Arkansas swarms already?

[notaclue]

Stupid swarm question. We have had an unseasonable erratic winter, quite warm with short hard freeze and cold snaps. Temps are now in mid to upper 80's day time and 50's - 60's at night. In the past two months I've noticed an occasional bee or two checking out a couple dresser drawers stacked up on each other. They'll go in for a couple to 5+ minutes then come out. Their direction is not back to my hives but in two other directions. Is it possible that they are swarm scouts? If they are does anyone have a clue when we normally have swarm activity in Arkansas?
My hives are building comb like crazy right now.


I noticed when I had lemongrass oil out my bees were very much attracted to it and checked it out.

Thanks,
David

[tecumseh]

I would suspect that swarm season should be just about upon you in northern arkansas. for some reason this season's swarming has not been nearly as significant as in past years here in central texas. even the bee lab lady stated that she is seeing very few numbers of bees come to her lab for id purposes. my belief is that this reflects the effect of extended drought.

[Michael Bush]

>In the past two months I've noticed an occasional bee or two checking out a couple dresser drawers stacked up on each other.

They check out everything.

>Is it possible that they are swarm scouts?

Possible. Yes. But sware scouts are rather methodical and will recruit more swarm scouts.

> If they are does anyone have a clue when we normally have swarm activity in Arkansas?

I would guess that prime swarm season would have started at least a couple of weeks ago. Maybe more.

>I noticed when I had lemongrass oil out my bees were very much attracted to it and checked it out.

All bees are always attracted to lemongrass oil. It smells like nasanov phermone.