First swarm 2016

BeeMaster2 · March 15, 2016, 12:36:00 AM

I received my first swarm call this evening. I came home and was getting ready to do a couple of hive inspections when I received a call from number from south FL. She started asking about bees It turned out she was in south Jacksonville calling about swarm on a tree. Turned out to be a nice swarm on a 3" thick branch. I used a whisk hand brush and dust pan to put them in a nuc swarm box. I sprayed them with sugar water to keep them from taking off. Worked real well. There was some dancing on the surface of the swarm but it stopped after I sprayed them. They liked the box and were flying in on their own and scenting the entrance.
I will have to keep my truck stocked with swarm equipment now.
Jim

herbhome · March 15, 2016, 01:20:20 AM

Cool!

Lancej · March 15, 2016, 04:08:24 AM

That's excellent Jim, keep us updated, l would like to hear how many you get in a season.

folieadeux · March 15, 2016, 05:13:05 AM

Congratulations :)
I'm green with envy ... we're going into autumn here & my burning ambition to catch another swarm will just have to simmer until spring :)

Beewildered61 · March 15, 2016, 09:53:33 AM

Great! :)

BeeMaster2 · March 15, 2016, 12:20:18 PM

Thanks all.
I have a lot of bee equipment sitting idle and I hope that this year, I can put it all back in use.
I will try to let you know when I get swarms in the future.
Jim

yes2matt · March 15, 2016, 12:26:23 PM

Quote from: sawdstmakr on March 15, 2016, 12:36:00 AM
There was some dancing on the surface of the swarm but it stopped after I sprayed them.

What is this, what does it indicate? I don't intend to chase swarms but ya never know.

BeeMaster2 · March 15, 2016, 12:46:39 PM

Quote from: yes2matt on March 15, 2016, 12:26:23 PM

Quote from: sawdstmakr on March 15, 2016, 12:36:00 AM
There was some dancing on the surface of the swarm but it stopped after I sprayed them.
What is this, what does it indicate? I don't intend to chase swarms but ya never know.

When the bees swarm, they have not decided where to go. Once they are out of the hive, they bunch up and the scouts go out and find new suitable locations. They scent the location with what smells to us as lemongrass oil, and then go back to the swarm and do a dance to tell other scouts where they found a possible location. They give distance and direction, the scented location helps them zero in where it is. They go out and look at it, measure the volume, entrance size and height above the ground. If they like it, they will also come back and dance for this location. The more they like it the harder they dance for it. At the same time, other scouts are doing the same thing for other location. There is a pure democratic operation going on while the swarm is waiting on finding a new location. When all of the scouts are dancing the same dance, (if there are a few hold outs for another location the bees will head but them so that they cannot dance for the other location) the swarm is told to take to the air. The bees start a loud buzz as they warm the wing muscles and then they take off. If you can interfere with the dance communications you can keep them there while you get them into a box. If you see bees all over the outside of the swarm ball doing the same dance you may just get to see them take off. I have so I try to make sure it doesn't happen.
The next time you go to pick up a swarm, look for bees doing a dance.

Jim

Beewildered61 · March 15, 2016, 03:39:19 PM

Well, I had my first swarm today, unfortunately it looks like it might have been from one of my two hives. I was inside and my wife was coming in from town and said, "Something's going on with bees outside, I hear them loud!" I ran outside and there was a huge swarm, right above the bradford pears at my outbuilding. I watched as they went low to the ground I had my fingers crossed, then they started back up and went into the top of a leland cypress, about 30-40 feet up, in my front yard. I can't even see the bee ball, but I see a couple in and out of the tree every once in awhile.....

I went and checked my biggest/oldest hive and there wasn't much activity around the entrance like there have been , and it's warmer today than it has been, they are predicting 85F. I went back later and there are bees zooming back and forth, like business as usual, but ti still looks like the quantity isn't there.......

I have an empty hive and a swarm trap set out, but I have queen scent in them I bought. I ordered some lemongrass oil Saturday.....

BeeMaster2 · March 15, 2016, 11:56:57 PM

BW,
I hope you get them. Let us know.
Jim

divemaster1963 · March 16, 2016, 12:45:57 AM

If you see a swarm in the air. Grab a bucket and stick and start drumming it with a steady beat. It will 95% of the time bring them down low to the ground. They think it is a storm coming and the will bunch up down low. I have been using this tanging methods for years and it does work.

