Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => DOWN UNDER BEEKEEPING => Topic started by: lvgwy on August 03, 2011, 04:24:35 am
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Hi all,this is my first post so please be gentle with me. I found a small handful of bees(approx 150-200mm across)on the ground near my hives when I went to check them 22nd July.Carefully looked through them with a leaf and yes there was a queen amongst them.Luckily I carry a 4 frame nuc with me at work(u never know when u may need one), grabbed a frame of honey and pollen from a hive and there still going ok at the moment.Then I get a call from a mate at Camp Hill, Brisbane about 5.00pm 1st August says there is a swarm in a palm tree next door and the owner is anxious to have it gone.I get there 6.00am next morning, this swarm almost fills a 10 frame box and are very quiet, no protection needed and just a little smoke. Owner thought I was crazy, so I guess swarm season has started.This time last year I was a newbee and had no hives,now I have 21, Cheers Graham.
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Swarms already bud, I am not surprised the weather is crazy! like a false or early spring I have already baited a hive trap and will be tooling up with some extra gear to catch swarms.
cheers
Steve
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Half your luck
Tis still to wintery down in Tassie
Will be a month or two b4 they swarm here
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hi
i would believe it my bees been on a good flow for last month filled two 8 frame deep of honey.the bluetop iron bark [eucalyptus fibrosa subsp.nubila] are putting on a good show.might be in for a good season.plenty drones about noticed
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Gday Graham, welcome aboard.
I am not surprised about the swarm, I opened my 3 hives on Saturday for the first time in months and found them absolutely packed with honey.
Between 2 hives and a nuc I got 25L of honey. I was only planning on rotating out an old brood frame or 2, but ended up opening up the brood and taking HEAPS of honey. Luckily no swarm cells, I think I got them just in time!
Guess I better get my swarm gear together.....
21 hives Graham? You must have a decent sized bit of land out Ipswich way? Great to have another person close to Brisbane on the forum.
ML
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Just love it all happening. helps build up numbers as canola is flowering madly down here. Just need some late flowering of eucs and it be sweet for this and early next year.
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Hey Mardak, whats the honey like that comes off Canola, is it any good or does it crystallise in the comb like I have read??
Cheers
Steve
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Just love it all happening. helps build up numbers as canola is flowering madly down here. Just need some late flowering of eucs and it be sweet for this and early next year.
Canola is already flowering there?
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Canola honey is watery, lacks colour and smelly taste. Canola is good for building up numbers in the boxes. the girls certainly take well and copious amounts of nectar and surrounding pollen. Girls get a little fysty but a good way to clean out your hives after the winters.
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Thanks for that info just good to give them a kick along cool.
Cheers
Steve
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Canola honey is watery, lacks colour and smelly taste. Canola is good for building up numbers in the boxes. the girls certainly take well and copious amounts of nectar and surrounding pollen. Girls get a little fysty but a good way to clean out your hives after the winters.
Thanks Mardak for the info... but is your canola flowering down that way already?
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Absolutely, see along the Western Freeway between Ballan and Bacchus Marsh on the left hand side going towards Adelaide. Around Warnambool the canola is also very thick and yellow.
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Last year was a bad one for swarms in Melbourne. Some are predicting very early swarms again this year.
As a suburban beekeeper, I need to take special care in swarm control- don't want to add to any anti-bee views in the area.
It would be good if the first beekeeper to see a swarm or queen cell prep in different regions, could post here so the rest of us know to take particular care of our hives from then. I am not suggesting that beekeepers are not careful, but warning of early swarming in other hives is a help.
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Thats not a bad idea, as we know all hives and areas are different by it might give us a heads up on whats happening I'm in.
Cheers
Steve
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Maybe put another box on top or do a split, works well to manage potential swarms up my way. I hope its a bumper year after the last one.
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Couldn't believe it,came home last Thursday 18/8/11 and thought I might watch my hives(5 in back yard) while I have lunch.So I sit on small seat I have in the garden and not 5 mins later a hive swarms right before my eyes.The swarm lands in a small shrub in my yard so I proceed to box it up.Only small swarm, about 2 frames of bees but doing ok.Spoke to the neighbour while the hive was swarming and he said he had a swarm in his lemon tree just over the fence last week(obviously from my hives).They have caught me out as it is still winter and we are in the middle of selling our home and moving so there are not enough hours in the day. Still yet another swarm today,guy rings 4.30pm comes home from work and has swarm in his front yard,this thing is big,filled a 10 frame box and was dark when I finished,will pick up box early morning, 3 swarms and it's still winter, Cheers.
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It would be good if the first beekeeper to see a swarm or queen cell prep in different regions, could post here so the rest of us know to take particular care of our hives from then. I am not suggesting that beekeepers are not careful, but warning of early swarming in other hives is a help.
That would be a great help! I'm in Melbournes Northern Suburbs and I haven't even seen a drone cell yet!
