Almost everything to do with queens this year has been wonky. I’ll talk about that some other time. For now, check out this video where I explain why I had to create an artificial swarm — on August the bloody 25th. Give me a break. I’ll fill in the details tomorrow or the next day.
It wasn’t a perfect artificial swarm set up, but I was working alone and I had 20 minutes to get it done, and sometimes, especially backyard beekeepers who have day jobs, you just gotta get it done, even if it isn’t pretty.
Hmmmmm interesting. Wonder what’s up he says as he enjoys a frosty drink, on vacation, a couple hundred km away from his boiling hives… Wonder if I’m going to come home to the same carnage? Hmmmmm.
While on leave, I visited with a friend who just started keeping bees this year. She just had three swarms from two hives in a week. Thought I’d drop in and offer her my two cents. We went thru the hives, one, two super hive had something like twenty five swarm cells it. We were scraping them off while they were emerging, there was queens chirping everywhere. It was crazy. Any other time and I could have made a dozen nucs. Reminds me of that old saying:
A swarm in May is worth a load of hay. A swarm in June is worth a silver spoon and a swarm in July isn’t worth a fly. Wonder what a swarm in August is worth?
Good luck!
Paul
Not worth much, I don’t think. This has been a very weird summer for queens in Newfoundland. We’ve had unusual weather and more than a few things seem a bit out of whack.
Even a month ago, I might have considered making a few splits from this. But it’ll be SEPTEMBER before there’s a mating flight now. Drones are being expelled from their hives. I’ll be pleasantly surprised if this doesn’t turn into a gong show.
Yep, definately something odd going on this year. I think it’s years like this that give the Farmers Almanac something to write about.