Golden Swarm Caught Today

Scott Derrick · April 01, 2009, 02:11:38 AM

Well kinda.....Got a call this afternoon for a swarm located about 5 miles from my home. When I arrived I noticed immediately that their color was much brighter then what I have seen. It looked to me like a bright golden ball of bees. I spoke with my mentor and he said that they were probably from the cordovan strain. Very nice golden color. I took plenty of photos and caught a couple with their nasonov gland working overtime. There is a video of the bees marching into the hive that I'll load later. Youtube is performing maintenance and I couldn't load that.

http://picasaweb.google.com/rsderrick/March31st2009#

Shawn · April 01, 2009, 10:23:21 AM

Nice catch.

annette · April 01, 2009, 01:15:46 PM

Oh what beautiful photos of those golden bees. Tell me Scott, how exactly did you get those bees off the bush??? Did you brush them into the box? Did you scoop them up in your hands and throw the clumps into the box???

I need to know because I am waiting for a swarm call and want to keep asking questions and learning.

Thanks
Annette

Scott Derrick · April 01, 2009, 01:20:19 PM

Hi Annette,

Good question! Well I took about three large handfuls of the bees and placed them into the box. I then placed the entrance close to the base of the crape myrtle. I was trying to get them to march in and I was successful. It took them about 1 hour to all go in. Here is the video of the marching in. It is kinda grainy on youtube but at least you can see them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sv7-P1551zE&feature=channel_page

Enjoy!

annette · April 01, 2009, 01:23:54 PM

OK when they started to march in, then at that point you knew you got the queen thrown in there. That was very easy it seems.

JP · April 01, 2009, 01:43:50 PM

I don't know Scott, they look like Italians to me.

...JP

Scott Derrick · April 01, 2009, 02:06:43 PM

Annette,

As it turned out, I didn't have the queen. I actually left the box there for about an hour while I took my youngest bee to the doctor. When I came back to pick it up, about half to 3/5 were in the box. They had stopped marching in. At that point I figured I didn't have the queen. I ended up taking another hand full and the girls and placing them into the box. When I released the handful I noticed the "ole girl" coming out and going down onto a frame. At that point it they almost ran into the hive. It took about 10 minutes for the rest to go in.

Hope you get lots this year!

beeslinger · April 01, 2009, 02:10:39 PM

Swarms are good............

Scott Derrick · April 01, 2009, 02:10:50 PM

Quote from: JP on April 01, 2009, 01:43:50 PM
I don't know Scott, they look like Italians to me.

JP..it might bee that there is a bit of a mixture in the swarm. The majority were bright gold. I took a look on google images for cordovan honey bees and the majority of the swarm looked much like that breed to me. Not really sure. I'll take some more photos when I can and post them.

JP · April 01, 2009, 02:38:58 PM

It could be me, but they don't seem to be that golden to me compared to Italians. Of course I'm looking at pics, you're looking at the real thing.

...JP

greenismycolor · April 01, 2009, 08:03:28 PM

Hi Scott

Great Pictures! Please keep em comming!

wadehump · April 01, 2009, 09:30:12 PM

looks like the italian bees i had 30 years ago

ArmucheeBee · April 01, 2009, 11:01:13 PM

Is that wax in the close ups? How long had they been there?

dhood · April 01, 2009, 11:38:24 PM

I can't see it from the picture, but I think I know what your describing. I've got a hive that the bees are very bright compared the the others, definitly catches your eye.

annette · April 02, 2009, 12:03:18 AM

Quote from: Scott Derrick on April 01, 2009, 02:06:43 PM
Annette,

As it turned out, I didn't have the queen. I actually left the box there for about an hour while I took my youngest bee to the doctor. When I came back to pick it up, about half to 3/5 were in the box. They had stopped marching in. At that point I figured I didn't have the queen. I ended up taking another hand full and the girls and placing them into the box. When I released the handful I noticed the "ole girl" coming out and going down onto a frame. At that point it they almost ran into the hive. It took about 10 minutes for the rest to go in.

Hope you get lots this year!

OK thanks for the info. This was good to know because you never know it can happen to me and now I understand what to do.

Annette

Cindi · April 02, 2009, 11:32:20 PM

Scott, beauty. That feeling of watching the bees march into their new home is nothing short of something to behold. I have seen that a couple of times and it makes ya feel just so ding dang good. Nice videography, and thank you for having the patience to wait for u-tube to be finished maintenance to get the pics in for us to see. I never tire of watching bee videos, smiling, lovely....have that most beautifully wonderful and awesome day, great health wishes. Cindi

Brian D. Bray · April 03, 2009, 02:48:38 AM

Quote from: wadehump on April 01, 2009, 09:30:12 PM
looks like the italian bees i had 30 years ago

That's exactly what I was thinking. Looked a little dark to be Cordovan.

Scott Derrick · April 11, 2009, 08:09:19 PM

Some of them are darker then others. Many of them remind me of the color of a pair of shoes I have.