RonS
06-03-2007, 11:44 AM
Just witnessed my second swarm from the same hive this year. I was in my garden and heard the telltale buzzing. The pictures are below. I did not have my camera to record them emerging, but the long used description of boiling out of the entrance applied. This hive was from a package installed in April of 2006. They were Italians with a light golden color. The hive swarmed on 1 April 2007. The emerging bees from the hive were almost black in color, and smaller. We have some feral black bees here in south Texas--also a lot of AHB. The hive became noticeably hotter a few weeks after the first swarm. Because of the number of bees in the first swarm (about the same as the second), I would have thought that the population was sufficiently reduced after the first swarm. Now my questions:
1. From the pictures, you will see that I placed a lemon oil baited nuc directly below the swarm tree. The swarm is about 20' above it. The nuc is also in the middle of my little bee yard. I have read that the swarm box should be a distance from the yard, and also that some success comes from having it in the yard. Which is it?
2. I inspected this hive on 1 June and saw no queen cells, period. I know what they look like from the last swarm when there were a large number of them. I did note a number of drone cells in the burr comb, and a few along the bottom of the brood frames. I removed them. Where will the new queen come from?
3. I decided to re-queen before this last swarm. When is the right time to do it? Should I wait a while, or get right on it?
Any other advice is welcome.
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb203/rons99/DSCF0006.jpg
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb203/rons99/DSCF0005.jpg
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb203/rons99/DSCF0003.jpg
1. From the pictures, you will see that I placed a lemon oil baited nuc directly below the swarm tree. The swarm is about 20' above it. The nuc is also in the middle of my little bee yard. I have read that the swarm box should be a distance from the yard, and also that some success comes from having it in the yard. Which is it?
2. I inspected this hive on 1 June and saw no queen cells, period. I know what they look like from the last swarm when there were a large number of them. I did note a number of drone cells in the burr comb, and a few along the bottom of the brood frames. I removed them. Where will the new queen come from?
3. I decided to re-queen before this last swarm. When is the right time to do it? Should I wait a while, or get right on it?
Any other advice is welcome.
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb203/rons99/DSCF0006.jpg
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb203/rons99/DSCF0005.jpg
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb203/rons99/DSCF0003.jpg