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Project Noah Nature School
Apis sp
Swarming is the natural means of reproduction of honey bee colonies. A new honey bee colony is formed when the queen bee leaves the colony with a large group of worker bees, a process called swarming. In the prime swarm, about 60% of the worker bees leave the original hive location with the old queen. This swarm can contain thousands to tens of thousands of bees. Swarming is mainly a spring phenomenon, usually within a two- or three-week period depending on the locale, but occasional swarms can happen throughout the producing season. Secondary afterswarms may happen but are rare. Afterswarms are usually smaller and are accompanied by one or more virgin queens. Sometimes a beehive will swarm in succession until it is almost totally depleted of workers. Entomologists consider the colony as a superorganism. An individual bee without a colony cannot survive for long. The colony also needs a certain colony size to reproduce. In the process of swarming the original single colony reproduces to two and sometimes more colonies.
so very cool to witness. they are in my backyard To see what they left behind go to the following http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/111...
Spotted on May 10, 2012
Submitted on May 10, 2012
5 Comments
really amazing CynthiaMHori!
The hive they created is tiny and some bees are on it. I am not sure what will become of it. I submitted the photo of the hive. I think it is the last photo I submitted to NOAH
Cynthia, did they create a brand new hive? and do you think you will be able to harvest the honey at any point in the near future?
This is an extraordinary thing to capture and to have it in your back yard is even more awesome!!!
Misako - I watched them for the weekend and was able to see them leave. I knew they left by the sound. It was wild. The swarm changed shape through out the day - at night it appeared to shrink as the bees pulled together to stay warm. It was great.
wow!