View Full Version : must be swarming season here
nickoli
06-30-2005, 05:55 PM
I just picked up another swarm off of a semi at a toll road plaza today, and my brother and I got to see a swarm land and take over one of the empty hives we had left out to attract them. WOW what a fun hobby.
Bob Harrison
07-01-2005, 05:20 AM
One of the first articles I wrote for Bee Culture was about "The Truck Stop Swarm".
They are the bees which escape the net while fueling and settle on the truck stop canopy.
They are almost always queenless.
I have picked up a few of these for our local truck stop and created a few over the years.
I do not bring the truck stop swarm home these days as small hive beetle travels in swarms. (Jeff Pettis USDA-ARS Beltsville 1998)
BeeBear
07-01-2005, 06:35 AM
>> small hive beetle travels in swarms
I hadn't heard this. Thanks for sharing.
nickoli
07-01-2005, 07:40 AM
Oh, i didn't see the queen as i used a bee vac to get them, but this morning they are acting like they have a queen. I was going to let them settle for a day or two more before i opened them up and looked. And thanks for the tip about the SHB I will look for those.
here are some photos of the swarm and their new home
semi swarm (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/nickoli69b/album?.dir=ff95&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/ph//my_photos)
peggjam
07-01-2005, 01:52 PM
Neat pictures. The driver doesn't look to impressed with where the swarm alighted :>).
peggjam