Hi All -
I've been combing the threads trying to "watch" the swarming season creep up from the south.
Seems like we're getting close.
As you start seeing swarms in your area perhaps you might reply to this thread so we can track the season?
A simple post of your location, weather, origin of swarm if known, and date would be great.
Swarm call from local new beekeeper 10:15 am (swarm from nuc installed approx 5/25/07). 10:45 am when I arrived swarm had moved to unknown location.
zip code 04102
One swarm zip code 04005 issued and hived 5/25/08
Two swarms zip code 04102 issued and hived 5/25/08
One additional swarm zip code 04102 moved into a house through a blown in inuslation hole on 5/25/08 9:30 am approximately.
Still working on getting them back out.
Also another swarm call on 5/25/08 in South Berwick, Maine but by the time I returned the call another beekeeper was responding and retrieving the swarm.
Smalish swarm ( 2-3lbs approx) landed in one of my swarm traps yesterday, 6/4/08. Queen was unmarked so from a distant hive or possibly after swarm.
04102
Temps in the high 80's here for the first time.
Swarm in Biddeford, ME 04005 hived easily
Another swarm in Falmouth Maine 04105 also hived without incident.
Kennebunk,ME 04043
The hive that I thought was just replacing their queen decided to swarm today at about 11 am. They landed too high up in a tree for me to reach. We had a severe thunderstorm this afternoon which knocked a few to the ground. I guess they will be spending the night there.
6/26/08 Swarm located at 87 High Street (Downtown Portland) Maine 04101
(too high to catch)
6/26/08 4th swarm caught at Southern Maine Community College in South Portland, Maine 04106 (first three were on 6/20/08 and 6/22/08) These are believed to be feral bees as the campus does not have any managed colonies and the location is isolated from neighbors.
6/22/08 Swarm caught from hobby beekeeper's colony in Brighton area of Portland. Swarm and parent colony removed from site per owners request.
Dover New Hampshire. This hive was started from a nuc in May. I was there to pull some frames out of the brood box to give to a slower nuc but was too late. Luckily they were low and I had an extra deep and bottom board with me.
Very Large swarm in one of my outyards. 5-6 lbs of bees approx 20' in pine tree.
Hived into deep equipment several hours after issuing 7/27/08
Likely is several swarms together.
04062
My nuc swarmed today. Instead of fighting it out one of the queens decided to run. They ended up in a tree 25ft up. I was able to cut the tree down and hive them.
Got a call this mourning, from a few towns over, med size swarm 30' up a white birch, was able to cut the tree and let it drop slowly, then vacuumed they off the trunk.
July 12, Lisbon Maine. My hive swarmed, hung in an oak tree 90' up over power lines with no chance of rehiving them. They headed Southeast this AM 10:20. I watched them fly...sniff,sniff
I was running the solar wax melter today, puts the great smell of old brood comb in the air, it brought a swarm right into my yard! They were up 30+ feet so I dropped the top of the tree, it landed with a thud, the bees scattered abit and then came right back.
I had a nuc that I installed in the beginning of June swarm on me on July 10th up here in Maine. Hive was left with lots of brood, larva and eggs and an upper deep fully of honey so from what I've read that is the quintessential swarm.
We captured a swarm (~5 lbs) from one of our hives last Sunday (4/29/12) in Lewiston ME. Temp maxed out near 60 deg F. It had been rainy for several days and cleared up on Saturday. We performed hive inspections on Sat and couldn't find the queen in the hive that swarmed. Pretty sure she was 10 feet behind us and 14 feet up the whole time.
We captured a swarm (~4-5 lbs) from our second hive yesterday (Sunday: 5/6/12) in Lewiston ME. So both hives swarmed this year. Temp was close to 70 deg F and they swarmed between Noon and 1 PM. This was pretty much a repeat of the swarm last Sunday. Rainy during the week and cleared up on Saturday. Only this time, they gathered on a hemlock branch ~8 feet off the ground. Much easier to deal with! I hope this is it.
The weather was finally good today. I went to my yard located in Dover, NH and found three swarms in the same tree. I had a feeling one hive might swarm but not all three. Good thing I brought nucs with me. I was planning on taking frames to relieve the pressure anyway.
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