The home owner had said they were 20 foot up in an oak tree, but that wasn't true. They were 45 foot up in an ash tree. I was fed up when I saw them. The garden was about 50 metres from one of my apiaries and it was a cluster the size of about one and a half footballs. I was well fed up, because the only time I have not inspected all those allotment bees was last week when the film crew were around them and I couldn't get to them all. I've been keeping my fingers crossed since and was quite pleased that the weather has been poor. It has not been great swarming weather today either, in fact there have been showers on and off all day, but that didn't stop them swarming.
I spent over 2 hours trying to get them down, including standing on top of a 12 foot step ladder reaching up with a 12 foot pole and still being some way off. I was talking to the home owner about if I fell, where I should try to avoid falling, when he pointed out the concrete sundial with the metal spike on top. I had images of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Vlad the Impaler troubling me as I hurried down the ladder. We then tried to throw stones with rope attached, then to hit balls with rope up to the branch, and although we dislodged some bees, not the queen, so they all went back.
Next I said well, we could try the hose, which got nowhere near, although the young chidlren had fun squirting each other.
Eventually I said I'd get an old hive and put an old frame in it and perhaps they would fly in on their own. I did this, but am not hugely optimistic that they will just fly in.
The cluster was getting quite tight as it was starting to get very overcast.
Soon after I got home the heavens opened and there was lightening. I don't like to think of them getting cold and wet.
I logged onto the computer when I got back to find out that there has bee the first EFB warning in the locality.
I suppose the positive is that I was not damaged but not a great day - lose a swarm - spend ages trying to catch it - fail.
I spent over 2 hours trying to get them down, including standing on top of a 12 foot step ladder reaching up with a 12 foot pole and still being some way off. I was talking to the home owner about if I fell, where I should try to avoid falling, when he pointed out the concrete sundial with the metal spike on top. I had images of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Vlad the Impaler troubling me as I hurried down the ladder. We then tried to throw stones with rope attached, then to hit balls with rope up to the branch, and although we dislodged some bees, not the queen, so they all went back.
Next I said well, we could try the hose, which got nowhere near, although the young chidlren had fun squirting each other.
Eventually I said I'd get an old hive and put an old frame in it and perhaps they would fly in on their own. I did this, but am not hugely optimistic that they will just fly in.
The cluster was getting quite tight as it was starting to get very overcast.
Soon after I got home the heavens opened and there was lightening. I don't like to think of them getting cold and wet.
I logged onto the computer when I got back to find out that there has bee the first EFB warning in the locality.
I suppose the positive is that I was not damaged but not a great day - lose a swarm - spend ages trying to catch it - fail.
