# Georgia Beekeepers - anyone seeing swarms yet?



## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

Not Ga, but SC. A friend caught two swarms and I did a split when I found queen cells.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

If you are planning to do walk away splits, check for drone populations. I haven't had an extended run of decent weather so I can't speak for many of my hives but the few I've gone through in the past week still only had drone cells...capped to be sure. I did get through the hives at SGG on Sunday. Much the same. Only a few drones. No queen cells. I'm guessing that another week and some warm weather and it'll turn around completely.


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## SallyD (Mar 12, 2011)

Thanks all! I will be checking my hives this Sunday and want to be prepared


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## Ekosshadow (Feb 26, 2014)

2 weeks ago we had a massive amount of drones and drone brood, all frames were packed with bees in all boxes, but oddly we found no queen cells. We opted to split and purchased a queen. Queen accepted in new hive last weekend and original hive is still strong but not over crowded anymore. Hopefully we avoided an early spring swarm.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>Just curious if any Georgia bee keepers have seen any swarms? Anyone splitting hives yet? 

You Georgians are just trying to make us jealous.  I’d just like to see it get above freezing.


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## Edymnion (May 30, 2013)

Couple hours north of you in Chattanooga and my bees are just now into full on brood laying. Nothing capped yet, just lots of eggs and larva. Means anything else around here should be in roughly the same state, so I wouldn't expect to see any swarms for about a month.


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## Barry (Dec 28, 1999)

Swarms yet! Ha! That's okay, your payback comes in due time. Soon enough you'll bee feeding your bees trying to keep them alive and mine will be overflowing with pollen and honey right up till November!


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

Edymnion said:


> Couple hours north of you in Chattanooga and my bees are just now into full on brood laying.


Mine started cranking up significantly in early January. I saw brood emerging on a warm day toward the end of the month....and backran the numbers.....and those queens were laying during the single digit temp run we had. Go figure.
MB...don't get too jealous. We're still only getting a sporadic day or two that are beeyard days. All the same....it won't be long.


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## ShawnL (Apr 21, 2012)

I'm just south of Atlanta. As of last Sunday I had swarm cells in a few hives and lots of drone brood being reared. I did some checkerboarding and added more supers as required. Swarm traps are starting to get scout traffic.


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## mark williams (Jan 19, 2003)

Beemandan,I have not noticed any drones yet either,(Alabama), Wanting to make some splits,
It's going to be nice today,So I'm going to check on them.
Don't see making any splits if there is no drones,COME ON SPRING.


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## wcubed (Aug 24, 2008)

Sally,
Savanna, on the coast, will lead your season by three weeks or so. Gulf stream in the Atlantic.
Walt


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## wmsuber (Apr 4, 2011)

I am in South Georgia, 20 miles above Florida/Ga line. No swarms here yet, but I have been splitting and moving things around to prevent swarms. The bee club below me in Tallahassee has been reporting swarms for about 6 or 7 days now. Their weather, like mine, is largely influenced by warmer weather off the Gulf of Mexico, intermixed with the weather coming across from the west. We have been having large spells of warm days, brood kicked up at the end of January with lots of drone brood. This season I have started trying my hand at moving frames with eggs for the purpose of raising queens before realizing I need one. I have been fortunate to have of three of these queens already mated and laying. If I was too early for them to have mated well, time will show and I now know to replace them myself. If nothing else, the early warmth is letting me learn a lot.


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## Robndixie (Oct 20, 2012)

i'm between columbus and macon. i saw my first drone today in a hive that is trying to supercede. i saw empty queen cups in a couple of other hives. based off of that and a lot of capped drone brood i'm thinking maybe the end of this month but more likely the first week of next month down here. a week after i start seeing a lot of drones i'll start grafting queens and making splits/nucs.


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## warpork (Apr 24, 2012)

Just NW of Atlanta about 45 mins. Just got into my 7 remaining hives from the 10 I went into winter with. All are booming with brood in all stages. All have capped drone cells, but saw no drones running around yet. I am most likely going to do some splits into NUCs in 2-3 weeks. Just want to make sure there are drones running around to chase the queens.

I figure a few of those hives are going to need supers by next weekend.


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## GaSteve (Apr 28, 2004)

I'm in Macon. No swarms or swarm cells yet, but probably won't be long. Lots of capped drones. Then there's one hive that had a bunch of drones already emerged back on 3/2. They must be working to different calendar than all the others - even in the same yard.


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## Matt903 (Apr 8, 2013)

I"m one hour North of Chatt. I had lots of capped drone cells yesterday, but no drones running around in the hives. I thought it was a little early to be rearing drones, but I guess they know what they are doing.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

OK....I've changed my mind SallyD. I found swarm cells today in a couple of hives. They were early in development but would have been trouble in a week. I'd give those hives a good look as soon as you get a chance.


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## stavros (Feb 26, 2008)

No swarm cells yet but loads of capped drone brood and some drones flying. I have checkerboarded all the hives, adding a super with interlaced foundation 10 days ago and they are already drawing comb. No feeding. Stavros


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## stavros (Feb 26, 2008)

Two swarms already reported in our local bee club in the metro Atlanta area. The season has begun.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

stavros said:


> The season has begun.


Yep....finding swarm cells in every hive.


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## larrybeach (May 25, 2013)

A friend of mines hive swarmed a couple of days ago, about 40 miles nw of atlanta. Time to get the traps out if you have not already.


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## 22DPac (Jun 24, 2012)

I have a few traps out...haven't seen any swarms cells or swarms, yet.


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

Caught my first one today. On a small shrub. Brushed some in the nuc box, the rest just marched in like toy soldiers. Put them mostly on new foundation as they are a comb drawing machine....


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