First swarm call for the season (in Melbourne at least)

philinacoma · September 08, 2010, 09:21:18 PM

Yeah, first swarm call! :-D

darn, can't do it! :'(

It needs to be done now...so passed on it. :hissyfit:

OzBuzz · September 08, 2010, 10:18:47 PM

I'm off sick from work and can go right now!

OzBuzz · September 09, 2010, 03:56:13 AM

Thanks so much Philinacoma for passing that one my way... I was able to get hold of the swarm coordinator and he hadn't yet passed it on to anyone so i went out. It turned out that it was Mt Waverley not Glen Waverley... it was pretty easy to find once I got to the right place - you couldn't miss it! I haven't got many swarms to compare it too but I would say it was quite large - it filled up one of my boxes. It appears I got the Queen in with the first brush because they all started fanning in the gap I had left by leaving the lid ajar and the bees that were airborne started settling on the box and going in to it. I allowed them to re-group and did a couple more sweeps and then just let the box sit for a little while after which the majority of them flew down to the box. My first ever swarm collection! thanks Phil :) not only have you given me my first ever cut out but now my first ever swarm collection! Below is a picture:

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philinacoma · September 09, 2010, 04:15:13 AM

You're welcome mate. :-D

Aint they pretty? :'(

OzBuzz · September 12, 2010, 09:48:05 PM

They are very pretty!

I had a quick check in the hive yesterday - i know i should have been patient but you know how it is - they'd taken over 750mL of 1:1 syrup in one day and they've been collecting mountain loads of pollen and nectar. They have completely drawn out the one frame of undrawn foundation that i placed in the hive (in three days) and started filling it - i also spotted some beautifully placed eggs in a lot of cells! I think this hive is going to be well and truly busting at the seams in a matter of weeks!

I can't wait to get some more :)

OzBuzz · September 16, 2010, 08:09:37 AM

I received two swarm calls today and i just got back from picking them both up! they were both quite large in size - similar to the one that i picked up at the train station. One had been there for about three days and they weren't overly happy at my intervention - the other one landed yesterday... the weather has been a bit overcast this afternoon with occassional rain - both swarms weren't overly impressed with me hiving them. I copped four stings - that's what you get for trying to put a warm roof over their heads i guess and taking them in out of the cold

philinacoma · September 16, 2010, 09:57:48 AM

Good going. What did you do to get stung? So far I have not been stung on a swarm collection. Cut-outs yes, but thats because the time involved is so much longer.