my first swarm call...

John Adams · May 23, 2011, 03:09:13 PM

A lady from here in town calls me this morning about "a huge swarm of honey bees" in a bush in her front yard. I go by my house and get all my gear, throw it in the truck, and drive over to her house. She told me on the phone that they were flying around everywhere. Well i pull up and don't see " a huge swarm" in a bush so I got out and started looking around. I then saw MAYBE a double handful of bumble bees working some sorta shrub bush that was blooming. :roll: I called her and tried to explain that those were bumble bees and that they were just working that bush that was blooming, " well you must not be at the right house" "is XYZ your address?" " yes thats our house." well then you have a few bumble bees working this bush"....just about got me fired up how she wanted to argue with me! i guess all i can do now is laugh...

iddee · May 23, 2011, 05:08:06 PM

I have arrived at many swarm calls 5minutes after they left. She may have been right and they left before you got there.

Kathyp · May 23, 2011, 05:44:35 PM

happens all the time. i chased one around a neighborhood last year. they just would not settle. huge swarm and i finally got it, but had some serious doubts as i knocked on doors to get permission to chase it from yard to yard :-D

schawee · May 23, 2011, 08:33:24 PM

had a swarm in my backyard this year and went to get my nuc.when i got back they were gone. ,,,schawee

AllenF · May 23, 2011, 08:43:19 PM

And how about a swarm call and it is yellow jackets coming out of the ground?

hankdog1 · May 23, 2011, 09:08:38 PM

Quote from: AllenF on May 23, 2011, 08:43:19 PM
And how about a swarm call and it is yellow jackets coming out of the ground?

That's when you carry around a can of gas to pour on them and ask permission to light it lol. No need to light it really us fellers just love to watch stuff burn. :evil:

Kathyp · May 23, 2011, 09:11:15 PM

Quote
And how about a swarm call and it is yellow jackets coming out of the ground?

that's why i ask them to email me pictures. it's not foolproof. i had a lady go take a picture of a honeybee, but when i got there the problem was the yellowjackets in the ground :-D

John Adams · May 23, 2011, 09:12:19 PM

I'm almost positive that this was never a swarm to begin with judging from the details that she gave me. "There were loads of them flying around this bush this morning...and yesterday morning when we went to church, but not as many when we got back"... i'm almost certain it was bumble bees from the get go. oh well you win some and you lose some