March 19, 2009 Early Morning Swarm Catch-Updated With New Pictures

[JP]

This swarm had rested on this bush yesterday and the same lady that called me out on Sunday to catch a swarm in her backyard called me on this one, which was in her front yard by the street, this time.

It was a little cool last night and this morning and dewy so the bees were in a tight bunch.

I finally finished extracting the rest of my fall honey last night (this batch was 5 gallons worth) and put an extracted frame that had some honey on it in the catch box. This made the bees very happy!

Shook them in the box and because they were a little cold and damp, they didn't crawl up the sides much at all.

Put the top back on and taped all sides up except for small entrance hole.

Some bees went back to the bush, so I put a small drop cloth in the grass below and shook them onto it.

once the majority of the bees were in, I applied a little smoke to get even more in the box, then sealed it.

Left the box on the ground for 10 minutes or so to allow rest of bees to orient on the box.

Put the box in back of truck with straggler bees attached to outside of box. If you don't drive like a mad man, these will still be on the box when you get to your bee yard.

http://picasaweb.google.com/pyxicephalus/March192009?authkey=Gv1sRgCN61kOnYutb0PA#


...JP

[Kathyp]

they also keep people from running up your backside on the road, and stopping to close at a stop light!!   :evil:

[catfishbill]

hey man is that the same xerox box from last year?  :-D maybe xerox needs to sell a swarm trap box JP style!nice work.    bill

[JP]

hey man is that the same xerox box from last year?  :-D maybe xerox needs to sell a swarm trap box JP style!nice work.    bill

Not the same boxes, these are slightly deeper and can hold a deep frame. Last yrs was blue and white.

Yes, Kathy, I need a bumper sticker that says keep back 500'!


...JP

[JP]

I added some pics of this swarm being hived in a deep nuc with drawn out frames.

The last two pics are of a swarm I checked out on a fence this evening. It was on both sides of the fence but where I really need to work, the lady was not home so I left a note on her door.

No call yet so I may not get these but we'll see.

http://picasaweb.google.com/pyxicephalus/March192009?authkey=Gv1sRgCN61kOnYutb0PA#


...JP

[snmyork]

JP you wouldn't mind sending some of those swarms to SC would you. With my schedule it would be hard for me to get swarms. If would get a call my luck I would be up the road two hours away.

[gaucho10]

JP,

You don't need to make up any excuses why you were speeding!

[Cindi]

JP, yep, great pics, my kingdom to one day be able to be in an area to catch some swarms.  We just are not a swarmy climate up here, well, we do get swams, but not like way down south where the bananas grow, eeks!!!!! Go JP!!!   Beautiful day in the great life, health.  Cindi