Went out to my bee yard (yard, funny, two hives) about 5pm today and heard LOTS of buzzing ..immediately I thought "swarm"!
I looked all around and 20 north of my hives about 30-40 feet high was a loose swarm of bees. Flying. ..almost right above a swarm trap that I have 7 feet off the ground ...except the swarm was much higher ...over the top of some nice tall trees. I have no idea if the swarm had just gotten there or if they were just moving through.
I wasn't pleased, thinking they were my bees swarming. Anyway, the loose swarm moved off south, staying high over the trees. I ran in to get my binocs and by the time I was back out (30 seconds later) they were gone ...didn't know what direction they went after that (later I drove around for a while hoping to spot them).
I went back in to grab my veil and went out to the hives that I have just inspected this last Saturday - opened the first one ...quickly looking down in each box ...looked the same as Saturday.
Opened the next one - same thing ..the population looks the same as Saturday.
Either my memory is off - or both hives look good. I didn't see a reduction in population from either one. I'll do a better check of the hives tomorrow and make sure there's a nice red marked queen in each. Too late today.
I'm curious - will a swarm visit another bee yard? Coincidence? I was an amazing thing to hear and my whole life I've never seen a swarm until the very year I get bees. Strange!
What do you all think?
I looked all around and 20 north of my hives about 30-40 feet high was a loose swarm of bees. Flying. ..almost right above a swarm trap that I have 7 feet off the ground ...except the swarm was much higher ...over the top of some nice tall trees. I have no idea if the swarm had just gotten there or if they were just moving through.
I wasn't pleased, thinking they were my bees swarming. Anyway, the loose swarm moved off south, staying high over the trees. I ran in to get my binocs and by the time I was back out (30 seconds later) they were gone ...didn't know what direction they went after that (later I drove around for a while hoping to spot them).
I went back in to grab my veil and went out to the hives that I have just inspected this last Saturday - opened the first one ...quickly looking down in each box ...looked the same as Saturday.
Opened the next one - same thing ..the population looks the same as Saturday.
Either my memory is off - or both hives look good. I didn't see a reduction in population from either one. I'll do a better check of the hives tomorrow and make sure there's a nice red marked queen in each. Too late today.
I'm curious - will a swarm visit another bee yard? Coincidence? I was an amazing thing to hear and my whole life I've never seen a swarm until the very year I get bees. Strange!
What do you all think?