Swarms 2014

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Had a great BFO swarm turned up in the hedge at my apiary Saturday evening - that's another spare hive occupied! Don't think it's one of mine - checked the primary suspect and no, she's still there, so unless i missed a pile of QC's in the other hives on Friday..............
 
Had a great BFO swarm turned up in the hedge at my apiary Saturday evening - that's another spare hive occupied! Don't think it's one of mine - checked the primary suspect and no, she's still there, so unless i missed a pile of QC's in the other hives on Friday..............

don't think its one of mine???/ I allways say that.. and it usually is:icon_204-2:
 
Just collected my first solo swarm. Text book collection very pleased. I guess they were pleased to as they had been there since sunday inc the p***ing rain yesterday! Football sized so very chuffed!
 
Have collected 2 swarms this week, none from my hives.
1st swarm was on Monday, swarm in the middle of a housing estate on some decking and up the fence. Has a feeling that HM was under the decking, so with the home owners permission removed one of the planks ( fairly new decking so screws were easy to undo), pulled a hand full if bees, no joy. Pulled up a second hand full and there she was a fairly large unmarked queen. Put a qe under the brood box popped her in a queen cage for safe keeping in the hive while getting as many bees as possible in the hive, then let her out. Left for a couple of hours returned to find most the bees had left the hive and were clustered on the side (10pm), queen was still in the hive with a smallish amount of bees. Picked the cluster and popped them back in. Went back the next evening and they were all happily in the hive.
2nd was collected last night,a smallish swarm clinging on to a fence post in the middle of a open airdrome in the cold and driving rain. They had been there for 2 days, saw post about it on Facebook. Said i would go and get them. Some woman then tried to warn me off and told me I shouldn't be collecting them, they should only be collected by the local areas authorised swarm collector. So i was even more determined to get them. Just has to peel them off the fence post as they were so tightly clusters together with the cold. About a fifth had already perished. Don't know what i have as it was to cold to be messing around. But they were happy and very busy today bringing in pollen. Will have a closer look at them on the weekend.
Need to get more equipment now.
 
Two swarms collected this year; one about 5 weeks ago and one last week; both within about 50m of my hive; I suspect one of them might have been mine; but hey; three colonies now! Only downside - more expense on hives.
 
Two swarms collected one two weeks ago the other last week. Also picked up a hive from a club member who had too many.

M
 
I suspect Someone is losing bees

Picked up another swarm today, 3rd one this week (since Monday). Good size prime swarm, and good size queen. They were one field away from the airdrome where we collected a swarm from on Wednesday. I wonder if some in the nearby village has hives.
 
Hi all,
Three small casts, so far this year. Two united third one will probably join them in due course. I enjoy performing a public service.
 
Went on a lovely little trip this morning to purchase more equipment, didn't think it would be needed so soon. Arrived home and no sooner had two phone calls within 5 minutes for two swarms. One was 6 fence posts up from the swarm collected on Wednesday, and a stones throw from the swarm collected on Friday. The second was a swarm in a hedge at an establishment with lots of quite expensive horses. Mr Shoot and our 13 year old son (loves being involved in the bees) went and collected them, they are all safely tucked up. Note to self, don't organise girlie nights out during swarm season. :hairpull::sorry:
 
Swarms

Dear All,
If anyone does eventually have a surplus swarm I would really appreciate one (even two - but do not want to derive anyone else!)
 
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Picking up yet another prime swarm, from the same location as Fridays swarm, (who has already started laying). That's 6 this week. If we were gold mining you could say we've hit the honey hole.
 
Well another call flooded in to the R C hotline yesterday. Found a decent sized swarm on an apple tree trunk (house near Hereford). Got the majority of them into a traveling nucleus and went back to collect it yesterday evening.

Fingers crossed :)
 
What are people doing with all these swarms?
Mrs Shoot........you must be overwhelmed ;)

Have got plenty of room so housing them and bringing them on. Keep the local farmers happy. Plenty of equipment, luckily the hubby is good at knocking something together if we start getting short, we have plenty of frames so not a problem.
 
In the process of picking up this swarm. Made me laugh when they called saying they have a swarm in their pants!
 
:hairpull: Just tried to load abm's link and it got blocked as a malicious website :hairpull:

Am I vulnerable? - you may have guessed, I'm an IT idiot, (amongst other things...)
 

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