Ok,
As I mentioned, my sister's wedding was this weekend and was being hosted at one of my other sister's house, so the family list of "to do's" was quite extensive...to say the least.
I had already pushed my luck a little by running off Friday evening to grab swarm #4. Saturday morning I woke up and headed to my sister house to get started on wedding prep. The last thing my wife said before I walked out the door was "NO, swarms today!"...
However, I no sooner got next door and my phone rang with a swarm call, had the guy text me a photo....it looked like a nice one and it was still early, so I made an executive decision to squeeze it in, based on the forgiveness is easier that permission rule of life. My nephew and I did a quick vacuum job on it and hauled tail back home for the closing hours of wedding prep.
(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s664/jeffrobert41183/Bees/Swarm%205%20and%206/55145F15-B5C0-42E1-80A7-D099E887D4F9-251-0000000DA0380572_zps76a24047.jpg)
Everything went fine...with the exception of one sting to the upper lip....Sorry, no pics! :)
The wedding was at 1800 hrs, at about 1500 hrs I got a call from work about a lady with a swarm. At this point, even I realize that's not an option. :-D
So, I give the lady a call and tell her I will be there first thing in the morning. So, 0800 Sunday morning, I went get this....perhaps the easiest swarm retrieval in history. :)
(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s664/jeffrobert41183/Bees/Swarm%205%20and%206/DA453D4E-8EA7-4E99-AD1F-BB6B381AC187-251-0000000D34AD364B_zps2c6c0a2c.jpg)
By Sunday evening I'm working on some wooden ware in the barn and my wife walks back to visit and tells me how active the bees seem. I walk out to see one of my hives swarming and settling about 40 feet up in a tree....Very high with lots of limbs between it and the ground. I reasoned rather quickly that there would be no easy way to retrieve it but grabbed a swarm trap and placed it beneath it.
While a few bees showed the new trap some interest, within in a few hours I was noticing a fair number of scouts, probably about 20 bees, at another swarm trap that I already had up about 75 feet away. I have my fingers crossed and I'm hopeful that they decide to move in. :)
WOW! What a weekend.....and this coming weekend is BUD5 :-D
Aren't you that guy that was complaining that you weren't getting any swarms? :-D
Got one yesterday myself. Used a vacuum and a 20 foot ladder to collect one that was 30 feet up at tree in a real thick wild area next to a friends house. About 4 pounds of bees.
A week ago I used a bucket taped to a stick and bumped them into the bucket, 12' up. Bees landed all over me and stung the heck out of my head and arms. after I dumped them in a box, they had me running for the hills. every time I got within 30' of that box they were all over me. I left it there and they moved on. I should have known they were hot, I had been sitting at the hive waiting for the Q to come out and they kept head butting my eyes, ears and lips and finally gave up because I just could not keep my eyes open with that many bees hitting them. Did the same thing the week before that and caught the Q as she came out. That was the first time i picked a Q up by hand.
Jim
X:X Way to go moots... so you trying to catch Bailey by this weekend huh....lol :-D Great job and glad your nephew was able to get in on the action... :cheer:
He is going to catch up quick. My swarms switched off with the cool snap a week ago.
So I have been playing with the rabbits and precooking and prepping for bud 5
Bailey
moots, you are On FIRE! :)
Sweet!!!!
Way to go Moots!!! X:X X:X X:X X:X X:X X:X X:X
Hope it keeps up for you.
David