Comments on: Summer Bumbles and Bees http://foxhavenjournal.com/2008/07/08/summer-bumbles-and-bees/ A place to grow in the hills of Missouri... Fri, 21 Nov 2008 05:29:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1 By: Ed Abbey http://foxhavenjournal.com/2008/07/08/summer-bumbles-and-bees/#comment-2272 Ed Abbey Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:58:22 +0000 http://foxhavenjournal.com/2008/07/08/summer-bumbles-and-bees/#comment-2272 Lots of bees hanging on the outside is sometimes a sign that they are preparing to swarm. I've seen them swarm with lots of room in the supers but with their brood frames full. I would check the brood frames and make sure they aren't full or there aren't a lot of swarm cells. Look for swarm cells on the bottoms of the frames. If there are swarm cells and they are preparing the swarm, there isn't a lot you can do but control where they swarm. Set up a new hive and put the old queen in it. The old hive will raise a new queen. If there aren't many swarm cells but the brood chamber is full, you can add another brood chamber or move some of the brood up into the super and replace with new empty frames. Keeping room to add new brood or more honey keeps the bees happy and prevents them from swarming most of the time. You still lose them anyway for no apparent reason. Lots of bees hanging on the outside is sometimes a sign that they are preparing to swarm. I’ve seen them swarm with lots of room in the supers but with their brood frames full. I would check the brood frames and make sure they aren’t full or there aren’t a lot of swarm cells. Look for swarm cells on the bottoms of the frames. If there are swarm cells and they are preparing the swarm, there isn’t a lot you can do but control where they swarm. Set up a new hive and put the old queen in it. The old hive will raise a new queen. If there aren’t many swarm cells but the brood chamber is full, you can add another brood chamber or move some of the brood up into the super and replace with new empty frames. Keeping room to add new brood or more honey keeps the bees happy and prevents them from swarming most of the time. You still lose them anyway for no apparent reason.

]]> By: Beau http://foxhavenjournal.com/2008/07/08/summer-bumbles-and-bees/#comment-2273 Beau Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:20:14 +0000 http://foxhavenjournal.com/2008/07/08/summer-bumbles-and-bees/#comment-2273 Good points, thanks Ed. I appreciate your thoughts! As of about two weeks ago, all was fine with 3-4 frames empty. But they've been very active of late with a good honeyflow, so who knows? I like the idea of switching some bottom brood to the upper super. I may add a honey super on tomorrow to see how they do. They've been busy little guys for just a couple of months! Good points, thanks Ed. I appreciate your thoughts! As of about two weeks ago, all was fine with 3-4 frames empty. But they’ve been very active of late with a good honeyflow, so who knows? I like the idea of switching some bottom brood to the upper super. I may add a honey super on tomorrow to see how they do. They’ve been busy little guys for just a couple of months!

]]> By: Ed Abbey http://foxhavenjournal.com/2008/07/08/summer-bumbles-and-bees/#comment-2274 Ed Abbey Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:14:31 +0000 http://foxhavenjournal.com/2008/07/08/summer-bumbles-and-bees/#comment-2274 The next time I think about it I need to ask my parents what percentage of hives (they had 150 or so at their peak) they lost due to swarming every year. I think you would be surprised at the number. Without almost constant care, it will happen. They always made the loss back by splitting strong hives up so that they could maintain a constant number. But that is little consulation when the loss of a hive to swarming could mean your bee operation is cut in half! After my parents got out of the bee business, they kept two hives as a hobby. They lasted a couple years before they both swarmed and now they have none. The next time I think about it I need to ask my parents what percentage of hives (they had 150 or so at their peak) they lost due to swarming every year. I think you would be surprised at the number. Without almost constant care, it will happen. They always made the loss back by splitting strong hives up so that they could maintain a constant number. But that is little consulation when the loss of a hive to swarming could mean your bee operation is cut in half!

After my parents got out of the bee business, they kept two hives as a hobby. They lasted a couple years before they both swarmed and now they have none.

]]> By: Beau http://foxhavenjournal.com/2008/07/08/summer-bumbles-and-bees/#comment-2275 Beau Thu, 10 Jul 2008 01:26:05 +0000 http://foxhavenjournal.com/2008/07/08/summer-bumbles-and-bees/#comment-2275 Well not to worry (yet)! The hives looked great today, although the strong hive had a lot more bees on the frames. There were a few empty frames still but they were drawing foundation on them. Put shallow honey supers on as well for them too. And the gathering out front involves quite a bit of fanning and also some washboarding by about half the bees. Tons of honey on a some of the frames :) Well not to worry (yet)! The hives looked great today, although the strong hive had a lot more bees on the frames. There were a few empty frames still but they were drawing foundation on them. Put shallow honey supers on as well for them too. And the gathering out front involves quite a bit of fanning and also some washboarding by about half the bees. Tons of honey on a some of the frames :)

]]> By: The Bee Tree http://foxhavenjournal.com/2008/07/08/summer-bumbles-and-bees/#comment-2330 The Bee Tree Mon, 11 Aug 2008 06:56:35 +0000 http://foxhavenjournal.com/2008/07/08/summer-bumbles-and-bees/#comment-2330 Help the honeybees! Prevent the loss of the world food supply. Learn how you can help cure Colony Collapse Disorder. Visit thebeetree(dot)org. Help the honeybees! Prevent the loss of the world food supply.
Learn how you can help cure Colony Collapse Disorder.
Visit thebeetree(dot)org.

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