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Author Topic: Swarms in Autumn  (Read 10116 times)

Offline Anybrew

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Swarms in Autumn
« on: March 14, 2013, 10:13:26 pm »
Well, I can't believe it but I have Hived two swarms from my hives in the last two days :shock:
Its Autumn here and I believed the girls were settling down for the cooler weather.

I think what triggered it was that we have had a week of cooler weather a fortnight ago, and now it has gone back up to around 32-35 degrees Celsius.  Maybe they thought it was spring again.

These are good strong hives I got off a commercial beek and he even said that they would start to slow down now but they haven't...

All my hives are double deeps and we can winter in single deeps without problems. So I will go through the hives which have swarmed and check their numbers and knock them back to one box if they are low on numbers.(in a few days)
That way I can also put some honey frames in the new swarms as well.

So watch out Aussie's for SWARMS.

Cheers
Steve

Offline rawfind

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Re: Swarms in Autumn
« Reply #1 on: March 15, 2013, 01:38:48 am »
Well, I can't believe it but I have Hived two swarms from my hives in the last two days :shock:
Its Autumn here and I believed the girls were settling down for the cooler weather.

I think what triggered it was that we have had a week of cooler weather a fortnight ago, and now it has gone back up to around 32-35 degrees Celsius.  Maybe they thought it was spring again.

These are good strong hives I got off a commercial beek and he even said that they would start to slow down now but they haven't...

All my hives are double deeps and we can winter in single deeps without problems. So I will go through the hives which have swarmed and check their numbers and knock them back to one box if they are low on numbers.(in a few days)
That way I can also put some honey frames in the new swarms as well.

you must have plenty in flower over there still
So watch out Aussie's for SWARMS.

Cheers
Steve

Offline max2

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Re: Swarms in Autumn
« Reply #2 on: March 22, 2013, 05:23:01 am »
I had a good swarm on the 20. March and there where two others in the general area. A bit late.

Offline Anybrew

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Re: Swarms in Autumn
« Reply #3 on: March 22, 2013, 06:46:03 pm »
Yeah max2 a bit late alright, where are you at.


Cheers
Steve

Offline bailey

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Re: Swarms in Autumn
« Reply #4 on: March 22, 2013, 07:04:28 pm »
We get fall swarms every year here.
Keep looking and trapping !
Bailey
most often i find my greatest source of stress to be OPS  ( other peoples stupidity )

It is better to keep ones mouth shut and be thought of as a fool than to open ones mouth and in so doing remove all doubt.

Offline Anybrew

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Re: Swarms in Autumn
« Reply #5 on: March 22, 2013, 08:36:48 pm »
Hey Bailey,ok so maybe it normal this way with strong Hives too  :shock:

Cheers
Steve

Offline bailey

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Re: Swarms in Autumn
« Reply #6 on: March 22, 2013, 10:00:55 pm »
I think it happens to very strong hives that wind up honey bound in the early fall.  I usually call them suicide swarms cause the chances of them surviving ars smaller. But I have some make it through every year.
Look up jp's you tube channel. Look at the video jp and bailey go crabbing. At the beginning of the video we are talking about one of these late swarms.
I still have the nuc with that swarm in it in the back yard. Soon to be delivered to blanc.
Bailey
most often i find my greatest source of stress to be OPS  ( other peoples stupidity )

It is better to keep ones mouth shut and be thought of as a fool than to open ones mouth and in so doing remove all doubt.

Offline Anybrew

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Re: Swarms in Autumn
« Reply #7 on: March 23, 2013, 05:29:30 am »
Spot on Bailey,they were Honey bound and I said to the real!! Beek, Bro I think they need to be robbed.  He said, yeah you could, or leave the Honey on them and they will be real strong come Spring (5 months away)

Well, I will trust my gut in future.  It has always lead me fairly straight.  Thanks man.

Cheers
Steve

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Swarms in Autumn
« Reply #8 on: March 23, 2013, 06:12:41 am »
Steve,
I have 2 hives that swarmed late last year. They were so strong this spring that I did a split from them and three weeks later, they are still strong.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Anybrew

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Re: Swarms in Autumn
« Reply #9 on: March 23, 2013, 11:31:49 pm »
Cheers Jim, yeah hives are just darn strong no matter what.
I checked the swarms I hived two weeks ago and man they are full or honey,pollen and brood.

