# Multiple swarms



## Andrew Carson (Jun 24, 2011)

Hello -- I'm in the mtns in Jackson, Wyoming, and started with a single hive in early May. Spring was extremely wet and cool, ending with 'real' summer on 6/21 or 22, not that long ago.
This hive swarmed one week ago, but I managed to catch the swarm and hive them in a super I had already prepared. 
Things seemed to be going pretty well with both hives, and I was thinking of a day this week to inspect both.
This morning the old hive swarmed again! I'm not prepared to make another capture, but I followed the swarm to their first resting spot. They've formed three distinct cones around the trunk of a small spruce, each separated from the other by several inches. 
I'm not sure what to think, or do, now... I actually am not prepared for three hives so I'm letting the swarm roam, but I was caught off guard by the quick re-swarming, for one. The three separate swarm bodies are kind of curious, also.
Just another day in the life of the bee, I guess, but it's made for an interesting week.


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## dixiebooks (Jun 21, 2010)

Sounds like the kind of situation that reminds you why you need to keep several empty nucs on hand at all times. Do let us know how it turns out. Do each of the 3 little clusters have their own queen? If so, I suppose they will be virgins? -james


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## New Ky Beekeeper (Jun 27, 2011)

On May 6, 7 and 8, I had a single hive at my father's home to swarm once per day (total of three swarms). They swarmed to a small tree (about 12') close to his home where they clustered around the queen. Each day on the way home, he would call me and lucky I did have some nucs I had saved from purchases the year before. I would go by his home and he would shake them in the nucs about sun down leaving the top open a bit to allow all bees to find the queen. After night fall, I would take them home. The first swarm was the size of a regular football. The second swarm was the size of a small football and the final swarm was the size of a softball. All are still alive and well. The most interesting thing to me is the original hive was re-queened with a marked queen and she was still in the hive after all the swarms.... I guess she was the real queen! Good luck.


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## Andrew Carson (Jun 24, 2011)

We wondered the same thing, that each cluster might have a queen. But, in less than an hour the swarms had moved on, whatever the queen situation might have been, and both of the hives looked and acted as if nothing had happened at all. Another day in the beeyard. 
So, now i wonder when an inspection would make sense. More questions than answers.


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