BBKA Forum

Always been a bit of a Space Cadet Alfred!

Oh what a corker I heard today on another forum.
A swarm will carry off a clipped queen when they leave.
Now I'm sure she may try to leave the hive and get lost but if there is anyone who has found a swarm with a marked clipped queen in more than 10 yards from their hives I will be impressed

Not found a swarm with one but did find one of my clipped queens about 30 yards away walking along my allotment fence on her own after she had tried

Bobbysbees wrote: ↑

02 Aug 2021, 20:58

Oh what a corker I heard today on another forum.
A swarm will carry off a clipped queen when they leave.
Now I'm sure she may try to leave the hive and get lost but if there is anyone who has found a swarm with a marked clipped queen in more than 10 yards from their hives I will be impressed

.

If a queen isn't clipped well she could fly anyway?

A swarm in May is worth a load of hay; a swarm in June is worth a silver spoon; a swarm in July isn’t worth a fly.”
Blox.
My mid july capture is doing very nicely thank you.

That one complements an "energy awareness" talk I was once subjected to.
The old busybody was in full finger wagging mode and amongst other classics claimed that devices on standby used MORE power than when being used.
I didnt stay for refreshments.
That would involve firing up the burco boiler which would no doubt have caused a tsunami in Wiveliscombe or somewhere.

No tsunamis in Wivvy please chap, that's one of my fishing spots and we've had more than enough rain locally already!

I think the old adage dates from skep beekeeping, which actively used collected swarms as part of the system. Whereas early swarms could being in a useful crop in the same season, a July hived swarm was unlikely to bring in honey that year and would need additional feeding to successfully overwinter. A lot of cottage skeppists could not afford sugar to feed bees, so a late collected swarm was considered a financial liability rather than asset and not worth collecting.

These days the economics are a bit different so whilst losing a swarm in July is a pain in the butt, collecting someone else's can be a late bonus

Patrick wrote: ↑

08 Aug 2021, 23:44

No tsunamis in Wivvy please chap, that's one of my fishing spots and we've had more than enough rain locally already!

Sister emigrated there a good ten years ago .Haven't heard from her since
Assumed it was El Nino related sorry.

She’s probably gone the full Wurzel chap

Thy make oi laaff Patrick