Last Year I Started Beekeeping - So Exciting

[sgtmom52]

So late this afternoon I went to one of the farms where we have 4 hives to refill the feeders on the hives. While there I noticed honeybees flying around a small pine tree about 20 feet from the hives. I go over to check them out and find
this swarm!

OK girls ~ what are you doing swarming in mid September?

Swarm season in PA is April & May, maybe even June ~ but not September!! We collected the swarm and placed them in a nuc until the rain is finished tomorrow. We will then combine them with a weak hive we have for the winter.


And yes ~ that is poison ivy in the tree with the swarm!

 

[Happy Chooks]

Oh wow. I never realized swarming was so common! (note to self: get an extra deep box, cover and bottom board in case I have a swarm sometime)


I'm thinking ahead to spring.............how do you know when you need to split a hive?

 

[galanie]

Oh, Lordy! A swarm in poison ivy! Lucky you.

I was talking to my neighbor yesterday evening. He's an old farm boy, about 75. He was telling me that his aunt had bees. She also had a big plow blade hanging from a tree close to the hives. He said that when they started to swarm, she'd run out there and start banging on that plow blade. Just a constant boing boing boing. And that this would calm them down so she could do whatever. Anyone ever heard of something like that?

 

[Happy Chooks]

You should watch sgtmom's video she posted a few pages back of capturing a swarm - it's really neat!

 

[madamwlf]

hi peeps. I'm thinking next Spring I'm going to see if I can find a beekeeper to put hives on our property. That way I have hives but don't have to deal with the bees themselves. It's just a thought I'm kicking around. Haven't really decided yet.

 

[Blarneyeggs]

Happy Chooks, I'm a beginner, but I think I've read on this thread how to tell a few pages back. I plan on keeping an extra deep ready next spring just in case, and I'll keep a close eye to make sure they're not overcrowded come swarm season.

Madamwlf Back in the Game!! I hope you find someone.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Thanks - I've got a lot of reading to do before spring.

Just checked on the hive this morning. Everything looks good and they are storing the syrup nicely now. (and continuing to draw out comb) No laying in the upper box though, and I didn't bother going into the lower box. I assume it's normal for this time of year, as you don't want to raise brood in the winter.

The bees entering the hive are bringing in some nice pollen. Both a gold color and yellow color.

Also, I noticed a couple of dying bees outside the hive - one on the ground and one at the entrance. They were longer/leaner than a honey bee, more hornet like. Is this normal or something I should be concerned about? I'm thinking they tried to get into the hive and the colony took care of them. Nothing looked "off" inside the hive.

 

[CSWolffe]

Could they be drones?
Cooler autumn temperatures will trigger the bees to kill off and/or kick out the drones.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Could they be drones?
Cooler autumn temperatures will trigger the bees to kill off and/or kick out the drones.

I don't think so. They had a much longer body frame and more yellow on them than a honey bee. Can't say I could identify my drones in my hive, but these 2 outside didn't look like anything I've seen inside the hive.

Okay, thanks to google, it looks like a yellow jacket.

 

[sgtmom52]

Thanks - I've got a lot of reading to do before spring.

Just checked on the hive this morning. Everything looks good and they are storing the syrup nicely now. (and continuing to draw out comb) No laying in the upper box though, and I didn't bother going into the lower box. I assume it's normal for this time of year, as you don't want to raise brood in the winter.

The bees entering the hive are bringing in some nice pollen. Both a gold color and yellow color.

Also, I noticed a couple of dying bees outside the hive - one on the ground and one at the entrance. They were longer/leaner than a honey bee, more hornet like. Is this normal or something I should be concerned about? I'm thinking they tried to get into the hive and the colony took care of them. Nothing looked "off" inside the hive.

It is common for Yellow Jackets to try to get into the hives this time of the year. The guard bees will usually "ball" them killing them. Balling is when they cluster around the intruder causing it to overheat and die. They also use this method to kill a queen when they supercede her or a newly introduced queen that they haven't accepted properly.

Here is a picture I took of yellow jackets and worker honey bees.