Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: specialkayme on January 09, 2009, 02:15:17 pm

Title: When is swarming season in Central NC?
Post by: specialkayme on January 09, 2009, 02:15:17 pm
If you've read my introduction thread (which I can only assume most havn't), I'm a 3 or 4 year beekeeper with several issues. My main ones are controling swarms, and keeping them calm. After that, I have issues maximizing honey yeilds, and generally keeping them around.

From this site, I have found out that during the 'swarming season' it is necessary to check on the hive at least once every 10 days, better off more than that. And once a queen cell has been caped, it's mostly an end came from there, and the hive will be inclined to swarm anyway, and you should probably do a split to try and keep them. Also, after swarming season, it's really only necessary to check on the hive once every two or three weeks, to check out if things are alright, how the honey flow is going, and so on.

But my main question is what exactly is the swarm season in Central NC? Or, in other words, durring what time period should I be checking up on them once a week, and at what point can I cut that back to once a month?
Title: Re: When is swarming season in Central NC?
Post by: troutstalker2 on January 09, 2009, 09:08:09 pm
  I'm in Hickory and both of mine swarmed the end of April, but I caught a swarm in late June. Go figure

  Hope this helps, David
Title: Re: When is swarming season in Central NC?
Post by: sc-bee on January 09, 2009, 09:14:13 pm
>From this site, I have found out that during the 'swarming season' it is necessary to check on the hive at least once every 10 days, better off more than that. And once a queen cell has been caped, it's mostly an end came from there, and the hive will be inclined to swarm anyway, and you should probably do a split to try and keep them. Also, after swarming season, it's really only necessary to check on the hive once every two or three weeks, to check out if things are alright, how the honey flow is going, and so on.

For a different perspective on swarm prevention, Google Walt Wright and read his articles on Nectar Management or Checker boarding. Some believe some are skeptical!!!

I BELIEVE!!!
Title: Re: When is swarming season in Central NC?
Post by: heaflaw on January 09, 2009, 10:45:26 pm
I'm in Lincolnton and I've kept around 15 hives for 10 or so years.  My swarm season seems to be from late March until late July, but mostly in early May.
Title: Re: When is swarming season in Central NC?
Post by: Michael Bush on January 10, 2009, 03:03:29 pm
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesswarmcontrol.htm
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesexperiment.htm

I don't get them checked that often.  But I do try to open the brood nest up once or twice during the prime swarm season.  If, in the process, I find swarm cells I try to get as many queens as I can by doing splits with all the cells I can easily and safely separate.  If they are on foundationless frames, it works the best as I can sometimes separate quite a few.  If they are on plastic, I can really only put each frame that has some cells on it in each split.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beessplits.htm