Swarm if someone wants one

[annette]

I know this is a long shot, but I know of a swarm right now in the Shingle Springs Area, here in Northern California. Got a call from a beekeeper, who says it is on a small tree right outside his house. He can't get it because all of his extra supers that he had laying around his carport, attracted swarms. He attracted 3 swarms this week alone. He is an elderly man and it is probably to much for him to run around to catch this one.

Anyway, he called me this afternoon to come and get it, but guess what??? I am recovering from an extremely bad bee sting, which swelled up my ankle and made it impossible to even walk or go to work today, so I am out of the picture on this one. To bad because it is my dream to catch a swarm.

So if anyone wants a swarm and is living around this area, let me know soon and I will pass his number on to you.

Annettte

What did you mean about placing them in with the brood box. What  brood box??   He has these 3 supers sitting outside his carport right now with bees going in and out and believes they are each a colony. I will try to get over there tomorrow and see what this is all about.

[Kathyp]

ice that sucker and go for it.  throw in about 800 of motrin.  you'll be fine by AM.  if it's still there, fetch it up!!!!

[rdy-b]

put the swarm in that darn deep with the frame of brood :lol:you and the other keeper can handel it.RDY-B

[annette]

If I am feeling better tomorrow and the swarm is still there, I will drive down and try to help him to catch it. This was not a simple swollen ankle, this was massive swelling with pain radiating up into my thigh, which kept me awake most of the night. It is much better today, but I am trying to stay off of it because I can see that it starts to swell up again if I walk around to much.

All I have though is a medium super left with 10 frames. Would I just place this super down near the swarm and shake the bees into the super??? Then cover the box with a migratory cover?? (which I have). Let me know soon, as I will probably try to catch this.

Thanks
Annette

[annette]

OK, the swarm is gone. Just called the guy. But he has another swarm, or he believes it to be a swarm, up against a shed down on his property.

I offered to come tomorrow with my medium super (this is all I have right now) and figure out what is going on with all these bees he has in boxes and up against sheds. I want to try and help him, if I can.

Will let you all know when I figure this out.

Annette

[Kathyp]

someone will give you good advice about getting the swarm into the box.  if i were doing it, absent other advice, i'd put a sheet down and put the box on top.  get the bees into the box as much as possible and brush or shake the others onto the sheet.  wait for bees to go into box.  secure...go home.

if that swelling and pain is not much improved by tomorrow, go see the doc.  in rare cases you can develop cellulites with a reaction like that.  elevate, ice, anti-inflammatory, between now and tomorrow.  also...take 50 mg of benadryl.  it might not help as much as it would have in the beginning, but it sure won't hurt.

last bad sting i got, the swelling was huge and lasted for days.  the difference is that i did not have the pain except a little at the sting site.  the itching was intense!!