Yesterday, as I was sitting by the hives watching for robbing behavior, one of my hives erupted and filled the air with a huge cloud of humming bees. I sat there with my eyes shut just enjoying the roar surrounding me. But then, instead of settling somewhere, the hoards seemed to be sucked back into the hive...almost like a rewind of the eruption. All of this happened within about 15 minutes.
This is the package hive that has swarmed four times this season. I caught and combined all of the previous swarms. Clearly I need some new genetics, but does anyone know why they had second thoughts? And why so late in the season?
Well, I hauled out my swarm lures from the freezer and checked the bait hives I hadn't yet put away and added a super to the hive. Any other suggestions? Will they try to swarm again today?
Beeing a beginner at this is so darned interesting!
This is the package hive that has swarmed four times this season. I caught and combined all of the previous swarms. Clearly I need some new genetics, but does anyone know why they had second thoughts? And why so late in the season?
Well, I hauled out my swarm lures from the freezer and checked the bait hives I hadn't yet put away and added a super to the hive. Any other suggestions? Will they try to swarm again today?
Beeing a beginner at this is so darned interesting!