I could hardly believe it they are covering 7 frames in a 8 frame deep and halfway through drawing out number 8.

Go girls

Steve

Offline max2

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Re: Swarms in Autumn
« Reply #10 on: March 26, 2013, 10:51:43 pm »
Had another call today and went to hive the swarm - it was about a fist size! Not worth picking ip. The last one is doing very well. I'm near Maleny SE qld

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Swarms in Autumn
« Reply #11 on: March 27, 2013, 12:58:52 am »
Cheers Jim, yeah hives are just darn strong no matter what.
I checked the swarms I hived two weeks ago and man they are full or honey,pollen and brood.

I could hardly believe it they are covering 7 frames in a 8 frame deep and halfway through drawing out number 8.

Go girls

Steve

Time to add a super.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Anybrew

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Re: Swarms in Autumn
« Reply #12 on: March 27, 2013, 01:27:25 am »
Hey Jim, I thought the same thing that I should add a super but I am unsure at this time of the year early Autumn/Fall it just doesn't seem right :?

Cheers
Steve

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Swarms in Autumn
« Reply #13 on: March 27, 2013, 12:36:42 pm »
Hey Jim, I thought the same thing that I should add a super but I am unsure at this time of the year early Autumn/Fall it just doesn't seem right :?

Cheers
Steve
Your are right, forgot you are down under. But it depends on your weather. Last fall they were building fast and I probably would have had a few swarms if I hadn't added supers. If I was up north I would not have added a super. We really didn't have a winter last year.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline dermot

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Re: Swarms in Autumn
« Reply #14 on: April 15, 2013, 01:55:53 pm »
I thought it was a little unusual picking up a swarm on new years day and then got 2 swarms picked up the same week in March that this topic was started. I'm in Canberra and usually we close down our hives for winter by ANZAC Day (April 25 if you don't speak aussie). I got a swarm callout yesterday (14/4/13) for a fist sized bunch. As there were so few bees to check through I was pretty sure they were queenless, but a double check this arvo found her. I'll use this small bunch to requeen a friends hive. We've had what seems like a perfect season for plant growth and nectar, apart from the gums not flowering, but almost all local beeks are having to feed to ensure the hives survive the winter.

   What a strange season- It's almost as if they've had enough of the involuntary sharing!

Offline dermot

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Re: Swarms in Autumn
« Reply #15 on: April 19, 2013, 07:09:29 am »
Picked up another viable swarm this evening (19/4). The homeowner said it arrived about three or four days ago.

Obviously these bees missed the winter shutdown memo.

Offline Anybrew

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Re: Swarms in Autumn
« Reply #16 on: April 19, 2013, 06:47:19 pm »
Wow Dermot, talk about late swarms down your way.  I had to rob my hives last week as they were Honey bound and bringing it bucket loads of pollen and I assume nectar too.  I extracted 22 frames and got about 40 kgs Honey.
I am going to check them next week to see whats going on in there.

Cheers
Steve

Offline CJ

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Re: Swarms in Autumn
« Reply #17 on: April 20, 2013, 09:25:24 pm »
I had to rob my hives last week as they were Honey bound and bringing it bucket loads of pollen and I assume nectar too.  I extracted 22 frames and got about 40

Same here Anybrew - went out on Friday to start packing down the girls for winter and the biggest of my hives (3 deeps) was bound up in 2 of the 3 boxes with a hand full of swarm cells ready to be laid in on several of the frames. The cars are already frosting up in the morning and it hasn't been much over 20 for a while now... guess they've found something good :-)

Offline Anybrew

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Re: Swarms in Autumn
« Reply #18 on: April 21, 2013, 05:23:53 am »
Yeah for sure CJ, mine are powering along.  I took four frames from each hive and left four frames full just to give them some room. They were bearding heaps but have now stopped.

Where are u at?

Offline CJ

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Re: Swarms in Autumn
« Reply #19 on: April 25, 2013, 08:23:16 pm »
Yeah for sure CJ, mine are powering along.  I took four frames from each hive and left four frames full just to give them some room. They were bearding heaps but have now stopped.

Where are u at?

We have our hives on the family farm at Boorowa, NSW. They seem to have calmed down a bit this last week - still bringing in a fair bit of pollen though.

 

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