|
Post by brownrexx on May 26, 2015 19:34:31 GMT -5
I mentioned before that we lost 2 out of our 4 bee hives over the winter so I cleaned up all of the empty hives and was just waiting for a swarm to catch. Today hubby came home from work and called me on the phone and said "get your swarm stuff and meet me outside". You never know when a swarm will happen so you have to be ready at a moment's notice.
This was the weirdest swarm that either of us had ever seen. I hope James will chime in here.
There is the big round swarm which is what we normally see and then there is what looks like a tube of bees but it actually has a branch inside. The bees just kept getting onto the branch and their weight pulled it to the ground. I don't know what a bee weighs but 20,000 or so of them must weigh a lot.
Anyway we didn't know if we had one swarm or two separate ones so we got out 2 hive bodies (boxes). Hubby put one box under the round ball of bees and shook the branch to knock them into the box but they came piling right back out!
We assume that the queen was in the tube of bees that were on the branch because when he shook those bees into the 2nd box, all of the bees from the first box followed them inside. It was a LOT of bees.
Just now he went out and picked up the box and placed it in it's permanent location and the bees are already foraging and going back inside the hive so I guess that they liked their new home.
You can see the 2 parts of the swarm in this pic. The round, normal looking swarm is right above the box.
Here he is shaking the "pole" into the 2nd box
Hubby getting up close and personal with the bees. Notice that I am definitely NOT participating in this part.
|
|
|
Post by datgirl on May 26, 2015 19:41:51 GMT -5
Brown, that is so cool. Thanks for posting!!!
|
|
|
Post by desertwoman on May 26, 2015 19:49:38 GMT -5
Notice that I am definitely NOT participating in this part. Wise decision. I'd be right beside you! But these are amazing photos. And your hubby is a natural at bee keeping. He looks so relaxed.
|
|
|
Post by brownrexx on May 26, 2015 19:59:19 GMT -5
When I commented on how he had his face right up to the bees he said "they are so busy doing their thing that they don't even know that I am here".
Later in the evening he picked up and moved the whole hive to it's permanent location without wearing his bee suit or veil. He just had on jeans, a t-shirt and bee gloves. He was really happy because he had never done that before without a suit but he said that it was too hot to put that suit on again.
We have had swarms many times before but I have never seen a tube of bees like that and I have definitely never seen so many bees in the air at one time. It was truly amazing.
|
|
|
Post by octave on May 26, 2015 20:17:37 GMT -5
That was FANTASTIC!!!!
|
|
|
Post by Veggie Gal on May 26, 2015 21:07:35 GMT -5
Oh honey..........yum..........
|
|
|
Post by lilolpeapicker on May 27, 2015 9:49:06 GMT -5
That was very interesting. But I would right next to you guys where it was safe.
|
|
|
Post by OregonRed on May 27, 2015 10:14:28 GMT -5
we had a small swarm outside the clinic one time, overhanging the parking lot. someone called someone, and within minutes someone came and got it.
|
|
|
Post by desertwoman on May 27, 2015 10:18:22 GMT -5
We had a swarm land in our big 'ol pear tress a couple of years ago. We called a beekeeper who came out to move it. I was impressed that he wasn't wearing any protective gear at all- just his jeans, tee shirt, ball cap and shoes. He said I didn't need to be impressed; that swarm bees are very docile.
But from BR's photo, those bees look a lot more active than the ones in our swarm.
The sound of the swarm arriving was amazing. We heard it for a couple of minutes before they landed.
|
|
|
Post by OregonRed on May 27, 2015 10:22:47 GMT -5
ah yes, the sound! stuff like that reminds me how I love mother nature! she's so awesome!
|
|
|
Post by brownrexx on May 27, 2015 12:35:28 GMT -5
But from BR's photo, those bees look a lot more active than the ones in our swarm.
The reason that you see so many flying around is that he shook the branch to drop the swarm down into the hive body (box). After they land on that they will check it out to see if it is acceptable and hopefully move into it. During the evening lots of bees are all over the outside of the box but by this morning they had all moved inside and made it their new home.
Today the swarm has settled down and I can see bees coming and going into the hive so they have decided to stick around. You never know for sure that they will stay until you see them working. Sometimes they will not like their new digs and take off again for new ones.
I said something to hubby while he was amidst the bees and he said "I can't hear you with all of this buzzing". It can really be quite loud.
|
|
|
Post by claude on May 27, 2015 19:44:24 GMT -5
That is so cool!
|
|
|
Post by Mumsey on May 27, 2015 19:54:14 GMT -5
Nice, hopefully the bees are making a comeback! Truly amazing.
|
|
|
Post by gakaren on May 28, 2015 9:47:37 GMT -5
Great pictures!!!
|
|
canadiyank
Blooming
Central WA, Zone 6B
Posts: 125
|
Post by canadiyank on Jun 1, 2015 22:47:30 GMT -5
Glad you got a swarm! My FIL caught one and brought it to me. They are happy as can bee.
|
|