Swarm Season is Upon Us

[bassman1977]

Last night my wife's uncle gave me a call.  He found a hive in one of the farm fields.  Apparently a swarm landed in a bush.  We went out and sure enough, there was a football sized swarm.  It's already 10:30pm when we got out there.  It was pretty easy collecting the swarm.  I took 3 frames out of the hive box, slid the box under the swarm and 2 or 3 shakes later, most of the hive was in their new home.  I am pretty sure I caught the queen.  The straggler workers were doing everything they could to get inside the box after I sealed it up.  They are pretty active now orienting in my bee yard.

This morning when I went into the bee yard to check on last night's catch, I heard a loud buzz.  I thought to myself...man...those bees are loud (thinking they were the new hive).  I looked over about 25 feet from the edge of my apiary and low and behold another swarm!!!  This one was about the size of a football also.  They were in a bush also so I used the same technique as last night and now I have captured two swarms in about 13 hours.

The first swarm I caught looks to be a feral swarm.  They are tiny tiny bees.  Chances are likely that the second swarm that I got this morning are a swarm one of my older hives.  Hard to say though.

My wife got some pics and a bit of video from this morning's catch.  I'll post them when I get a chance and if they came out good.

[1reb]

Congratulations bassman1977
on catching your swarms i cannot wait to see the pic and video
Johnny

[bassman1977]

I am not sure if this will work or not.  I don't use Image Shack too often but here goes.  This should link to the gallery with the pics.  The majority of them are from the swarm I caught this morning.  My wife took a couple shots of the hive from last night.  They kinda clustered at the front entrance for a few minutes but then it started raining 30 minutes after the morning swarm was hived and they all went back inside the hive.

http://img33.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=1001495m.jpg

[G3farms]

Never seen pink bees before, is that a new strain :-D

good job on getting the two swarms put up.

and thanks for the pics.

G3

[bassman1977]

Never seen pink bees before, is that a new strain grin

LOL...I thought they were grapes when my wife got them on my computer.