Woo-hoo trapped a swarm!

  • 8 Replies
  • 2265 Views
*

Swing Swang

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Cornwall, UK
  • 1429
Woo-hoo trapped a swarm!
« on: June 19, 2012, 20:16 »
After a month of 'baiting' a hive with a bit of old brood comb and lemon grass oil I've gone and caught myself a swarm. Just turned up to work this morning and there they were  :)

Not the biggest of swarms - about 1l of bees I reckon, but hopefully they'll be strong enough to over-winter!

Regards,

Swing Swang

*

Chrysalis

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Stafford
  • 1195
Re: Woo-hoo trapped a swarm!
« Reply #1 on: June 19, 2012, 20:21 »
Sounds fun!  Keep us posted as to your exploits! :happy:

*

Kate and her Ducks

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Shropshire
  • 5318
Re: Woo-hoo trapped a swarm!
« Reply #2 on: June 19, 2012, 21:44 »
Congratulations!
Be like a duck. Calm on the surface but always paddling like the dickens underneath.

*

SnooziSuzi

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Newton Hall Allotments, Durham, UK
  • 2840
    • Facebook
Re: Woo-hoo trapped a swarm!
« Reply #3 on: June 19, 2012, 22:12 »
yay!  well done you :D

*

sunshineband

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Reading, Berkshire
  • 32056
  • Tallest Sunflower prizewinner 2014
    • A Little Bit of Sunshine
Re: Woo-hoo trapped a swarm!
« Reply #4 on: June 20, 2012, 07:27 »
Well done you  :D

Do you know where they came from?
Wisdom is knowing what to ignore - be comfortable in your own skin.
My Blog
My Diary
My Diary Comments

*

Oliveview

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Spain
  • 4784
Re: Woo-hoo trapped a swarm!
« Reply #5 on: June 21, 2012, 16:00 »
After a month of 'baiting' a hive with a bit of old brood comb and lemon grass oil I've gone and caught myself a swarm. Just turned up to work this morning and there they were  :)

Not the biggest of swarms - about 1l of bees I reckon, but hopefully they'll be strong enough to over-winter!

Regards,

Swing Swang

what is:  about 1l of bees.   What happens to the hive they have left too? 
Pamela

*

Swing Swang

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Cornwall, UK
  • 1429
Re: Woo-hoo trapped a swarm!
« Reply #6 on: June 22, 2012, 22:22 »
1l is my estimation of the quantity of bees - which isn't a huge swarm - the hive that they left will be down by the same amount which could be bad news for the hive that they left (and the beekeeper too if they were 'owned'). Hopefully they hive that they left will have been full to capacity and they can spare the loss, but this year because of the rain bees have been swarming all over the place in frustration at not being able to go aut and forage so there will be a lot of weak colonies around - or something like that according to those that know in my area.

*

SnooziSuzi

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Newton Hall Allotments, Durham, UK
  • 2840
    • Facebook
Re: Woo-hoo trapped a swarm!
« Reply #7 on: June 24, 2012, 10:51 »
what is:  about 1l of bees.   ...


well a healthy hive at full capacity has about 50-60 thousand bees, so 1 litre of bees would probably be about a sixth of this therefore about 8-10 thousand bees :ohmy:

Quote from: oliveview
What happens to the hive they have left too? 
Pamela

Normally the absconding bees make sure there's at least some developing queen cells in the old hive and not all of the bees would usually swarm so there would be some left to carry on in the old residence, albeit a much reduced colony which may or may not recover, depending on how many times the colony has split and swarmed off (each swarm is called a cast). 

In my hive last year I had about 6 casts leave the hive and the numbers left come August were too few to keep the colony warm, coupled with the fact that a lot of the honey had crystallised in the cells and was effectively like hard candy so the bees couldn't eat it, meant that they died of starvation :(

*

drypulse

  • New Member
  • *
  • Location: Basingstoke
  • 34
Re: Woo-hoo trapped a swarm!
« Reply #8 on: July 02, 2012, 00:22 »
hey swing swang! glad to hear your news. Wouldn't be surprised if you gathered a swarm from one of the ones I look after, we had one swarm about then! (if you are where I think you are!)

been a funny year bee wise, got my first swarm too this year, fingers crossed they last through winter!



xx
Swarm Wanted

Started by Swing Swang on Pets without Feathers

0 Replies
1409 Views
Last post November 29, 2009, 15:32
by Swing Swang
clip
May Swarm (lots of photos)

Started by Swing Swang on Pets without Feathers

14 Replies
4145 Views
Last post May 29, 2013, 11:27
by barley
xx
Warre Hive Pictures - swarm wanted

Started by Swing Swang on Pets without Feathers

3 Replies
1977 Views
Last post May 11, 2012, 21:57
by Swing Swang
 

Page created in 0.227 seconds with 38 queries.

Powered by SMFPacks Social Login Mod
Powered by SMFPacks SEO Pro Mod |