[Beeherenow]

I've been called to three swarms (only one of which I was there for in time), another neighbor trapped another, and a friend has a swarm in his backyard right now. In the three years I've been beekeeping in my neighborhood, I haven't known about a single swarm in my area. Some of it may be that more people are home all day and so are seeing the swarm before it arrives and leaves? I'm also wondering if the lack of traffic/noise/pollution/etc because of the very strict shelter-in-place in the SF Bay Area is contributing to a greater frequency...

Anyway, just curious if anyone else noticing anything!

Arne

 

[Gray Goose]

I've been called to three swarms (only one of which I was there for in time), another neighbor trapped another, and a friend has a swarm in his backyard right now. In the three years I've been beekeeping in my neighborhood, I haven't known about a single swarm in my area. Some of it may be that more people are home all day and so are seeing the swarm before it arrives and leaves? I'm also wondering if the lack of traffic/noise/pollution/etc because of the very strict shelter-in-place in the SF Bay Area is contributing to a greater frequency...

Anyway, just curious if anyone else noticing anything!

Arne

Hi Arne,

I would think with more people home we will "see" more swarms. So far here I am seeing snow today..... by middle of july I may have an opinion.
Hopefully more swarms means more overwintering colonies, which means some mite tolerance showing.
IMO the shelter in place "quiet" is not causing swarms.
Hopefully you can catch a few.

GG

 

[Beeherenow]

That's right, I forgot a lot of the country still in winter weather...bees out here don't ever really overwinter. They stop making drones and dial it down a little, but two years ago I had a harvest in January!

I think your theory that we're seeing more swarms because we're home is probably right...will be curious if more people on this forum notice anything...

 

[hankstump]

Arne,
Indeed, the ACBA (Alameda County Beekeepers Association) Swarmlist is running about 50 calls ahead of this time last year. It was a warm winter here, the number of swarms has been crazy. I picked up 7 already.

Phil in Fremont.

 

[Akademee]

Hives in my area started swarming in earnest a month before we normally expect them too. So many full bait hives.....

 

[Beeherenow]

Ok, so I'm not crazy! Something is going on...Hankstump, your theory about the warm winter makes some sense, it was especially dry in February. But also it was unseasonably cold, at least here in Oakland, from late March through early April. Climate change? Changes in human behavior because of coronavirus? There's an interesting study for any bee scientists out there!

 

[seamuswildflower]

I live near the airport and hardly a plane goes out anymore so they're not dumping jet fuel. My bees have swollen more this year then in the 21 years I've been keeping them