Hello all, I'm new here to the forum.
I am a beekeeper in my 3rd year, using Langstroth.
As of one month ago, my main hive (2 deep boxes with a new medium on top) was queenright, there were eggs and workers were bringing in LOTS of pollen and nectar.
3 weeks ago, they started preparing to swarm (bearding all over the hive, then returning inside). I heard lots of piping and tooting inside the hive for several days. 2 weeks ago they swarmed for the first time, and I caught them. This new hive is active but i have yet to do a hive check, so don't know if it's queenright.
Since then there was an afterswarm that flew away when I wasn't home, and then a third one today that I caught -- there was a queen and I put her in the box, while 1/4 of the swarm was still on a branch. Workers from this new swarm were nasonov fanning, but eventually the rest of the swarm in the tree flew away instead of joining the rest in the box, so i'm very unsure if the queen i caught is still in this newest box.
For over a week there has also been a large swarm sized group under the main hive, in between the hive stand and the table (in an inaccessible position). During this third swarm, from today, they emptied out from under the hive...but by the afternoon there was another (or the same?) group under the hive. Lots of drone action around this group too.
I also saw a queen by herself hanging out on the outside of the hive, and with the under-hive group, two days ago.
Lots of puzzling pieces, I know. I'm hoping for any insight or experience with a seemingly robust hive that keeps swarming like it just won't quit, with potentially multiple queen hatchings.
Thanks!
I am a beekeeper in my 3rd year, using Langstroth.
As of one month ago, my main hive (2 deep boxes with a new medium on top) was queenright, there were eggs and workers were bringing in LOTS of pollen and nectar.
3 weeks ago, they started preparing to swarm (bearding all over the hive, then returning inside). I heard lots of piping and tooting inside the hive for several days. 2 weeks ago they swarmed for the first time, and I caught them. This new hive is active but i have yet to do a hive check, so don't know if it's queenright.
Since then there was an afterswarm that flew away when I wasn't home, and then a third one today that I caught -- there was a queen and I put her in the box, while 1/4 of the swarm was still on a branch. Workers from this new swarm were nasonov fanning, but eventually the rest of the swarm in the tree flew away instead of joining the rest in the box, so i'm very unsure if the queen i caught is still in this newest box.
For over a week there has also been a large swarm sized group under the main hive, in between the hive stand and the table (in an inaccessible position). During this third swarm, from today, they emptied out from under the hive...but by the afternoon there was another (or the same?) group under the hive. Lots of drone action around this group too.
I also saw a queen by herself hanging out on the outside of the hive, and with the under-hive group, two days ago.
Lots of puzzling pieces, I know. I'm hoping for any insight or experience with a seemingly robust hive that keeps swarming like it just won't quit, with potentially multiple queen hatchings.
Thanks!