A Swarm In The Middle of a Thunderstorm!

[Rebel Rose Apiary]

Yesterday was another day with lots of rain and thunderstorms! I have had the blues since the flooding and my losses bees really brought me down. Being cooped up in the house all day is not what I like....so I took a walk 'in the rain' just to get out of here for awhile...the pina coladas did not help!  :roll:
I watched the dark clouds and flashes of lightning all around me....thought maybe I should go back inside after a few close hits. On the way back to the house, I could hear the well known sound of Italians! (They have a distinct sound to me.) Not far from the front door there was a bush with bees around it.....inside under the leaves was a large cluster of bees! (Keep in mind that I keep Carnies & one Russian hive at my home yard, not Italians! They were not my bees that had swarmed!)

I grabbed some gear and a box and went to work getting them out of the heavy rain that was pouring down. Soaked to the bone, I went back inside a little happier...after all, I had a 'swarm fix' and that is better than any pina colada! :-D

I never have gotten any bees before that had swarmed in the middle of a thunderstorm! When I placed the queen into the box, I could hear her start piping over the rain. Anyone else ever seen them swarm in the middle of a thunderstorm before?

The swarm was NOT there when I went outside, but arrived while I was out weather watching.

Brenda

[Kathyp]

i wonder if there is a connection between the t-storms and swarming.  i got a couple during a series of storms last month and got a call that i missed last week.  all right before or in between pretty good t-storms.