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Guess what I have been doing tonight?
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alison
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 12918
Location: North Devon

Posted: Wed Jun 17, 09 9:51 am Post subject:
I think it is a prime swarm. I popped up this morning to look at them , and feed them. They are incredibly calm. Still really excited, and smiley!

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Wed Jun 17, 09 10:12 am Post subject:

BahamaMama wrote:

jocorless wrote:

Was it a prime or a cast swarm?

What is the difference? I know nothing about bees, just what I read on here so I am learning lots at the moment

When bees swarm the old queen will leave with a large proportion of the more mature flying bees so as Jo says tends to be larger.
The remaining bees are left with a young virgin queen or queen cells that will emerge as virgin queens.
Usually the first queen to emerge will destroy the other queen cells to ensure she takes over but sometimes the worker bees wont allow this & more queens hatch. These will leave with a small number of bees (sometimes as little as a cup full).
This is why most beekeepers destroy all but one or two cells when artificial swarming or all of them if they are trying to prevent swarming altogether.

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