Swarms and thorns

[viridens]

Yesterday afternoon I collected my first swarm of the season from a vicious Pyracantha hedge. They had not chosen the adjacent beech or laurel of similar height.
Thinking back through the years, it seems to me that I have made more collections from thorny vegetation than would be expected by chance. Maybe swarms favour thorny locations when making their first stop?

 

[For want of a better word]

Best swarm ever was a girtlikker prime whopper of Buckfasts that had settled underneath a children's trampoline next to the supermarket carpark in Liskeard... one quick bounce and they was in the collecting box.... and I had 100 lbs of honey from them that year!

Yeghes da

 

[alldigging]

I had a call last year to one 10ft up a hawthorn but luckily someone else got to it by the time I'd rung them back.

 

[Hachi]

Yesterday afternoon I collected my first swarm of the season from a vicious Pyracantha hedge. They had not chosen the adjacent beech or laurel of similar height.
Thinking back through the years, it seems to me that I have made more collections from thorny vegetation than would be expected by chance. Maybe swarms favour thorny locations when making their first stop?

Nope, you're just unlucky

 

[Angularity]

Best swarm ever was a girtlikker prime whopper of Buckfasts that had settled underneath a children's trampoline next to the supermarket carpark in Liskeard... one quick bounce and they was in the collecting box.... and I had 100 lbs of honey from them that year!

Yeghes da

"Yer, go on boy. You jump up and down on top of them bees, and I'll catch them in this box".

Should have been on Youtube.

 

[psafloyd]

Had my first swarm of the season last week and it was relatively simple.

As I have pyracantha outside my front door, I hope they never alight there, but use the privet on the other side.

 

[Millet]

Had my first swarm of the season last week and it was relatively simple.

As I have pyracantha outside my front door, I hope they never alight there, but use the privet on the other side.

What a cracking little video clip.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Had my first swarm of the season last week and it was relatively simple.

As I have pyracantha outside my front door, I hope they never alight there, but use the privet on the other side.

Wonderful when it all goes to plan....well done

 

[psafloyd]

What a cracking little video clip.

Thanks. No room to get the missus take more, but it can help some be less scared and marvel at the sight of all those individuals acting as one.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[psafloyd]

Wonderful when it all goes to plan....well done

Thanks. Half an hour of huffing and puffing from the smoker and it was job done.

Almost undone as I retrieved the box leaves I'd used for structural integrity so I could close up later, but those that fell stayed inside the box.

No harm done and a five minute pickup on return with not one bee outside. Wish they all went like that...


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[madasafish]

What a cracking little video clip.

+1

 

[Vortex]

We were discussing swarm collecting in the pub last night with an ex-sbi.. the easiest way to get them out of a pyracantha bush (and yes he's done this) is to push a sheet under the bush, add a few grams of tobacco to the smoker, give the swarm a quick blast then withdraw the sheet and pour the comatose bees into a box...
They recover in about 10 minutes .. apparently in the 60's a well known supplier used to sell scragg end tobacco for exactly this purpose..

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Best thing is to cut down the pyracantha BEFORE a swarm alights!

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Best thing is to cut down the pyracantha BEFORE a swarm alights!

Wonderful stuff for hedging that discourages unwanted visitors