Odd question, I know - but I have a hive that has just thrown off its
Third AFTER-swarm!
   Caught the primary swarm, a big one, Friday before last, went through
the hive and obviously missed swarm cells 'cause on Saturday the landowner
emailed me that there were two swarms in front of the hives.  Monday I
hived the larger one in a nuc box onsite and took the little bunch to their
new (temporary) home on my front porch.  Today, another little swarm formed
on a wind-vane I keep near the hives in North Bend, WA.
   Too me this is unusual behavior.  It is now very easy to go through the
brood chambers because there are so few bees left there. There is no
uncapped brood left. I did find a very small possible supercedure cell but
it doesn't look recently uncapped but other than that there were 6 - 7
little slugs on the walls of the bottom box.
   I had a hive of Russian-hybrid bees that attacked slugs but these
otherwise hygenic Italians seem to say live and let live.
   The second hive of the pair is building up nicely, I gave both hives a
super of drawn comb for expansion the day of the 1st swarm.  Both hives
wintered well with menthol overhead and screened bottoms below.
   I figure all I can do is combine the 2nd swarm with the remaining bees.
For now I've reduced the entrance or they are bound to get robbed-out.
   Is this just a bad case of swarming fever or could something be making
them want to abscond?

   Thanks.

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