Started last Wednesday, seems like every hive in North Texas is sending off a reproductive swarm. We got rain twice, and blooms are coming on and the bees are optomistic. Got one in Southlake yesterday, one a mile north of me this afternoon I suspect might have been my bees. (did swarm pickup for free for being "Under a mile"), and one of my hives is sitting in my peach tree, will remove them to a box in the morning. My bees decided they needed to divide. I haven't got in the hives yet. More stuff with grandkids.
im trying to avoid mine from swarming, almost all the snow melted from the last storm, im going to try and get an inspection in and maybe split them this week before they decide to do it on their own like last year...I need 40 hour days and 10 day weeks...
so do I, but right now off work early and rather than firing up a smoker, I'm taking a nap. I am exhausted. overwork, allergies about to give me a sinus infection. Made coffee. Gonna go check the 2 hives I keep here and see who has too much real estate and what is going on inside.
and one was ready to swarm. Split it. only one more hive here that could produce a swarm that size and I don't think they have. I think free bees if they will just move into a hive. Will check the other tomorrow
hope to check my other hive tomorrow, got in too late today. swarm still in my peach tree despite 5 bait hives. One of my bait hives seems to have caught a different swarm?
I did a quick hive inspection, I didnt see any queen cells or signs of them getting ready to swarm but that doesnt mean they wont in the future..lots of new brood and plenty of stores left from winter and still plenty of room for them to grow in the hive..today its back down to 40 and looks like the next few weeks wont be above 50..
It's in the 30's here today, another beekeeper counted 7 swarms yesterday, came by here and got a jester nuc from me for number 7, he sent other people to get 4 I think. I pulled feed jars off hives and put styrofoam on top of the roofs of the small ones.