the best swarm call

Kathyp · May 08, 2008, 12:52:29 AM

guy called me today. he'd had a swarm land in his backyard. he took it down and put it in a box. i am going to go pick it up tomorrow am. life is good :-D

MrILoveTheAnts · May 08, 2008, 01:24:56 AM

Well that was handy of him.

JP · May 08, 2008, 04:41:49 AM

Quote from: kathyp on May 08, 2008, 12:52:29 AM
guy called me today. he'd had a swarm land in his backyard. he took it down and put it in a box. i am going to go pick it up tomorrow am. life is good :-D

In my backyard now, I have two colonies that are in a rubbermade container and one inside of a car speaker. Got a call yesterday to pick up one in a a birdhouse. Since these are small hives, I usually enjoy them for a while before the transfer.

The ones in the car speaker I'm particularly fond of.

...JP

KONASDAD · May 08, 2008, 05:25:37 PM

Its not even your birthday! Good for you. It should always be this easy.

HAB · May 08, 2008, 05:50:50 PM

What are you eating for breakfast-4 leaf clovers? :)

Kathyp · May 08, 2008, 06:09:19 PM

drove over. found them in a cardboard nuc that the last person had left behind. a big tree in the front yard throws 2 or 3 swarms a year. they land right down in the flower garden. can you believe that this family called all the people on the swarm call list they found. no one would come get them. i was the last on the list. these folks even fed the bees to make sure they'd be ok until someone came after them. needless to say, i told them i'd come after any other swarms that came. she thinks this is already the 2nd or 3rd this year. they missed the first couple. :-) yup, i am lucky....but just to balance things out, i took on a cutout for next week that looks like it's going to be a bit of a challenge.

Cindi · May 09, 2008, 09:35:52 AM

Kathy, go, girl, go!!! That swarm was probably one of the easiest you will ever get, now girl, go and have some fun with that cutout, I take my hat off to ya. I know I would never attempt a cutout, that area could never look the same, I would probably nail some boards into the wrong spot and make it even worse, hee, hee, beautiful day in this wonderful life, Cindi

Kathyp · May 09, 2008, 11:42:17 AM

cindi, i make it clear that i will take things apart and take the bees. putting things back together is not my job. i also tell them that i will be as careful and clean up as much as i can. i will scrape all the hive out etc., but the final clean up is their responsibility. so far, people have no problem with that. i am sure they could pay someone to do the whole thing for them. i am not that person. :-)

you are right about this swarm. wondering if i should have quit on a high note! i'm don't for awhile after this cutout. out of equipment and have plenty of hives now!

Cindi · May 10, 2008, 09:18:16 AM

Kathy, good, the fact that you removed the bees should be enough to make people happy, yeah!!! So girl, how many colonies of bees do you have now? You are going GREAT......beautiful day in this wonderful life we lead. Cindi

Kathy, go and get some pictures, I know you have a camera, come on, come on, I wanna see what you are up to!!!!!

Kathyp · May 10, 2008, 09:27:07 AM

i'll try to remember to take pics on wednessday when i do the cutout. i get to doing something and forget everything else. no helper this time with hubby out of the country :-\

Cindi · May 10, 2008, 09:47:48 AM

Kathy, I know what you mean, I mean to take pictures too sometimes when I am working the hives and I get too engrossed in what I am doing to remember, oh brother, sometimes I remember, sometimes I don't. Just try, if you can't that is OK. I want you to tell me how many colonies you have now. I can't quite remember, but I think that you overwintered two, right? Beautiful and most wonderful day, girl. Cindi

Kathyp · May 10, 2008, 12:43:10 PM

i overwintered 3 and lost one a few weeks ago. i now have 6. i really don't want more than 6, but the cutout will make 7. i will be done after that. out of equipment :-)

JP · May 10, 2008, 01:31:41 PM

Quote from: kathyp on May 10, 2008, 12:43:10 PM
i overwintered 3 and lost one a few weeks ago. i now have 6. i really don't want more than 6, but the cutout will make 7. i will be done after that. out of equipment :-)

Kathy!!!! Girl, you have caught the cut-out bug, you know you gonna have more than 7, you know it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D

...JP

Kathyp · May 10, 2008, 02:39:59 PM

next year. i have things i have to get done and some even have deadlines :-). as much fun as the collections are, i have to self limit.

KONASDAD · May 10, 2008, 04:22:35 PM

Quote from: kathyp on May 10, 2008, 12:43:10 PM
i overwintered 3 and lost one a few weeks ago. i now have 6. i really don't want more than 6, but the cutout will make 7. i will be done after that. out of equipment :-)

MB suggested in another thread dequeen the poor hives and combine to increase your genetic quality. I too have more hives then I can have in my yard and equipment shortages. I will do as MB says after I figure which hives are of poor quality from my recent additions.