Subject: Swarming

From: [email-masked] (Keith Cutting)
Date: Wed, 25 Jan 1995 20:10:53 GMT

I am interested in informaton on swarming.  Personal experiences, research, 
general opinions, ect.  I have been volunteered to discuss this subject at our 
Associations spring "bee school".  Anything that could be shared would be 
appreciated.  Thanks in advance

[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Steve Crumley)
Date: 25 Jan 1995 23:05:54 GMT

> [email-masked]

Here is the short version of my limited experence with swarms.  I just started
beekeeping in North Carolina with one hive.  It got off to a pretty good start
and filled a ~10 inch chamber with brood and another with honey during the
first summer.  I wasn't sure how much it would need to eat that first winter
so I often had an entrance feeder full of syrup (whenever the temp was > 40F)

I was very busy this spring and wasn't sure how warm it needed to be
before I opened the hive so I let it go until Easter.  Well, you guessed it,
they swarmed.  Over a two week period I saw that hive swarm THREE TIMES.
I managed to capture two of the swarms and now I know more than I did
last year.  I still harvested 50 pounds of honey this year.  I can't wait
to see what happens next year.

-Steve