Suicide Swarm-9/6/15
Suicide Swarm-9/6/15
I didn't see this one arrive around 4:00pm today, but I noticed about 50-60 dead bees in front om my 2 hives in nucs. I walked behind them and saw a cluster of bees on the side and under the inner cover of one of them. I got another nuc box and a couple of frames. The hives were too close to use a scooper, so I used a queen clip to gather clumps and dump them on the front of the new nuc. I put a couple of drops of lemongrass oil on the landing board and used a bee brush to move the cluster toward the nuc. I got most in and anchored them with a pint of honey water in a jar feeder over the inner cover. I did not see the kind of fanning that makes me confident that they have a queen. I'm going to move them after dark and take a look inside tomorrow. If nothing else, it was something to play with and pass time late this afternoon.
Re: Suicide Swarm-9/6/15
There is an unmarked queen and she has laid some eggs. My queens at the house are marked except for one that I have confirmed is still in it's nuc, so my best guess is that these bees did not come out of one of my home hives. I am feeding them honey water, but I am reluctant to take brood frames from another hive to boost this one. Once I see the laying pattern and confirm that this queen is producing worker brood, I may change my mind.
Re: Suicide Swarm-9/6/15
She still has 42 days or more to run 2 brood cycles, if she has bees to cover and bee bread to feed them. I think I would move a strong hive and put her in it's place, thus giving her their foragers. May or may not work, but would be a good experiment.
Re: Suicide Swarm-9/6/15
For now, I'm going to do a wait and see. I did not see a queen when I checked this swarm yesterday. I did see two queen cells with royal jelly and larvae in the early stages of construction. I would try boosting a working queen, but I am reluctant to put good foragers into a potentially queenless situation.