I got a text from the land owner today. he went out to the stump shortly after a pretty heavy storm with lots of rain. He said the bees were gone or either that or they were all in the two deeps that I left there? I didn't have time tonight to go look. I figure if they swarmed that is a good thing as it would mean they have a queen and they may survive! If they actually went into the two deeps not sure if they have a queen or not but I could then give them fresh eggs from a hive I have at home. Either way would work for me. Maybe they swarmed and are actually still close by? I will have him go look tomorrow when it is nicer or maybe I will look earlier in the day to see what I can see. Either way if they survive it will be a good thing and I will put a swarm trap in the area next year!
Good luck! I hope they went into the box for you, it's always fun to get new bees!
i have had so many calls for swarms right before big storms. the bees seem to feel them coming. if they moved, lets hope it was into your box!!
Fingers crossed for you Harvey. 8-)
Well I went over this morning to see what I could see. Didn't appear that there was any traffic in and out of the hive boxes that I left. There were maybe 50 or a 100 bees flying around the stump. I tried to see which way they were coming from or going but couldn't figure it out. Must have been one heck of a swarm. I am sure that once it set somewhere it would have been at least a bushel basket of bees. I have never seen so many in one spot before. When I was trying to scoop them out of the stump they were three or four inches thick lining the whole stump! There are several very large trees around that have hollows in them but I watched each one for a while and didn't see any activity anywhere. At least since they swarmed that would tell me they had a viable queen and they have a pretty good chance of survival. I also know an area in the swamp for next spring that I will be setting at least one swarm trap! I will go back in a few days to retrieve my boxes, never know?