Swarm Shake In Metairie, Louisiana-3/19/11

JP · March 20, 2011, 10:17:25 AM

Yesterday was quite a day folks, had me running a bit to say the least!

Saturday morning had me running out to Slidell, Louisiana to set Emil up on a removal underneath a window, approximately 3' off the ground, wrong! :-D They were between the ceiling joists adjacent to a bay window. There were many gaps in the construction which made for a little more difficult endeavor than we anticipated but the colony was little more than a swarm that had recently settled in, so once the queen was found, the bees marched into the set up, for the most part. Footage/pictures of that event to follow.

I had to leave Emil and head back in to put together three nucs for one of our members here from Crowley, Louisiana, "Papa Bear". With a name like Papa Bear I thought (Steven) would be an older gentleman but if I had to guess he's in his early thirties if that! Very nice fellow, always good to meet new members albeit our meeting was brief.

En route to meet with Papa Bear I received a 911 dispatch call for a swarm in Metairie, Louisiana. That was a very relaxed, pleasant experience to end my day with.

Hope y'all enjoy the footage.

...JP

BTW folks, just to give you an idea how different the weather can be at times from one year to the next, last year my first swarm shake was 3/19/10! This year my first call was February 25, if you recall (which went to Bailey) & my first catch was March 1st.

Meadowdale Swarm Catch, Metairie, Louisiana

vmmartin · March 20, 2011, 10:33:07 AM

Sounds like you were on the red carpet with all the picture taking going on in the background.

JP · March 20, 2011, 10:43:39 AM

I believe they enjoyed the event just as much as I did. ;)

...JP

jmblakeney · March 20, 2011, 11:40:37 AM

Awesome job! I like seeing how your are interacting with the public. Thanks

James

AllenF · March 20, 2011, 05:51:20 PM

Great job there educating the public. Take them to school JP. Great video.

annette · March 20, 2011, 09:29:58 PM

Nice that you ended the day close to home. Sounds like a totally exciting day for you.

Thanks once again for the video

Annette

Bee Happy · March 21, 2011, 03:09:32 AM

Really great ambassadorship (izzat a word?) as usual.
I'm kinda surprised you haven't have news cameras out videoing you catching a swarm. You'd do a lot better informing the public than a lot of the walking disasters we've seen on video before.
I still haven't worked up the nerve to bare-hand scoops of my trusted gentle bees.

montauk170 · March 21, 2011, 03:59:12 AM

We need to get JP on TV to educate the public about saving our bees!
Has anyone from Animal Planet or CNN contact you yet?

Also, in a swarm shake, how often do you go in to find the queen and then cage her?
100% of the time?

JP · March 22, 2011, 02:12:29 AM

Montauk, I usually try to find the queen but if its a really big swarm I am fine with the notion that she is in the catch box, according to the bees of course.

Yeah, come on Animal planet, Schawee's not getting any younger! :-D

...JP

skflyfish · March 22, 2011, 10:18:20 AM

Quote from: montauk170 on March 21, 2011, 03:59:12 AM
We need to get JP on TV to educate the public about saving our bees!
Has anyone from Animal Planet or CNN contact you yet?

JP may have lined up Under/Armour as a sponsor. :-D

Seriously, those are some good looking t-shirts. Someone dresses you well. :-D

Jay

AllenF · March 22, 2011, 10:16:46 PM

Those shirts are sting proof also. :-D

JP · March 24, 2011, 12:50:54 AM

At least I don't wear the same ones every day, well the same color, Ok, sometimes I do. :-D

...JP