Swarms 2014

[Erichalfbee]

I just tried it and it simply says the page is unavailable

 

[bontbee]

oh, I had a really scary warning and very definite instruction not to proceed...

 

[BeeJayBee]

In the process of picking up this swarm. Made me laugh when they called saying they have a swarm in their pants!

You should send that picture to a magazine for a competition, or see if it gets used for next years calendar.

 

[garethjbarry]

Ha ha good plan, will do! Put them in the apiary and got a call for another swarm, little cast. Two in one night is a record. They were on a branch which was not as excting.

 

[starcana]

Woho, had an empty hive all ready in case I got a swarm call. Went to put an extra lift on this morning and new crown board and guess what. a nice swarm well settled in there - allbeit all around the inside roof. etc (WBC). fortunately they were happy bees as I only had a strappy t-shirt and shorts on when I took the roof off, not expecting to find them there. quickly went back to house for bee suit, feed and smoker, fitted crown board and all happy

 

[abm]

sorry, try this 1

 

[abm]

try again...

 

[Tom Bick]

Nice photos, there is something wonderful about being in the center of a whirling mass of bees. I managed it last year when I wrestled with a swarm refusing to go into a hive. It took three hours, but wonderful every time they took off. Thankfully, I had the space to do it.

 

[Jimmys Mum]

View attachment 10396

Found myself in this whirling mass yesterday afternoon

Just need to determine if they are from one of my hives. The only possibility would be from a hive 250m away that had 2 unsealed queen cells and a clipped queen. This was the only one where I couldn't find the queen yesterday morning but I think it unlikely! Hope not anyway.

 

[Erichalfbee]

At least they are going in not coming out

 

[Dazzabee]

A swarm moved into my garden bait hive Thursday afternoon.

Looked inside today to see what I had and it contained a smallish prime swarm covering just 3 frames, eggs were already present on the original 1x drawn comb I had in there.

 

[Grub]

I rehoused one that moved into the bait box Thursday this morning, put the bait box back in its original spot and another lot came in at 5.30pm today

So thats 5 this year, 4 in the same box.

And last year not one, same box same old manky two frames.

Grub

 

[alldigging]

Had a call about one.
It moved on before I'd got my kit in the car though.
Possibly second swarm from their local bee keeper whose response was "whatever" and wasn't particular interested in going and collecting them.

 

[ichbinpaul]

Six swarms this year so far all spare equipment taken up two of the swarms absconded after two and three days! two to new beeks that are becoming rods for one back! hopefully this will become a blessing though.

 

[Elaine]

Just collected our first "not self-inflicted" swarm. A colleague at work said his son had phoned him to say the hedge was full of wasps, but as he didn't think wasps behaved like that he asked me - and it did sound like honeybees. He sent me a photo when he got home after work and sure enough they were, so despite it being a 30 min drive we went to retrieve them as they were right on the pavement side and only about 3 ft off the ground. Funny how interested the neighbours are once the situation _appears_ to have experts on hand! Anyway, we dropped the majority into a box, and had a coffee while we waited for
the rest to return to the swarm. Good little bees behaved impeccably, and stayed in the box. Once there were no more returners, packed them up and took them away. My self imposed hive limit of 5 has now been broken beyond redemption. Anyone need a swarm?

 

[SixFooter]

Verify few swarms round here. Plus there a lot more swarm collectors. Good for the public, I guess, but disappointing for me. Only 2 tiny casts so far this year and no successes with bait hives. Occasional interest for the bait hives, but not as much as in previous years.


Thinking inside and outside the box

 

[Nige.Coll]

One swarm caught in my backyard other than that 200 phone calls about bumblebees.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Taking dog out last night at 9pm to find a swarm wrapped round a tree at the apiary
We'd looked in hives two days ago

 

[psafloyd]

One swarm caught in my backyard other than that 200 phone calls about bumblebees.

 

[madasafish]

Collected my second swarm of the year in Congleton.. On the ground at the foot of a path... Nice tempered but unco-operative - had to leave some behind...

20+ calls on bumbles this year...