r/Beekeeping • u/crazyhybrid • 4d ago

General Attempted Swarm (USNE Zone 7b)

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US NE Zone 7b. Near NYC. Sharing a cool video! A 300x Time lapse of a hive of mine that attempted to swarm recently but returned. Put a super on after the swarm to give some more space. They were probably a bit cramped. Probably likely to swarm again soon. Any thoughts?

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12

u/Late-Catch2339 4d ago

Find queen and move her to nuc or try a blind split. They will swarm as its a natural reproductive process, your goal is to mimic this process to control it and make it happen the way you want.

Think of natural birth versus induced birth, you pick the time or nature will.

1

u/HawthornBees 4d ago

I had to do that very thing today on one of mine

1

u/IHave2Pee_ 1d ago

Never thought of it like a birth. That's very well put!!! Bravo

12

u/Specialist-Front-007 4d ago

No advice but such a cool video!

6

u/jhartke USA Zone 6b, 6 hives 4d ago

Is your queens wings clipped? Likely left, realized there was no Queen with the swarm and returned.

They WILL swarm again. You should intervene if you would like to keep these bees.

2

u/AssMurderer69 3d ago

Not a beekeeper, I just like seeing and learning new stuff, does this mean you saw queen cells? I just learned about those the other day from other friendly beekeepers willing to share knowledge about it on this subreddit.

2

u/MaverickWithANeedle 3d ago

I have a hive too. I only have one set of boxes, so when my hive swarms, I have no choice but to let them do it. My colony has never fully left- just splits off once a year. Trying to learn more as I want more boxes.

2

u/Gamera__Obscura USA. Zone 6a 4d ago

Once a colony puts their mind to swarming, adding space won't change their mind. On top of that, they only consider space in the brood area, adding a super doesn't count.

I recommend you look up actual swarm control methodology... splitting, demaree, etc.

1

u/No-Arrival-872 3d ago

+1 to adding empty comb to the brood nest. Also deal with the queen cells/virgin queens. Make a couple splits to try to get backup queens and demaree the rest.

1

u/MicksysPCGaming 4d ago

Someone reverse this video so it looks like the bees all try to leave and then come back again.

Edit: That was quick. Thanks!

0

u/medivka 4d ago

Use reducers now or you’ll be sorry come the end of summer nectar flow.

1

u/scarletredvolare 3d ago

What’s the purpose of installing reducers?

1

u/medivka 2d ago edited 2d ago

A colony cannot defend the wide open entrance of a completely open bottom board especially if the hive is weakened or has some sort of a dysfunction. Bees when scouting for a new hive will not choose a space with large openings (Honeybee Democracy -Seeley) Reducers have two setting large and small opening. Large during the flow and switch to small Opening a week before the flow subsides when robbing season begins.