Scout bees inspecting bait hive

Bait hive

This is a "bait hive" that I have up in a tree across the pasture from the swarm mentioned in the previous post.   I had noticed that swarm up in a tree on Wednesday.  On Thursday, I noticed about a dozen "scout" bees inspecting my bait hive.  I waited out there for 4 hours hoping to catch a picture of the swarm moving into my bait hive.  No luck ! This is Friday morning and the swarm is still up in the tree.   Maybe they will move in today !  If so, I can them relocate them to a more appropriate long term home.

Bait hive in tree about 8 ft off ground.  Ideally, it would be higher in the tree but I do this alone and have to be able to get it down, full of bees !

It's swarmy weather.....

It is common for Honeybee colonies to swarm .  About half of the bees along with the queen leave to make a new home elsewhere.  The bees left in the old hive will hopefully be able to make a new queen.  As a beekeeper, I don't want my colonies to swarm.  I would rather they stay in the colony and make excess honey for me.  There are many strategies for reducing or preventing swarms.  Some work to a degree, nothing is 100%.  We are working against the basic nature of the colony.  When I have a colony "issue" a swarm, I want to catch it and place it in a new box.  This is not just my desire to have more colonies but only about 50% of swarms that leave make it through the first year.  It is usually better for me and the bees if I can re-hive them.

When the bees initially leave their old hive, they cluster in a tree or bush nearby before leaving for their permanent new home.  There is not a beekeeper alive that doesn't drool over the site of a large ball of bees hanging in a tree.  But sometimes, they are too far up in the tree to catch.

See the dark blob waaay up in the tree !

 

Wet crowded bees ?

We have had record rains this summer.  In addition to knocking blooms off trees and preventing the bees from flying, this inclement weather causes the bees to sit inside all day, feeling crowded.  This can lead to a perception of crowding and may cause more swarms.

Flowers for Bees

My bees are enjoying the purple cone flowers I planted last year.  This is just one of many plants that you can add to your yard to benefit bees and other pollinators.

Heavy rain knocks off blooms

This photo was taken several days ago.  Recent record heavy rains are knocking the blossoms off the Sourwood trees....argh...

Soggy Weather

Oh my goodness, this soggy weather is killing me.. LOL The sourwood is in full bloom and it is raining like a tropical storm is coming through.  At the least, it keeps the bees from flying - I just hope it doesn't knock off the blossoms.  !  As beekeepers, we are farmers and at the mercy of the weather.