Can one hive swarm more than once in a day?

[jbmanno]

I have one hive at my house. Today my son called me and said that the crabapple tree was full of bees. That tree already flowered, so when I got home I checked and sure enough there was a swarm in there. While getting ready for my first swarm removal (by inbibing copious amounts of alcohol), my neighbor came over and said "we have a problem". She then tried to show me where she saw two swarms yesterday (of course, they were both ground level instead of 12' up like the one in my yard!) The swarms had since left, but she swears there were two different swarms at the same time, plus the one in my yard. Her landscaper backed up her story of the two separate swarms in her yard.

My question, is it possible for my hive (the only one in the area, if not the only one in town) to split into two or three swarms? When I was into my hive two weeks ago, I saw four or five queen cells, so I knew it was just a matter of time, but I thought they killed the other queens and only had one swarm at a time.
Thanks, Joe

[GRIMBEE]

I am in my first year of beekeeping, but I can tell you from recent experience A good hive can throw 3 swarms in a day. Mine did But I did not catch the 2 afterswarms, just the first swarm. I wasn't expecting afterswarms. Live and learn:)

[Wheatfieldflowers]

I am not sure what a swarm is but if it means that all the bees fly around outside the hive I could just cover up the hole in my wall and they couldn't get back in. After they found a new home I could open it up again so they could get their honey out. Are you laughing hysterically or is this actually possible?

[carbide]

Laughing hysterically!!!!

[J-SiN]

hahahahahahah!

[Curtis]

I took it to be a good question. Yes a hive can and will have more than 1 swarm in a day. I will also add that they are rare.

[beecron]

I am not sure what a swarm is but if it means that all the bees fly around outside the hive I could just cover up the hole in my wall and they couldn't get back in. After they found a new home I could open it up again so they could get their honey out. Are you laughing hysterically or is this actually possible?


From what I have learned, not experienced, you sound like you have a swarm in a wall of your house? Yes, if you covered the hold, they couldn't get back in. You would also have a queen and many others still in there who would, I guess, eventually perish given enough time. Opening up the hole later won't exactly solve the problem. You may end up with another scout finding the hole and bringing back another swarm to live.

Somebody who knows better can correct me if I am wrong, but maybe if you opened the hold LATE in the season, when swarming is very minimal, you may get away with letting robbers clean it out and then close it up in the winter? Can anybody say if that would work?

[drobbins]

I've had em all leave the hive and cluster, then go back in the hive, then swarm again the next day. I assume for some reason the queen didn't come along the first time, this was over 2 days but I guess the same thing could happen in 1 day
here's video of em going back in the hive

http://youtube.com/watch?v=H4ZRBxQ4ZFU

by the way I caught those in a swarm trap:)
there's also the possibility of afterswarms with virgins which I assume but have never witnessed happening more than once in a day

Dave