warm day so how many swarms

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no swarms here yet but i do have an overwintered cut out today. and two of my own strong hives are making preps with charged cells yesterday.
seems the bees are ready for me to start playing with them. loverly
 
Got a call late yesterday but was in Aberaeron so hoped the wet weather would keep them there till morning but couldn't find them, so just popped a bait box near by fingers crossed :)
 
Second call of the season today, unfortunately they legged it 5 minutes before I got there:mad:
 
Got one yesterday evening. Probably a cast, possibly two small ones, but we'll see as I put them in boxes and will check them in a day or two (pictures on this thread).
Missed a couple already due to work and had a few calls about bumble bees, but at least I have something to show for several hours work.
 
Called to 3 yesterday only managed to save 1 and today called to 2 managed to save 1 also
 
5 yesterday (2 collected for fellow bee keepers not in my association)
4 today (helped collect 2 swarms for fellow bee keepers one of which isn't in my association)

Run out of my own equipment so using the brand new association poly nucs which only turned up hours earlier, completely out of spare national frames. So as fast as I can collect them I'm finding them a good home with our new novice bee keepers who have just completed their basic introduction to bee keeping course.

welcome to bee keeping....
 
5 swarm calls today, I collected one, and passed on numbers of local (to the swarm) beekeepers for the rest
also 3 calls regarding advice on bees in chimneys.
one visit to a local country hotel, where there are dozens of scout bees looking at a large crack in the wall ( builder rendering it first thing in the morning!!)
 
1 play swarm call on Saturday but none since...guess that here they changed their plans due to high flow...
 
Yesterday one of my nucs swarmed that was next to the rape.

Opening the lid it was because of honey block.

I am completely out of kit now, although i have gained a nuc box with 5 frames of honey!
 
To my utter disbelief not one swarm call yesterday!

However I learned how to transfer the house phone to the mobile, something I had thought was not possible, but Virgin gave me a short tutorial as before we could only use a dedicated number to transfer to but now we can use any phone which is a huge benefit for us.

Live and learn....

PH
 
Missed out PH.....friend across the road had one in a conifer his garden is alive with bumbles "digging" in the dirt. Of course by the time I had finished work ...they had gone!
 
Since Monday I have had about 40 odd calls for swarms all over hampshire, it's like the bee hotline here. Need more swarm collectors around Alton, Farnham and Fleet/Farnborough areas...
 
Called out yesterday morning for one that had been hanging in a bush all night , arrived near the site , called the phone number and lo and behold it had just flown off !
just got back from another shout and this time I arrived in time to see it fly off . A quick ask round and it turns out the caller lives next to a beekeeper and didnt know . The swarm had flown back in to the hive it came from .
If you live in Seer Green nr Beaconsfield and read this , you were lucky today ...
 
Called out yesterday morning for one that had been hanging in a bush all night , arrived near the site , called the phone number and lo and behold it had just flown off !
just got back from another shout and this time I arrived in time to see it fly off . A quick ask round and it turns out the caller lives next to a beekeeper and didnt know . The swarm had flown back in to the hive it came from .
If you live in Seer Green nr Beaconsfield and read this , you were lucky today ...

Clipped queen ?
 
I would think so , but information recieved suggests he isnt likely to be a clipping sort of beekeeper . And thats not knocking those that dont clip !
G
 
how do i go about advertising swarm colletion ?not worthy

Join local BBKA branch
Find mentor prepared to take you on shouts with him / her
Get on BBKA approved swarm collectors list ( via branch)
Register as a beekeeper with DEFRA
Spend a lot of money on swarm collecting kit/ local directories/parish magazines
Spend more money on kit

WAIT
Live in hope and die in despair !!!!
 

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