View previous topic :: View next topic |
Author |
Message |
Tim71 New Bee
Joined: 29 Jun 2013 Posts: 5 Location: Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex UK
|
Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 11:09 am Post subject: Very late swarm |
|
|
I was called to a swarm at the local allotment this morning. It was small and I'm not sure of the best thing to do with it. I have a Warre hive that has a swarm housed in June and has an empty box. I have them in a flower pot at the moment. Could I combine them? Thanks.
Tim |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Barbara Site Admin
Joined: 27 Jul 2011 Posts: 1857 Location: England/Co.Durham/Ebchester
|
Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 11:24 am Post subject: |
|
|
If you have a spare hive with plenty of drawn comb, you could give them that and then feed them as much thick syrup as they will take. Otherwise I would remove the queen and combine them with another colony. Shame but really too late for them to start from scratch now in my opinion. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Tim71 New Bee
Joined: 29 Jun 2013 Posts: 5 Location: Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex UK
|
Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 4:14 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Thanks for the advice Barbara, much appreciated. I've combined them and they seem to have settled in together so far. Is a late swarm like this unusual? |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Barbara Site Admin
Joined: 27 Jul 2011 Posts: 1857 Location: England/Co.Durham/Ebchester
|
Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 8:50 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Simple answer..... Yes! Not totally unheard of but pretty much suicidal. They might be a swarm from a colony that is starving and therefore nothing to lose. Quite a few colonies are low on stores this year. I'm having to feed 3 which is extremely unusual. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
Quality Top Bar Hives by Andrew Vidler
|
Conserving wild bees
Research suggests that bumble bee boxes have a very low success rate in actually attracting bees into them. We find that if you create an environment where first of all you can attract mice inside, such as a pile of stones, a drystone wall, paving slabs with intentionally made cavities underneath, this will increase the success rate.
Most bumble bee species need a dry space about the size a football, with a narrow entrance tunnel approximately 2cm in diameter and 20 cm long. Most species nest underground along the base of a linear feature such as a hedge or wall. Sites need to be sheltered and out of direct sunlight.
There is a spectacular display of wild bee hotels here
More about bumblebees and solitary bees here
Information about the Tree Bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum)
|
|
Barefoot Beekeeper Podcast
|
|
|
|
4th Edition paperback now available from Lulu.com
|
site map
php. BB © 2001, 2005 php. BB Group
View topic - Very late swarm - Natural Beekeeping Network Forum
|
|