First swarm and first bees.....!

[Haughton Honey]

I am finally a beek!!

After countless 'bumblebee calls' having placed a small ad in the local free buy/sell rag I got a call yesterday from a farmer over between Mold and Ruthin who said he'd seen a ball of bees hanging in a hedgerow whilst he was silaging. Would I like to collect them as he'd heard that bees were in decline?

So off I traipsed half-heartedly with a nuc box and other assortments and low and behold sat about 3ft off the ground in a hedgerow in the middle of a 20 acre field in 25c heat was a small swarm (perhaps 2,000 to 3,000 bees?). I'm presuming that they'll be a cast and will take a while to build up.

About 5 seconds later and one swift shake of the branch the whole lot fell in to the box, frames were inserted and off I went.....with a very broad smile.

I checked them this morning and they've now been fed 1:1 syrup and there appears to be constant traffic in and out of the nuc box, which is situated at the end of my parent's garden (lucky them!).

I think that they are Carny's as they're quite light - a lot lighter than AMM anyway - I will try and post a photo later on this evening.

Big thanks to the bee-friendly farmer.

 

[jezd]

I am finally a beek!!

After countless 'bumblebee calls' having placed a small ad in the local free buy/sell rag I got a call yesterday from a farmer over between Mold and Ruthin who said he'd seen a ball of bees hanging in a hedgerow whilst he was silaging. Would I like to collect them as he'd heard that bees were in decline?

So off I traipsed half-heartedly with a nuc box and other assortments and low and behold sat about 3ft off the ground in a hedgerow in the middle of a 20 acre field in 25c heat was a small swarm (perhaps 2,000 to 3,000 bees?). I'm presuming that they'll be a cast and will take a while to build up.

About 5 seconds later and one swift shake of the branch the whole lot fell in to the box, frames were inserted and off I went.....with a very broad smile.

I checked them this morning and they've now been fed 1:1 syrup and there appears to be constant traffic in and out of the nuc box, which is situated at the end of my parent's garden (lucky them!).

I think that they are Carny's as they're quite light - a lot lighter than AMM anyway - I will try and post a photo later on this evening.

Big thanks to the bee-friendly farmer.

My personal experience/lesson learnt with swarms is to always fit a QX bellow the brood box, swarms are flighty by nature

JEz

 

[Haughton Honey]

Thanks Jez - they're in a nuc box as they were a small swarm so putting a QX beneath them would be hard. The entrace to the nuc is also at the bottom too, which doesn't help.

Here's a photo of them anyway - they're very active in this heat and I've seen them all over the garden, which is great as I think I've seen about 2 bees this year so far!

Any ideas as to 'type' anyone?

 

[Haughton Honey]

Sorry folks - just seen Brian's black bee thread - seems they're Carnys!

 

[Widdershins]

Ooo, well done!!

Hubby and I collected 3 swarms last week - luckily we were on annual leave, and had the right weather for it!!

 

[BKF Admin]

They are not Carnies,they are Italian cross local strain..

 

[Haughton Honey]

Ok Admin, thanks for that!

 

[BKF Admin]

Sorry WPC,I have just noticed by post sounded a little short,thats the trouble with the Tinternet,sometimes posts can read different from what is intended.

I was offering my observation but it sounds like I barked..

 

[Haughton Honey]

Not at all. Taken as it was obviously meant!