Still Shots from my Swarm Capture

LET-CA · April 12, 2007, 10:16:11 PM

Here's a couple of still shots from the swarm I captured on April 10, 2007 in Sacramento, CA. The first photo shows the swarm still in the tree. The second is of the landing porch of the hive with the bees sending out the signal to come in. Lots of little bee "hineys" up in the air while they fan their wings. I tried doing that same move on my front porch. Nothing of any value responded! :-D

Videos are also posted at YouTube. (Search for videos by LETCA)

http://lennytaylor.freeyellow.com/004.jpg
http://lennytaylor.freeyellow.com/009.jpg

I estimate that this swarm was 4 to 5 lbs of bees.

pdmattox · April 12, 2007, 10:58:28 PM

Nice pictures and a very nice swarm.

Understudy · April 12, 2007, 11:19:38 PM

You make it seem easy

Sincerely,
Brendhan

nepenthes · April 12, 2007, 11:23:58 PM

Might this be the queen

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/alaskaheadbanger/Bee%20Hives/c9422a5b.jpg

Im probably wrong but just thought I might try... shes probably in the hive by now.

pdmattox · April 12, 2007, 11:26:27 PM

Cody, I vote no. Queens I have seen are solid in color and not banded.

LET-CA · April 13, 2007, 12:20:19 AM

Quote from: nepenthes on April 12, 2007, 11:23:58 PM
Might this be the queen

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/alaskaheadbanger/Bee%20Hives/c9422a5b.jpg

Im probably wrong but just thought I might try... shes probably in the hive by now.

I think that bee looks larger but only because the rear end of another bee is showing with it. I'm pretty sure the queen was captured with the initial shake of the swarm from the branch. If you look at the YouTube videos linked below, you'll see that the bees practically ran into the hive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xL6xxnxtSu0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqXngET7X2k

All the best

Mici · April 13, 2007, 05:17:49 AM

look to the right of this "properly turned bee", there's a DRONE :-D

thegolfpsycho · April 13, 2007, 11:48:54 AM

One other thing to keep in mind. The queen has usually stopped laying well before the swarm issues to get into flying trim. Makes them very difficult to see, even to the practiced eye.

Brian D. Bray · April 14, 2007, 07:56:08 PM

In my experience, if the bees "ran" into the hive the queen was already in it. If the hindends were up in the air signalling the nast majority of the bees would enter encluding the queen. when catching a swarm it is normal for some of the bees to return the the place the swarm had settled. Brushing or dropping them into the hive will get most of those bees in too.
At this point if the hive is not making a keaning sound then the hive can be assumed to be queen right.

LET-CA · April 16, 2007, 12:59:55 AM

Quote from: Brian D. Bray on April 14, 2007, 07:56:08 PM...snip... At this point if the hive is not making a keaning sound then the hive can be assumed to be queen right.

I'm new enough to beekeeping so the sound of the hive is mostly just a loud buzz. Prior to this year I had only captured one swarm. I decided to believe what I'd read and signed up with our local beekeeping store to capture swarms this year. I've done half a dozen in the past couple of weeks and it's been great fun.

My comments and suggestions are based mostly on what I've read, and my very limited field experience. I woudn't be able to effectively comment on differing kinds of sounds coming from a hive. I look forward to having that level of knowledge.