Natural Beekeeping International Forum

[mountainbee]

I have a swarm that was caught yesterday and one that is a week old. I always check my hives the following night after being caught to see if the queen is ok by hitting the hive and listening for the buzz then stop. I noticed tonight that both of these hives were buzzing loudly and there was bees at the entrance fanning. I have never seen this behavior in swarms before once they have settled down.

[Beeblebrox]

It is unlikely BOTH are queenless - but if they are in close proximity maybe there is some other common environmental factor. Coykd the buzz be the hum of processing nectar into honey? Do you have a lot of blossom right now?

[Barbara]

Did you give the first swarm that you hived a week ago, some comb? That would give them a big head start and they will almost certainly be fanning to ripen honey. The newer swarm hasn't had time, so I would imagine they are just still trying to draw everyone to their new hive.

The disgruntled and prolonged hiss of a queenless hive is quite different to fanning at the entrance, so I wouldn't be overly pessimistic about their queenrightness

[mountainbee]

I have watched them and all seems to be well. We are starting a good flow various flowers, black locust, tulip poplar. I had never noticed this behavior in all my years.

[biobee]

I have housed swarms that turned out to be queenless. The easiest solution is to give them a queen cell from another swarming hive (or their own, of course) and if none are available, give them eggs from another hive and they will make their own queen.