!0 Kilos of onions and a swarm of bees !

[pargyle]

So ... We eat a lot of onions and Asda have them on offer at £2.00 (yes £2 !) for a 10kg net, a bargain and they look nice onions .. we've run out of my home grown ones and this year's crop is still a month or so away at least ... so, I'm sent to Asda to buy said onions and whilst I'm there 'er indoors sends me a text to say my bees are swarming. 'No they are not... mine are fine ..checked on Thursday no queen cells - defintely not swarming - just busy'. I text back ..me being the beekeeper and 'er indoors being the bee hater who won't go near them...

I get home and she tells me that there are 'Lots of bees' round by the hive on the side patio .. I have a spare poly hive there and a timber brood box on top with some old frames in it with a clear crownboard and a Paynes poly roof on top but it's all sealed up. I tell 'er indoors she has no idea what 'lots of bees' looks like and that there have been a few bees interested in the hive for the last few days but they can't get in. Stop worrying, they won't be interested in you ... (her greenhouse is next to that bit of patio) just get on with your re-potting they won't hurt you. 'So go and look for yourself' she says ...

So .. I know best, with a big sigh and shoulder shrug I go round there - no suit, no gloves, no sense, there's a few bees around the edge of the hive roof but nothing to get excited about so I lift the roof ... and then there's the Oh **** ! moment ... I was messing about with the stack on Thursday when I took some empty supers from it and - I'd forgotten to replace the crown board and .... it's wall to wall bees ... 10 bloody frames of what looks like a prime swarm !! There must have been a gap between the Paynes roof and the timber brood box and they COULD get in ...

Anyway, I don't know who was more surprised - the bees or me .. I.put the lid back down and went and suited up and moved the frames and bees out of the timber box into the Poly brood box underneath, stuck a crownboard on and the poly roof so they are hived nicely and I'll move them round to my apiary tonight.

Nice bees .. little stripey things not at all like my black mongrels, lots of them and already cleaning up the old comb judging by the debris in the timber box. Wonder who has lost them ? Didn't bother looking for the queen so not sure if she's marked or not.

I know what's for dinner tonight ... it's not onions.... it's humble pie. Still, look on the bright side - a swarm in May is worth a load of hay (or more probably a load of earache for me !).

 

[Fritillary]

Great! Enjoyed that!

 

[JWF]

Hehe that's funny!

Collecting a swarm doesn't get any easier than that though!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Brilliant.
Our bait hives get busy on Friday; busier on Saturday; even busier Sunday morning but by Sunday late afternoon all is quiet. Three weeks in a row now

 

[Brigsy]

Nice read.

 

[pargyle]

WELL, all set to move them ... Sealed them up with some foam rubber in the entrance slot and aluminium tape over the top of the foam - belt & braces... Suited and booted, gloved up and common sense kicked into action. Two hive straps, fore and aft, tested the hive weight to make sure I could pick it up - surprising how heavy a hive with empty comb and full of bees is ... But ... all OK. Put the floodlight under eves on so I can see what I'm doing with them and portable floodlight in the apiary so I could see what I was doing at the other end and a hive stand in position in the apiary. 'Er indoors out with Son No.2 walking the dog so no interference ...

Take Note Newbees ... Preparation is EVERYTHING in beekeeping.

Picked the hive up with the entrance towards me so I could simply put it on the hive stand in front of me when I got it to the new location. Couldn't really see much over the top of the Paynes Poly -they are a big box but there's plenty of light from the floodlight and I can see where I'm heading.

Took four steps and the floodlight went out, other half had returned home and killed all the exterior lights not just the one she needed to see her way down the side path - all of them ! So it's now pitch black but I know where I'm going - then I tripped over the pick-mattock which I had carelessly left on the ground on the path round to the Apiary and forgot to pick up... staggered... thought I was going over but the fear factor kicked in and by some miracle and a bit of running to catch up with the hive which now seemed to be moving faster than I was (and by this time the generator hum from the bees was getting to a new level of decibels so I think they were panicking as well !) I recovered my balance but the old ticker was going a bit. You know that expression - cold sweat - yes - there it was.

Got to the apiary - gate was shut !! (I'd shut it - force of habit to keep the dog out of there ... Doh) .. the gate catch is a standard latch on the other side of the gate which is dead easy - when you are not somewhat like a pregnant penguin with a Paynes Poly stuck out in front of you and needing both hands to carry it....

So ... back up the slope with the hive, in the dark, avoiding pick mattock, put hive back in its original position. Went and opened Apiary gate, picked up pick-mattock, wiped cold sweat out of my eyes and off we went again.

Got there in the end and let them out - but not my finest hour ! Like I said - preparation is everything ....

 

[B33K33P3R]

I am sure you know of the six P rule...

Proper
Preparation
Prevents
Piss
Poor
Performance

Of course there are a few variations along the same lines.

I was chuckling to myself all the while reading your epic tale!

B33K33P3R.

 

[Erichalfbee]

So funny , pargyle. There's a book in you. Do you know how I do it? Shut them up last thing then strap and move next morning.

 

[JWF]

It's definitely easier in daylight lol!

 

[B+.]

I know what's for dinner tonight ... it's not onions.... it's humble pie.

Well, at least its being served with gravy! ;-)

 

[pargyle]

I am sure you know of the six P rule...

Proper
Preparation
Prevents
Piss
Poor
Performance

Of course there are a few variations along the same lines.

I was chuckling to myself all the while reading your epic tale!

B33K33P3R.

Yes ... I know ... I thought I had it all under control but then there's the other variant ...

Precipitous
Action
Never
Involves
Considered
Knowledgeable
Effective
Decisions

It was a right balls-up of my own making .... I was lucky to get away without a total disaster !