Well, today I get a call from my wife at work, she tells me that the bees swarmed. This after I checked and found no signs of swarming about two weeks ago. Of course, at first I didn't believe her, such a young hive? Almost unheard of!
Well, you can see it for yourself!
Well, I took off work for two hours, returned home to capture my first swarm. I have a mostly finished hive at home and I'm almost ready to capture a new swarm. Almost.
So I get home, put on the protective equipment and head on out. My wife got out the almost finished hive (It isn't painted yet, and I haven't made a roof to cover the bars. It can't be a permanent home as unprotected wood doesn't last long in our weather.) and put it nearby the swarm and had gotten out the step ladder. Unfortunately the hive was too large to set on the step ladder...
Planning... Planning... (I'm going to create a new hive, smaller, one that fits on the ladder and is easier to carry... One just to capture swarms...)
Anyway, I had to improvise. I got our kids' plastic picnic table and put it under the hive. Took out all the bars... Reached up and gave the branch a shake.... about half the bees landed in the hive, but not the queen, so they all went airborne until they settled again on the branch with the queen.
I decided reading about this might help. So I read up and find out that spraying the swarm with a bit of sugar syrup first keeps them a bit calmer and less airborne. So, I get the spray bottle and put the syrup in and spray down the swarm...
I reach up...
And give it a shake again...
And about 2/3 of the bees drop into the hive this time...
And the queen.
I was able to see some of the scouts standing at the openings of the new hive and fanning pheromones that say "this way to home", so I was able to tell the queen was there, plus very few bees that went into the hive were going airborne...
So I gave it one last shake.
(It didn't really work that well... most of those didn't go into the hive, I had a bee cloud again).
Then put the bars back on top of the hive.
(exciting picture of my back...)
And the bees settled into their new hive nicely!
I now have TWO hives on my property!
Sweet. Free bees.
Well, you can see it for yourself!
Well, I took off work for two hours, returned home to capture my first swarm. I have a mostly finished hive at home and I'm almost ready to capture a new swarm. Almost.
So I get home, put on the protective equipment and head on out. My wife got out the almost finished hive (It isn't painted yet, and I haven't made a roof to cover the bars. It can't be a permanent home as unprotected wood doesn't last long in our weather.) and put it nearby the swarm and had gotten out the step ladder. Unfortunately the hive was too large to set on the step ladder...
Planning... Planning... (I'm going to create a new hive, smaller, one that fits on the ladder and is easier to carry... One just to capture swarms...)
Anyway, I had to improvise. I got our kids' plastic picnic table and put it under the hive. Took out all the bars... Reached up and gave the branch a shake.... about half the bees landed in the hive, but not the queen, so they all went airborne until they settled again on the branch with the queen.
I decided reading about this might help. So I read up and find out that spraying the swarm with a bit of sugar syrup first keeps them a bit calmer and less airborne. So, I get the spray bottle and put the syrup in and spray down the swarm...
I reach up...
And give it a shake again...
And about 2/3 of the bees drop into the hive this time...
And the queen.
I was able to see some of the scouts standing at the openings of the new hive and fanning pheromones that say "this way to home", so I was able to tell the queen was there, plus very few bees that went into the hive were going airborne...
So I gave it one last shake.
(It didn't really work that well... most of those didn't go into the hive, I had a bee cloud again).
Then put the bars back on top of the hive.
(exciting picture of my back...)
And the bees settled into their new hive nicely!
I now have TWO hives on my property!
Sweet. Free bees.
