Here is a video of a really gentle swarm in Berkeley CA. It was a warm still day.
I was wondering if people always find them docile and under what circumstances they are more ornery?
HANDS ON A SWARM OF WILD BEES!!!!!!!! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pn8aUK7ctRU#ws)
A swarm is the most gentle bees you will find. After a day or two, the bees will not have much food in their bellies and will be a bit ill tempered (for a swarm). But a new swarm has no home to defend. Swarms are great to work.
Catch a swarm when the temp is in the forties. You will trade them for some nice, gentle Africanized bees.
If they have been sitting on the branch for a few days and have started a little burr comb watch out. I got knocked out of a 20 foot hemlock by what I thought was a swarm that had started a little piece of comb. I wasn't wearing a veil and must of picked up 15 or 20 stings as I was breaking off most of the limbs on the tree on the way down. :-D
our local assciation field day ended with casting a swarm, really cool. everyone was sticking thier hand into the swarm after it gathered around the cagged queen - no problem. after eveyone was leaving my 10 year old talked me into trying - ZAP three on the back of the hand :-D