![]() ![]() On one occasion, I even witnessed several scout bees who stayed overnight! I can always tell when this is happening because the bees seem to be scanning the surface and entrances very carefully. Having witnessed this behavior many times in my own front yard, it often starts with one to two bees hovering around their potential home. This process can take days, and the more attractive a site is to the swarm, the more scouts will appear. Cue the scout bees! These foragers turned house hunters will seek out ideal nesting locations, often spending 30 minutes or more thoroughly evaluating the site. When you start to see swarm cups in your hives, you know it’s time to put your bait hives and swarm traps out!īefore a swarm actually departs, it will put a lot of energy into finding the perfect new home. This combination created a strong swarming urge in almost all of my colonies that year. ![]() ![]() Simultaneously, we experienced a significant nectar flow from winter rains. In 2016, for example, February in Southern California turned out to be a month full perfect summer-like weather. They judge the proper timing by certain conditions that are traditionally found in the spring and summer. They tend to swarm when particularly fine weather coincides with a nectar flow happening. However, bees don’t consult a calendar when they are deciding whether or not to swarm. Timing Is Everythingĭepending on your location, swarming can happen spring through fall. Then I will get into the details about the best ways to attract them. So, allow me to go into some detail about what is actually happening when bees decide they want to swarm and how they go about choosing their nesting site. In fact, this week not one, but three swarms descended upon me within a period of just 5 days! You may be feeling somewhat jealous of my good luck at this point…So, why am I so popular, and what are the best ways to lure a swarm to your yard?Īs with everything in beekeeping, it’s best to try to understand things from the bees’ perspective. ![]()
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