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Author Topic: Awful late for a swarm but??  (Read 3142 times)

Offline dprater

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Awful late for a swarm but??
« on: August 21, 2012, 10:11:43 pm »
OK I'm a newbe this year so just asking. I live in South Carolina and have three hives. Started with 2 and one swarmed July 3 and is doing good. Today a small swarm showed up in my garden on a sunflower. I don't think it was from my bees but not sure. Anyway I put them in another hive with two frames of brood I took form another hive with a little honey and pollen, closed them up, feed them and put them in the shade for now.

Will they hive time this late to build up before winter?

Danny




Offline iddee

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Re: Awful late for a swarm but??
« Reply #1 on: August 21, 2012, 10:20:45 pm »
Depends on how many frames of brood you give them, how heavy you feed them, how good the queen is, and the weather. If you give them enough frames of brood and stores, it's like requeening a hive. Fall requeening is recommended by many.
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Offline Kathyp

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Re: Awful late for a swarm but??
« Reply #2 on: August 21, 2012, 10:29:00 pm »
be sure there is a queen in there.  if not, you'll want to combine them with another hive unless you want to buy a queen and see if you can keep them going.
Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline AllenF

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Re: Awful late for a swarm but??
« Reply #3 on: August 21, 2012, 10:45:54 pm »
Where at in South Carolina?   Can you put the swarm on already drawn frames?   

Offline dprater

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Re: Awful late for a swarm but??
« Reply #4 on: August 22, 2012, 06:20:34 am »
be sure there is a queen in there.
So-- are you saying you could find a ball of bees with no queen? I did have bees with their rearends sticking up fanning on the edge of the box before I closed it up and a few other bees trying to get in. I took this as a sign the queen was in the box.

AllenF--I live about the middle of the state and yes on some drown frame.

Offline Kathyp

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Re: Awful late for a swarm but??
« Reply #5 on: August 22, 2012, 01:19:53 pm »
it's not uncommon for swarms to have virgin queens.  don't know if you have drones still, but you'll need to keep an eye on them or ID a mated queen when you get in there.  also, i have gone after "swarms" and found that the main swarm has gone, but there's a small ball of bees that were left behind.  in that case, there is no queen. 

just watch and see and be ready to make a decision if it's needed.
Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline dprater

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Re: Awful late for a swarm but??
« Reply #6 on: August 23, 2012, 09:08:24 pm »
I moved the hive and opened them up today, here is what I found. The good news is I do have a queen and the girls are taking a few dead out, another good thing is the caped brood I put in are coming out of the cells.

Now the not so good news. A lot fewer bees that I though maybe 300 to 500, not enough to cover the open brood and some of the younger brood have died.

Maybe they will make but I know its a long shot. I won't be too bumbed out if they don't its just fun to watch, learn and lend a little help when I can.

Offline Kathyp

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Re: Awful late for a swarm but??
« Reply #7 on: August 24, 2012, 10:39:35 am »
if you have a really strong hive, you can shake some workers into the weak one.  at this time of the year, i'd only do this from a very strong hive.  check with iddee and see what he thinks.  he may have some better advice for your area.
Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline dprater

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Re: Awful late for a swarm but??
« Reply #8 on: August 24, 2012, 06:00:29 pm »
Well I do have one that is three 8 frame mediums deep wall to wall with bees. I like the idea of adding more bees but would they not fight each other? The two hives are just one foot away also. I just got home from work and they are still here and going in and out.

Thanks for the replys.

Offline Kathyp

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Re: Awful late for a swarm but??
« Reply #9 on: August 24, 2012, 10:23:45 pm »
wait until the foraging bees are flying.  take a frame of brood with the bees and tap the bees off into the hive that needs them.  they will not fight.  nurse bees will nurse.  you just have to get the bees that are covering brood and not those who are flying out to gather.

i suggest a frame that is either capped brood or older brood.  that way when you tap off the nurse bees you are less apt to dislodge the eggs or very small larvae.  you don't have to bang them anyway  ;)  a good shake will get most of them or a tap of the bottom of the frame on the top of the new hive frames will do it.
Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline dprater

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Re: Awful late for a swarm but??
« Reply #10 on: August 25, 2012, 05:33:56 pm »
kathypks

I went in today around noon. Some of the caped brood from the first setup had emerged giving me more bees. This is a 8 framed hive so I made a false wall and turned it into a 5 frame hive. I also took another frame of caped brood (that 3 altogether) covered with nurse bees  from my strong hive and put it in the new hive. I also put power sugar on the bees to give them something to do while getting to know each other (just thought in would be ok). I did not see any fighting. I'm going to leave it alone for a week and see what happens.

Thanks posters
Danny

 

anything