Post your 2013 swarm photos

[ellypatt]

Picked this lot up from our shared apiary on Monday, it was a big swarm. Think it came from one of the man we share with's hives, but he was out of town so I collected it.

 

[Erichalfbee]

That was lucky.........you had the box upside down

 

[ellypatt]

I'd already knocked them in to it, then turned it over for the flying and returning scout bees to go in... (or have I missed a joke?)

 

[blackie]

quality

 

[Mike a]

Swarm 6

Short video: http://youtu.be/aABEsD0r0lM

I passed up a chance for collecting swarm 6 yesterday referring the caller to another beekeeper who lived closer but today I couldn't say no. (Phil this is your swarm)

Probably a cast swarm but can't be 100% sure.

Simple to collect as they were chest height in a holly bush. (left side of next picture)
Those of you who have seen the pictures of me collecting swarms over the last few years with probably of gathered by now I like to use dustbins to rest the nuc on as its a good height and gives the bees something to spread out to fan their pheromone and land on to get into the hive.

 

[Mike a]

Just noticed when putting the video together several of the bees on the outside of the cluster are doing the waggle dance. I wonder if they found a potential site to swarm to and were trying to form a quorum by encouraging others to visit it just as I arrived.

Fingers crossed my nuc is the better option as I'm donating these bees to a fellow beekeeper in my association.

 

[Tom Bick]

Yes Mike looks that way, I bet a bit longer and they were off.

 

[victor meldrew]

I think so to, I hived a swarm 10 days ago in a nuc box of foundation ,within the hour they had absonded into a previously occupied 14x12 brood box 10 metres away , and there they stayed !
Two fingers to you Mister Beekeeper
VM

 

[grahambee]

3 foot long

 

[ROCKIT]

Well following a thoroughly? wet year last year and a very cold long winter, my two hives were sadly neglegted towards the back end of last year, plenty of food in there but I just couldn't find a dry day or two to do the necessary. So they stayed complete with full supers and an insulation under the roof. There wasn't massive amounts of bees in the hive.
I knew that they would struggle and sure enough a very quick inspection on a dry winters day showed the worst. No survivors!
I left the hives and didn't go back until this morning.
As I attended to the greenhouse before work, I heard a very loud hum.



A swarm had moved in and was occupying the oldest hive!
The front was covered with bees and many were still flying.

I havn't even cleaned out the hive since the winter.
Yes I know. I'm guilty!

I didn't have time this morning to deal with them, so this evening I have just put a nuc on top of the hive with some old frames in there.
I'll see what happens tomorrow.

 

[Rich0909]

Picked up this swarm from under a wheelbarrow yesterday evening after a warm day here.



Rich

 

[Swarm]

Sweet! Just barrowed them to the apiary

 

[Luminos]

"Post your 2013 Swarm photos"
I hate to tell you Swarm, but I don't think your avatar counts!

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

"Post your 2013 Swarm photos"
I hate to tell you Swarm, but I don't think your avatar counts!

So what about mine, Luminos?

Dusty

 

[pargyle]

So what about mine, Luminos?

Dusty

I think that swarm of yours deserves a place in a pantomime - "Swarm - what swarm ? LOOK BEHIND YOU ! "

Brings back happy memories of seeing the late great Norman Wisdom playing buttons in panto in Leeds (IIRO) in the early 60's.

 

[Luminos]

I think that swarm of yours deserves a place in a pantomime - "Swarm - what swarm ? LOOK BEHIND YOU ! "

Brings back happy memories of seeing the late great Norman Wisdom playing buttons in panto in Leeds (IIRO) in the early 60's.

 

[Luminos]

So what about mine, Luminos?

Dusty

But you're not called "SWARM", are you

 

[grahambee]

one swarm, two beekeepers

Video one john collects swarm and goes back to tree



Video two I put back in skip and take the tree out this is how it should be done!



Swarm going to new beekeeper in Clanfield

 

[psafloyd]

Picked up this swarm from under a wheelbarrow yesterday evening after a warm day here.



Rich

Very handy –*portable swarm.

Where was it found? In Barrow?

 

[psafloyd]

OK, this isn't my swarm, but my sister sent me the pic yesterday. It was on The Avenue in Wanstead E11, so if you got it, well done, as looks a decent size.