# swarm in maryland



## crabbydad (Apr 29, 2012)

I went thru thru a couple hives for the first time this year on Friday 4/1. I was very surprised to see 1 hive had several swarm cells. i looked for the queen so i could split her out, but couldn't find her. Today, about 5:00 pm, my son came in and said there is a swarm in the bush by the shed. the must have swarmed yesterday, chilly and windy today. They are just about all in the box, so i came in to finish eating.


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## clyderoad (Jun 10, 2012)

Thanks for the post crabby.
Seems early for a swarm, is it? what's normal time frame for fist swarms?
Are dandelions blooming yet in Glen Arm?
Glad you got them.
Thanks clyde.


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## missybee (Sep 6, 2014)

Glad you got them back. At least they swarmed low. Our one swarm last year (we over fed a split) ended up 70 feet up in a tree. 

We have been into our hives since early March, did our first reversal 3/7 the second around 2.5 weeks later. The hives are booming this year.


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## crabbydad (Apr 29, 2012)

i had a swarm in 2013 on april 6. Dandelions are blooming and several of my hives had drawn comb in the feeding shims and started to store nectar. I guess i better get ready for swarm calls. I always have my supplies in a bucket ready to go, but i like to have boxes ready to throw on the truck.


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## clyderoad (Jun 10, 2012)

thanks again.
spring 2013 was a year of early swarms, looks like spring 2016 is following suit in many areas.
the jury is still out for us, ocean water is still way cold which keeps our spring weather behind inland areas.
i'm on guard though as some hives are getting crowded but no drones flying yet, not back filled yet as dandy's just started and then the
weather got cold and rainy. i'll check good later this week.

get your truck loaded up, swarm bees wait for no man!


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## missybee (Sep 6, 2014)

Dandelions started blooming here the end of February. A few here and there. Henbit and dandelions growing great for the last few weeks. 
Redbuds are just starting to open here.


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## burns375 (Jul 15, 2013)

I found my first swarm cells today. The bloom is about 2 weeks early compared to 2014,2015..... mild winter and decent spring...the hives are growing fast.


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

At our Spring Management class just across the river from you in Virginia, the word was that swarm season starts April 1 around here. Actually, the most recent news is that it coincides with the peak of cherry blossoms in DC.

So you are right on schedule. Meanwhile, no way our bees in WV were going to swarm this morning. The fresh snow blocked their entrances. Plus it never got over 27 F. What the heck are your bees thinking, swarming so early?


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## crabbydad (Apr 29, 2012)

they must have swarmed yesterday, it was warm and sunny. I was outside working in the yard wearing a t-shirt. This morning it was 37 degrees and very windy. I went to my son's soccer game at 10 and i wore several sweatshirts and i was still cold when the wind blew.


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

I wonder if they were thinking they'd made a serious mistake? Good thing your son found them and you got them housed.


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## crabbydad (Apr 29, 2012)

I was thinking the same thing. At first i thought he was mistaken, but he knows what a swarm looks like. their calling for a low of 30 degrees overnight.


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## GaryG74 (Apr 9, 2014)

Caught my first swarm of the year here yesterday. Your photos could have almost been of my swarm, settled in bushy, thick limbs of a crab apple tree that was thick like your bush. Got mine hived too. It was a little warmer here though, 72F. Congratulations!


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## Green Tractor (Mar 31, 2016)

I had some scout bees checking out our new equipment (before we even had bees) at the end of last week. We got our first two packages this weekend, so they were not our bugs. We have clover, dandelion, red bud and lots of other flowering weeds blooming in Southern MD. It's not peak yet. 

But it's going to get darn cold over night - apparently well below freezing with good wind. Might have to fire up the outdoor wood boiler one last time (I hope)...


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## johnbeejohn (Jun 30, 2013)

My overwinterd 5x5 nucs are exploding right now bees boiling over the top when cover is removed lots of brood and nectar thinking it will be an early year as well have drones flying in several hives and all have capped drone brood for sure thinking about grafting sooner than I expected the cold weather sucks this week tho


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

johnbeejohn said:


> My overwinterd 5x5 nucs are exploding right now bees boiling over the top when cover is removed lots of brood and nectar thinking it will be an early year as well have drones flying in several hives and all have capped drone brood for sure thinking about grafting sooner than I expected the cold weather sucks this week tho


I moved our most vigorous overwintered nuc into 8-frame boxes several weeks back, otherwise they'd probably have swarmed by now. They're an especially promising colony, and I'd hate to lose them. We don't have drones yet so getting a new queen mated would be a big gamble.


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