and up from Conondale. Cooler weather ahead and this will slow them. I will be making more splits on Wed.

max2 · October 31, 2018, 05:57:32 PM

31. October - a swarms up near Maleny - a warm day and out they are again. I have heard of one in the camping area at Kenilworth too

max2 · December 12, 2018, 11:30:59 PM

13. 12.18 - we have been taking honey off and to my surprise a hive we just harvested honey from ( about 30kg) had a swarms go off about 2 hrs later. It happens, but not often.

BeeMaster2 · December 13, 2018, 12:45:39 AM

The bees had already made the decision to swarm so they swarmed anyway.
Jim

max2 · December 13, 2018, 03:15:47 AM

Correct Jim.
It also shows that it is not true that they take 50% of the honey whem they swarm..
This hive consists of a full depth, 10 frame brood box, a queen excluder and a FD super plus a 1/2 super.
This season it has yielded 56 FD and 56 1/2 frames of honey plus a nuc plus this swarm.
Sad to lose the queen.
Mind you , it was at times a rather cranky hive. It will be interesting to see what turns up in a few weeks when the new off-spring start working.

BeeMaster2 · December 13, 2018, 02:02:38 PM

Max,
You never know what they will end up being. My father in law?s first hive was about 20 years old when he gave all of his hives to a college. My father gave him that hive, actually a swarm and told him it would be mean. I have no idea how many queens that hive had but it was always a mean hive and always his biggest.
I had a mean hive that swarmed and when I caught it it tore me up and I just left the swarm box open and let them leave. The hive they left behind was as calm as can bee.
It is a toss up.
Jim

max2 · December 22, 2018, 02:50:59 AM

22.12.2018 - another swarm. From a hive I took a few frames out to give them more space. The swarm hoped from a tree - high up - to another tree and then into a bush and I got it. Not a big one and I wonder if there is a queeen.
If it stays - we will see in a few days.

BeeMaster2 · December 22, 2018, 08:39:27 AM

If you think the queen might bee missing, add a frame of brood that has eggs. Not only will it anchor the bees to the box, if they are queen less, they will make a new queen.
Jim

max2 · December 22, 2018, 05:31:47 PM

Yes, Jim, we do this here too.
I will check first if they have a queen - give them a few days to settle.
It is not a big swarm and an extra frame will boost numbers.
It has been a busy time here with bees - made about 70 nuc's and my wife and I just harvested over 500 kg of honey with very basic equipment and then there is the bottling and labelling. All this fun!

max2 · January 31, 2019, 06:00:25 PM

31. Jan - picked up a very small swarm. They often don't make it but I will give it a couple of frames with brood and give it a chance.