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Author Topic: How do you know when a hive is going to swarm?  (Read 1837 times)

Offline Linda0318

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How do you know when a hive is going to swarm?
« on: July 03, 2011, 09:59:26 pm »
 I have a large number of bees at the entrance. A lot more than normal. We are worried that they might be getting ready to swarm. This is our first year with the hive.

Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: How do you know when a hive is going to swarm?
« Reply #1 on: July 03, 2011, 10:19:09 pm »
Sounds like the beginning of bearding.  Bearding can lead to swarming as it is an indicator of it being overcrowded inside the hive.  High temps also contribute to this.  Best bet, add a super and give them some more room or use a slatted rack.
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Offline Linda0318

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Re: How do you know when a hive is going to swarm?
« Reply #2 on: July 03, 2011, 10:32:53 pm »
 We are using the polystyrene hive and we cannot get another super until Wed. We only have wooden ones and they are a lot more narrow. Will they be fine until then? Or should we modify a wooden one?

Offline FRAMEshift

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Re: How do you know when a hive is going to swarm?
« Reply #3 on: July 03, 2011, 10:39:44 pm »
Yes, I was also going to say bearding.  Pretty common in hot humid weather but I've seen it come and go with little relationship to how hot, humid or crowded the hive is.  Once they start they usually keep doing it for a few weeks.  Make sure there is room in the brood nest and the honey section of the hive.
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Offline FRAMEshift

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Re: How do you know when a hive is going to swarm?
« Reply #4 on: July 03, 2011, 10:42:50 pm »
We are using the polystyrene hive and we cannot get another super until Wed. We only have wooden ones and they are a lot more narrow. Will they be fine until then? Or should we modify a wooden one?

They will probably be fine without any changes but if you want to add a narrow super, you can just put it on top with one side aligned with the side of the box below.  Then just lay a piece of board to plug the gap. That will work until you can get to a more elegant solution.
"You never can tell with bees."  --  Winnie-the-Pooh

Offline Linda0318

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Re: How do you know when a hive is going to swarm?
« Reply #5 on: July 03, 2011, 10:49:56 pm »
 Thank you. I will modify the wooden box to fit. I never would have imagined that I would get so worried about my bees. They have become my pets and I am really attached to them.  Just seeing them on my flowers puts a smile on my face.

Offline larrybeetree

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Re: How do you know when a hive is going to swarm?
« Reply #6 on: July 04, 2011, 03:18:04 am »
you do not say what your hive configuration is. A deep and western or two deeps, five frame equipment, ten frame you get my drift.  I usually stagger my boxes in hot weather giving another entrance in one of the upper boxes.  Or drill a three quarter inch hole in upper box for more ventilation.  The bees will close it up with propolis if they don't like it. Upper ventilation is good.  Perfect equipment has not air leaks with is good in hot weather.  The bees will close up little spaces going into fall. Either stagger one upper box or drill some holes. good luck

Offline bee-nuts

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Re: How do you know when a hive is going to swarm?
« Reply #7 on: July 04, 2011, 03:19:05 am »
The easiest way to catch the girls before they all fly off on you is to tip up your boxes every week and look for queen cups that have larva in them.  95% of the time they will have the swarm cells on the bottom bars of you second or third box.  Only once did I miss a swarm by not catching the cells on the bottom of the frames.  That colony actually built all of them on the sides of the frames, i could not believe it.  

The best thing you can do is to not let them run out of room but they will still swarm when they get to a certain population, new queen or not, some strains sooner than others.
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Offline Finski

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Re: How do you know when a hive is going to swarm?
« Reply #8 on: July 04, 2011, 07:15:27 am »
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When yyou have that narrow box, use it and modificate the join so tht rain water cannot enter the hive.  put on the box, ghen put a piece of wood board to close the gap. Then for exaple use plastic sheet and tape make rain protection.

If the supers are enough narrow, you mayyyh put two  over the deep.- just to enlighten the problem. It is notbig question..f


.
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Offline Linda0318

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Re: How do you know when a hive is going to swarm?
« Reply #9 on: July 04, 2011, 11:47:07 am »
I just wanted to say thank you for the info, we put the narrow wooden super on top of the polystyrene with a board off to the side tape shut for now.  Wed. we will get the proper equipment.

Thanks again,
Linda & Mike

 

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