Hive No 2 was from a swarm last year; they were received exactly a year ago 27th April 2011 – found on a school playing field. There are lots of fears about ‘swarmy bees’ but I am just a little more laid back. The chairman of MBBKA observes that having bees that don’t swarm seems as contradictory as seedless grapes.
I’ve been keeping a record of the activity of my bees recently. Imagine my surprise when, in between the showers typical of the last weeks, I spotted a hugely magnified level of activity in one hive. Perhaps they have a colony instinct to swarm at a similar time of year? It has been too wet and cold to inspect recently.
Hive 2 is extra active
By the time I get my camera the sun has gone in and the activity and in particular the cluster outside the hive had all but disappeared. This was just before 2 pm – a common time for swarms. We’ve also had a fera warning that bees might need feeding due to poor weather. I think I must add a super to Hive 2 tomorrow and then some fondant above. this should give them extra space if that is becoming a problem.
I have also set up a bait hive nearby.
