Any correlation between dearth and swarming?

[scbc]

In coastal California it has been exceptionally foggy and cool this season. My bees and harvest have been "normal", but a fellow beekeeper has had very little honey to harvest and produced a number of swarms even into late August. His theory is that because there isn't much out there the bees are producing swarms to reduce the population and reduce the amount of stores the hive needs to survive. I'm having a hard time believing this makes sense. Is there typically a correlation between dearths and swarm production? We've tried to research without much luck.

Thanks,

Jeff

[Tara]

I've heard there are two kinds of swarms--the first is the "we've got plenty--lets multiply!" swarm that you usually see during good flow. The second is a "We're not gonna make it thru winter with what we've got..." swarm, where a fall swarm leaves to allow for the primary hive to have a better chance at survival. The fall swarm dosn't have much hope, but if all the bees remained, the primary hive wouldn't make it.

Since a hive tends to act like a single organism instead of a bunch of individuals, this actually does make sense--if some leave, half survive.

[Fuzzy]

I would not buy that explanation either. I live about 10 miles from you ( as a crow flies ). The more likely scenario is that his/her brood box has become plugged with honey so there is no space for brood. They will swarm frequently until they fail to re-queen and then the hive will die.

Having said that, with our mild winter (wet but mild) the overall losses were down and the number of swarms this year was unbelievable. The club had hundreds of swarm calls. Most were small swarms 2-4lbs.

So, if you keep the brood box open, and provide enough supers, you will get honey. And In santa cruz, you will run out of room in Jan or Feb due to the eucalyptus bloom.

Fuzzy

[scbc]

Since a hive tends to act like a single organism instead of a bunch of individuals, this actually does make sense--if some leave, half survive.

Hi Tara,

I get that point in theory, I'm just not sure in mid to late summer around here this actually gives the remaining hive a better chance of survival as Fall flow is still to come and having more bees to take advantage would seem to have a greater success rate. Later in the season might make more sense to me.

I am still interested in hearing from anyone else who has experienced a correlation between their bees swarming and a dearth, especially when their weren't any other conditions in the hive that might have induced swarming. Thanks for sharing your thinking.

Jeff

[scbc]

Hi Fuzzy,

My reasoning coincided with yours, though he says all the usual swarm inducers were or are negative. They were from last year's swarm bees so perhaps genetics?

Add one more to your hundreds count as I picked up a swarm in a swarm trap I set in a friend's backyard over the hill. The eucalyptus bloom is a beautiful thang for me there is a 3/8 mile long stand in the lagoon not 1/4 from my bee deck :-). Makes life easy for a relative newbie. Thanks for the response.

Jeff

[KQ6AR]

Bees with Africanized genetics will move on in a dearth.