Very quiet

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first calls just starting in North london, first one was saturday near Golders Green but i know a local allotment has had four swarms/castes this weekend from a beginner beekeeper's allotment apiary (unfortunate that it is behind my house. aaahhh)

Can you set out bait boxes? (Or send them a leaflet about merging colonies and swarm prevention?)
:)
 
1st swarm box set up on Thursday evening... these arrived on Saturday! :)

They camped out overnight, but moved indoors on Sunday morning

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Is that a Paynes poly nuc Pete.
 
:iagree: Very quiet!

Only one swarm call so far (plus the obligatory "bees flying in and out of the airbrick" call).

I had one of those today and some solitary bees going into the drain holes of a velux window. - No swarm calls yet.
 
it is...

I have cut out the feeding chamber (IMHO a bad design) and have two ekes to give it extra size for catching swarms.

For swarms only, I block off the grill

You can tell by the number on the side, I have a few! :)
 
Very small swarm 2 weeks ago on my manuka, now in an apidea it was that small!
3 empty Paynes nucs were actively being inspected by 30-40 bees last evening, glad I checked my bees the day before or I would have been concerned.
Had to split one of my own at an out apiary and close to OSR as they had decided to draw down Q cells.
S
 
Inspected a descent swarm that I collected last Thursday evening which I dumped in a 6 frame (foundation only) poly nuc.
All frames drawn and queen laying.
 
Three calls, three bumbles so far. Collected one bumble nestfrom compost heap as bin had fallen under children's trampoline and they had been stung! They travelled well in a ball of compost in a nuc and I put themin the corner of a nearby field at home.
As yet no honeybee swarms.
 
Aha! And so it begins!

Swarm call mid-morning, and a nice photo landed on my mobile. Bees originating from a wild colony are now safely tucked up in a nuc.

I hope the rest of this years swarm season doesn't turn out to be as bad as last year.
 
Two calls so far both tree bumblebees. One of which I managed to collect and put into a nest box.
This one will be relocated into the country where they will not be a nuisance and once vacated a very nice box for the bluetits.
 
I've had two swarms arrive into bait boxes in the last week, and another is getting a lot of attention.
 

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