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My hives are south of Brisbane and are LOADED with drones, also packed with honey and a few queen cups on some frames.
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That would be a great help! I'm in Melbournes Northern Suburbs and I haven't even seen a drone cell yet!
I'm in the North as well, Epping to be precise. I'll be in the market for my first bees in the next 4 to 5 weeks (or whenever) if you come across a swarm that you want to sell let me know. I can pay with cash, home brew (or store bought) or electrical work (I'm an electrician by trade) :-D
Paul.
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That would be a great help! I'm in Melbournes Northern Suburbs and I haven't even seen a drone cell yet!
I'm in the North as well, Epping to be precise. I'll be in the market for my first bees in the next 4 to 5 weeks (or whenever) if you come across a swarm that you want to sell let me know. I can pay with cash, home brew (or store bought) or electrical work (I'm an electrician by trade) :-D
Paul.
Drop me a PM when you're ready Paul - i do sell swarms, hives etc
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Thanks, will do.
I'm going to start buying & assembling my woodware next week so I should be ready in a couple of weeks.
Paul.
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No worries, i can highly recommend a place if you don't have a source for your woodwear already - they're up near Bendigo but it's top quality! alternatively i can supply you pre-assembled dipped and painted...
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I was thinking of going through Redpaths but I am open to suggestions. PM me if you would prefer to keep it off list. I would prefer to assemble & paint my own woodware at the moment. Part of the fun as I see it :)
Paul
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G'day Ozbuzz,
I'm going through Bendigo next week and I'm after some woodenware - could you put up the name of the place?
malachii
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Malachii, just sent you a PM!
I was inspecting a hive last Thursday in Melbournes North Western Suburbs... plenty of drone brood - some drones already hatched... i suspect swarms will probably be starting sometime in the next few weeks if it stays warm
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I've got a number of drones already, had them for a couple of weeks, guess I better keep a close eye on them.
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Has anybody seen any queen cells/swarms yet? Last year i was already getting some swarm calls at this time of year and my hives had drones early august...
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Checked my hive today. Going gangbusters, lots of big hairy drones, but no queen cells. Overflowing with bees despite having two deeps and two ideals.
My bait hive box (single deep with lure) had half a dozen visitors today checking it out. They were not mine as I have Italians and these girls were black/grey. I Guess someone nearby has a colony getting ready to swarm in melbourne eastern suburbs.
Swarms will be very soon - check your hives now.
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I found out the hard way that swarms have started already despite it still being cold here in Toowoomba.
Went to split my one hive yesterday and it looks like they have swarmed and i may have a virgin queen.
No eggs or larvae and only a few capped brood.
Maybe someone else will donate a swarm, like I did. Lol
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One of my 2 hives seemed to swarm yesterday, I got a call from my wife about midday to say there were bees everywhere and a big cluster 30ft up a tree. One hour later when I got home there was a beard over the front of one hive, everyone was fanning madly and the girls were busy marching in, so buggered if I know what's going on. Anyone had their bees re-hive themselves?
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Well, both hives swarmed this week, I didn't have enough hardware to split the first one so they swarmed while I watched. I split the second one but to no avail, it delayed them a couple of days and then they swarmed.
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Caught a huge swarm over the weekend at Parkdale. Swarms are definitely happening in Melbourne now. :shock:
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Bought time. I havent had a call for a swarm yet...last year i had 10+ by now...very cold and wintery here still.
I get about 1 call a week from people who watched swarms move into their roof last year...i dont do anything really complicated (pulling roofs apart) or up too high.
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Yeah, swarms have started with a vengeance! four calls on Saturday! three on Sunday! I think it's going to be a crazy season!
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I've had one swarm call in 3 years.
Lone
Queensland - beautiful one day, perfect the next..
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Caught my second one today. :)
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That would be a great help! I'm in Melbournes Northern Suburbs and I haven't even seen a drone cell yet!
I'm in the North as well, Epping to be precise. I'll be in the market for my first bees in the next 4 to 5 weeks (or whenever) if you come across a swarm that you want to sell let me know. I can pay with cash, home brew (or store bought) or electrical work (I'm an electrician by trade) :-D
Paul.
ROAD TRIP TO KANDOS AND BACK MAYBE - BEES FOR ELECTRICAL WORK ON DUMP ( CASTLE ) BEING RENO-D ;)
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ROAD TRIP TO KANDOS AND BACK MAYBE - BEES FOR ELECTRICAL WORK ON DUMP ( CASTLE ) BEING RENO-D ;)
If you were a bit closer it would be no problem :-D
I am a bit flat out with work on my own castle (dump) for the rest of the year to do any more extended trips :'(
Paul.
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swarm, I am afraid them.
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swarm, I am afraid them.
Why? Reputedly they're at their easiest to handle when they've first swarmed, a belly full of honey and no home they need to defend.