John

Beewildered61 · March 16, 2016, 07:08:48 AM

thanks divemaster1963, sure wish I had known about it yesterday.... I sure thought they were going to light in one of the lower bradford pears, and I could have gotten them then :(

Dabbler · March 16, 2016, 08:12:25 AM

Quote from: sawdstmakr on March 15, 2016, 12:46:39 PM
Quote from: yes2matt on March 15, 2016, 12:26:23 PM

Quote from: sawdstmakr on March 15, 2016, 12:36:00 AM
There was some dancing on the surface of the swarm but it stopped after I sprayed them.
What is this, what does it indicate? I don't intend to chase swarms but ya never know.

When the bees swarm, they have not decided where to go. Once they are out of the hive, they bunch up and the scouts go out and find new suitable locations. They scent the location with what smells to us as lemongrass oil, and then go back to the swarm and do a dance to tell other scouts where they found a possible location. They give distance and direction, the scented location helps them zero in where it is. They go out and look at it, measure the volume, entrance size and height above the ground. If they like it, they will also come back and dance for this location. The more they like it the harder they dance for it. At the same time, other scouts are doing the same thing for other location. There is a pure democratic operation going on while the swarm is waiting on finding a new location. When all of the scouts are dancing the same dance, (if there are a few hold outs for another location the bees will head but them so that they cannot dance for the other location) the swarm is told to take to the air. The bees start a loud buzz as they warm the wing muscles and then they take off. If you can interfere with the dance communications you can keep them there while you get them into a box. If you see bees all over the outside of the swarm ball doing the same dance you may just get to see them take off. I have so I try to make sure it doesn't happen.
The next time you go to pick up a swarm, look for bees doing a dance.

Jim

Jim I have read Honeybee Democracy and understand (. . . well almost) the dancing and "voting" process associated with swarms. However when we catch a swarm we essentially rig the election by manually relocating the swarm to our box.
Has anyone researched/explained how this preempts the bees natural dancing/voting process?

Michael Bush · March 16, 2016, 10:18:58 AM

>Has anyone researched/explained how this preempts the bees natural dancing/voting process?

Sometimes it does not. When it does, I think it's just because they look around in the dark confines and give a sigh of relief that they found a home...

>When the bees swarm, they have not decided where to go.

I've some I'm quite sure had already decided. They barely got in a cluster and took off for the wild blue yonder...

BeeMaster2 · March 16, 2016, 11:10:42 AM

Michael,
I agree but I think the final decision happens out side of the hive.
The scouts are always checking out my swarm traps.
Jim

NikTheGreek · March 16, 2016, 07:34:15 PM

Quote from: divemaster1963 on March 16, 2016, 12:45:57 AM
If you see a swarm in the air. Grab a bucket and stick and start drumming it with a steady beat. It will 95% of the time bring them down low to the ground. They think it is a storm coming and the will bunch up down low. I have been using this tanging methods for years and it does work.

John

Wow..

Great info divemaster1963 .
thnx for shearing .

GSF · March 16, 2016, 10:49:27 PM

The bucket beating thing actually dates back to old European law. If you were a beekeeper and a hive threw a swarm you could cross someone else's property if you were beating metal together. Having said that, I learned about the law after I started doing it. I'll keep doing it because I believe it does have some effect on getting them to land.

divemaster1963 · March 16, 2016, 10:53:08 PM

I missed my second swarm call today. Got a call from a business about a swarm the size of a basketball. Got there at lunch they were gone. There were there for only three hours. When they decide they decide quickly.

John

johng · March 20, 2016, 03:18:26 PM

I caught one about 2 weeks ago. But, it seems to be starting off a little slow so far.

divemaster1963 · March 20, 2016, 10:30:20 PM

Well I when Sat. To do the removal that I setup for spring. To short on my little giant ladders. Was 27 feet not 17. Went back today and started it. Opened it up and found 5 Queen cells. So time to split. Decided not to vac and just divide and conquer. Got done at dusk and had 5 new hives. Early start on making up my losses. Now don only 25. Next weekend I'm doing splits of all the strong hives. Except for 3 for honey.

John