Author Topic: bees in the summer of 08 (Read 2226 times)

RUSTYME · « **on:** January 03, 2011, 01:46:15 am »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=um3mrq3rs1U

the clip is of a swarm of bees that moved into an empty hive I had in the yard . They eventually left last year , but another one has moved in .
Looking forward to summer again ...just listen to the bees the birds and the cows ...lovely ...

cheers

Russ

OhLaLa · « **Reply #1 on:** January 05, 2011, 12:51:25 pm »

As a beekeeper, I find unusual for the whole lot to leave unless they did so within a day or so. Did they lay down food stock? Did the queen lay eggs in there?

RUSTYME · « **Reply #2 on:** January 05, 2011, 04:48:40 pm »

yes I have spoken to a few local beekeepers and they didn't know exactly what had happened , but one had had the same thing happen to a couple of his hives.
One day they were there and then I noticed no noise or movement from the hive , looked and they were gone ... very few dead bees , full brood chamber, and 2 full supers ?
I was going to take the honey and clean everything out when the weather got warmer , but other things got in the way and didn't get round to it . Then the new swarm moved in , cleaned it all out and got stuck in .....they seem well settled in now anyway . They were out the other day when it was warm , off to the loo no doubt !!
Hopefully I will get some honey this year , if these ones stay ?

cheers

Russ

OhLaLa · « **Reply #3 on:** January 05, 2011, 05:04:04 pm »

How bizzare, never heard of that before. Thank goodness you had a good outcome in that another swarm moved in, did either of them come from one of your other hives?

My very best wishes for you and your bees.

RUSTYME · « **Reply #4 on:** January 05, 2011, 05:17:30 pm »

yes , I have been very lucky to get them move in as they have . Both lots were from elsewhere , I don't have any more bees here , I just store some empty hives in the yard .
Below is a short clip of the new swarm moving in , sorry about the poor quality of the video , but you can hear and just about see the bees. (Arnie , one of my spaniels wanted to go out to see what the noise was , and was spinning round and round in circles ...lol )

cheers

Russ