Okay so have swarm traps out since last week. This is upstate new york. They are going bonkers. All have activity. Now what puzzles me is I have often checked the traps without gear. They don't generally bother me. I have on trap with a lot of activity that can't have been occupied for more than a week if that. I was getting chased by a guard bee and put headgear on. It was going for a sting operation I feel. That is highly unusual for me and wondered if anyone else has experienced that. This is going to be a crazy year.
Agressive Swram?
1 - 7 of 7 Posts
Since they are now out of swarm mode and into "build a new hive" mode it's likely you just got some defensive bees in your trap. If you get them properly hived and cared for and the defensiveness continues I'd definitely requeen - as I personally have no tolerance for overly defensive bees.
Thanks for the input. I agree. I went back today to check as the temps dropped and it was raining a bit. There were no bees!
Not unusual for there to be activity and then nothing but what is throwing me is encountering defensive bees scouting out new homes. Just never had that happen before.
It could be that the colony looking to move into your trap had "spoken" for it and were defending it against other scout bees in the area. That defensiveness may have flooded over onto you.
That is pretty strange. Sounds like the trap is in a great spot with that much activity though.
That is pretty strange. Sounds like the trap is in a great spot with that much activity though.
Joined
·
1,943 Posts
Once went to a house that a swarm had moved into with in 30 minutes of arriving. Was getting head butted and popped a couple of times, they were ill to say the least. Did a cut out just a few hours later and all seemed fine after that. Had not been home a couple of hours and the home owner called and said another swarm had moved in just a couple of feet over. Yep scouts from two different hives jockying for the same spot.
Did another cut out with two different established hives using the same entrance, talk about ill.
Did another cut out with two different established hives using the same entrance, talk about ill.
1 - 7 of 7 Posts
