Caught my first swarm of 2019.

[jtcmedic]

 
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Looks like a good one too!  Congratulations!   Jim I have never caught a swarm. Last spring I went to fire houses, police stations, 911 center  ETC. But never got a swarm call. However, I did get cut out calls and was happy to get them!
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I did that also( as I work for fire rescue) in last 19 years had 0(only been keeping for 4) have gotten a bunch from water department

[Ben Framed]

Looks like a good one too!  Congratulations!   Jim I have never caught a swarm. Last spring I went to fire houses, police stations, 911 center  ETC. But never got a swarm call. However, I did get cut out calls and was happy to get them!
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I did that also( as I work for fire rescue) in last 19 years had 0(only been keeping for 4) have gotten a bunch from water department
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Thanks for the tip! I didn't think of water departments..
Phillip

[CoolBees]

That looks like a good one Jim. Congratulations and keep up the great work!

[BeeMaster2]

I just picked up my second swarm. It was 20 feet up on a couple of thin branches.
Here is a picture of them going in the swarm box.
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Jim

Looks like a good one too!  Congratulations!   Jim I have never caught a swarm. Last spring I went to fire houses, police stations, 911 center  ETC. But never got a swarm call. However, I did get cut out calls and was happy to get them!

Ben,
I put an add on Craig?s List (for one month) yesterday, received my first call this morning.
Jim

[Ben Framed]

Jim that is another option that I did not consider. Thanks to you and jtcmedic for the good tips!

[ed/La.]

I was at work yesterday and left back if my truck open and pulled a nuc out and had scout bees around it  so I left it in a spot and baited it so will see what happens fingers crossed

swarm traps in back of truck do give you hints on where to place traps. I usually have a few in the back of truck to replace traps that have caught or if I  find  a good location to place one. Any activity around truck and I  find somewhere nearby to set my trap.

[Ben Framed]

I was at work yesterday and left back if my truck open and pulled a nuc out and had scout bees around it  so I left it in a spot and baited it so will see what happens fingers crossed

swarm traps in back of truck do give you hints on where to place traps. I usually have a few in the back of truck to replace traps that have caught or if I  find  a good location to place one. Any activity around truck and I  find somewhere nearby to set my trap.

ed/La. Good common sense thinking. I like it. Thanks for posting. Please let us know how this one works out along with your other progress. "I left it in a spot and baited it so will see what happens"
Phillip

[BeeMaster2]

I received a swarm call yesterday morning for a swarm 20 feet up on an apartment building in Jacksonxille. Went right over and used a bee vac, a ladder and 8 feet of PVC one inch pipe to get them.
Owner was gone when I left so I left my card.
Here are 2 pictures:

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I then, with Bobsims help, worked on my hives that are in town. We were finished at 5:00 when I received a call from the same person saying the bees were back. Here are the pictures she sent:

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We ran right over but when we got there the main second swarm had left.
It would have been really neat to catch two swarms from the exact same spot in one day.
Jim

[Ben Framed]

"It would have been really neat to catch two swarms from the exact same spot in one day"

Yes it would have been nice to catch the two. You almost did! The second looked a little smaller than the first, I would have been happy to have either!!  Probably a good chance the second swarm could still smell the pheromones of the first and lit in the same spot? The idea with the pvc was a good one. Have you used this method before?  Looks like swarm season is in full bloom in your area Jim. Congratulations on the new bees!
Phillip

[BeeMaster2]

Thanks.
Not only have I used the PVC method, I was using the same piece of PVC. I know that because last year Judy and I were collecting a swarm that was split in two. One was on the ground that we knew about and the other was 12 feet above it hanging from an I beam. The owner provided the piece of pipe. It had a small kink in it and he said to take it if we could use it.you can see the kink in the picture.
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Jim 

[Ben Framed]

I like it. I wonder if a swarm was even higher, could you use the type of schedule 40 PVC that has a MOLDED in coupling on one end, allowing even more extention? I dont know the proper description for this type pipe but the local hardware store sells it in 20' sections for about 6-7 dollars per link. 1". I know because I had to have some just a short time ago. We could cut the 20' pieces down to 10-12' keeping the coupled side on two, three, or even four pieces, if the situation called for it?

[BeeMaster2]

It is better to use schedule 20 instead of 40. It is lighter and easier to handle holding it up at an angle. I would suspect 15 feet is close to max to handle without bouncing it around and hurting the bees.
I would not add connectors but the pipes with the deep built in connection would probably work.
Jim

[Ben Framed]

It is better to use schedule 20 instead of 40. It is lighter and easier to handle holding it up at an angle. I would suspect 15 feet is close to max to handle without bouncing it around and hurting the bees.
I would not add connectors but the pipes with the deep built in connection would probably work.
Jim

That makes scenes. Thanks Jim,
Philllip

[BeeMaster2]

Received a call about the below swarm. It is not very large but a nice swarm. The limb they are on is about 2 1/2 inches in diameter.

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It was too large and stiff to get a good shake so I bumped it real hard with the swarm box. That worked pretty well.

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I put five fully drawn frames in the box. It should anchor them better than empty frames.

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Jim

[jtcmedic]

Well Jim has taken the lead on the swarms.well done

[Ben Framed]

Well Jim has taken the lead on the swarms.well done

Yep, good job Jim!

[BeeMaster2]

😄
Thanks JT and Phillip.
Jim

[BeeMaster2]

On Wednesday, BobSim and I were working together getting the bees back here for BeeFest and we received a call to remove bees from a dryer vent. On our way there we received a call for a swarm hanging at about 5 feet above the ground in a tree.
I held a Nuc under the branch and Bob shook it. He shook it so hard that they slammed into the box real hard. 3 bees immediately came out and stung me, one on my left eye lid, and one in each nostril. It was rough. Here are some pictures.

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Jim

[Ben Framed]

I noticed that you were sure to mention Bob Sim  by first and last name !! 😊😁😁😁  that Bob!!  No doubt who this rascal is!! Dang Bob !! 😁😁. Those are some  sensitive places! I would be happy with the bees but you paid a painful price!   

[BeeMaster2]

Phillip,
BobSim is the name he goes by here on BeeMaster. For those that were here at BeeFest last year, we went to his house and did splits on his top bar hives.
As we arrived at his house there was a swarm of drones moving into one of his hives. There were so many drones that at first it looked like usurpation but then we saw that it was almost all drones. He said it happened again this spring. He has a drone congratulations area near his house.
Jim