Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: bailey on February 24, 2013, 02:14:19 PM

Title: First swarm for me 2013
Post by: bailey on February 24, 2013, 02:14:19 PM
Went crabbing this morning and the trip was a bust.  No crabs.  
Came back home and a friend of mine went into my back yard and when he walked back he said you have a swarm back here.  

Walked back to find this swarm settling on my lime tree!     :-D

Got the camera and got a quick few pics.  

My earliest swarm to date






To the northern fellas
Sorry.  :evil:
(http://s14.postimage.org/45e9odqf1/image.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/45e9odqf1/)



Bailey

(http://s11.postimage.org/4qgwne3f3/image.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/4qgwne3f3/)
Title: Re: First swarm for me 2013
Post by: bud1 on February 24, 2013, 02:41:05 PM
guess i gota get ready to hang some bait hives , but still gona wait a while as i hate dealing with those wasp
Title: Re: First swarm for me 2013
Post by: bailey on February 24, 2013, 02:56:53 PM
I have about  15 out right now. Will wait till it warms back up before putting out more.

Sure liked finding them,


I believe it's from a double 5 frame nuc that I overwintered.  When I lifted the nuc it was very heavy. Probably
Honey bound and that's what pushed them out on a crappy day like today
Gloomy overcast with rain on the way, breezy and chilly out

Bailey

Title: Re: First swarm for me 2013
Post by: BeeMaster2 on February 25, 2013, 06:24:47 AM
Looks like a good swarm. I really didn't think they would swarm in that weather. I had a hive that was bearding really bad this past week. Figured they wouldn't swarm because of the weather. It was warm but very cloudy. I did remove the insulation from the screen top board and they all went back into the hive.
Jim
Title: Re: First swarm for me 2013
Post by: bailey on February 25, 2013, 07:54:48 PM
It poured buckets the night I hived them.   It would have killed a good swarm if I had not hived them!
Bailey
Title: Re: First swarm for me 2013
Post by: jpmeir on February 25, 2013, 08:29:40 PM
Today I saw the apple trees blooming, the first I've seen this "winter", so I'm sure once the weather stays above 50 degrees it game on for swarms. We've been in the hi 60s the last couple of weeks (during the day).  My bees are very active with pollen on these days.  Time to put out traps.   
Title: Re: First swarm for me 2013
Post by: bailey on February 25, 2013, 09:09:01 PM
First warm sunny day here and they will be going off like popcorn!
Bailey
Title: Re: First swarm for me 2013
Post by: gov1623 on February 25, 2013, 09:17:41 PM
Nice catch bailey. The last couple of weeks hasn't been the best bee weather. Haven't even went check my traps yet. Guess i will go check them out the next day or two.

If you cant find them crabs give me a shout. We filled up a 48 Qt ice chest last week in two hours.
Title: Re: First swarm for me 2013
Post by: schawee on February 25, 2013, 09:51:56 PM
nice catch baily.after this cold weather pass  this weekend it will be on :piano: :piano: I guest jp will be next ,I hope :-D
Title: Re: First swarm for me 2013
Post by: bailey on February 25, 2013, 09:59:15 PM
I'm sure it will start this weekend.  I have to work all weekend so you know they will start when I can't just
Hop in the truck and go.  :hissyfit: :hissyfit:

Bailey
Title: Re: First swarm for me 2013
Post by: James M. Wagner on February 26, 2013, 12:45:37 AM
Gettin' my swarm traps ready. -js
Title: Re: First swarm for me 2013
Post by: jpmeir on February 26, 2013, 08:46:47 PM
Baily, it seems the good state of LA has a lot of bees with a good temperment.  There's a lot of bee people on this site from your state that are having great suscess catching and raising bees. I've learn a lot reading you'alls post.
Title: Re: First swarm for me 2013
Post by: bailey on February 27, 2013, 02:18:03 AM
I like to think we have some good bees and good bee country around here. 
I did manage to catch another small swarm yesterday though.  Got called while at work.
The swarm was 2 blocks from work!
Ran to the swarm on my lunch break dropped them into a nuc and picked them up when I got off at 11 pm.
Guess I'm going to keep a few nucs in the truck for the rest of the spring now.
Bailey
Title: Re: First swarm for me 2013
Post by: PLAN-B on February 27, 2013, 09:43:27 PM
Moonlighting on your lunch break...lol nothing wrong with that