I'll bet I'm not the first!

[Ruben]

So today is Memorial Day and we were going to a family cook out at 2pm, about 12:30 I get a call from someone who new I took up beekeeping this year, and they knew someone who had a swarm in a tree and wanted to know if I wanted to go get it. I have'nt caught a swarm yet so I said sure I'll go get it. Sent the wife and kids to the cook out and loaded up everything I thought might come in handy. As I set out on this 30 mile drive to where the swarm was I called the people to see if they were still in the tree but I got no answer so I left a message and went on. My cell phone rings when I was about 12 minuites away and it was the lady with the swarm. I asked her if the bees were still there and she said they were about the size of a basketball but some of them had left in the past 20 minuites. She also said the swarm had been in the tree for two days. I told her I would be there within 15 minuites. When I got there her husband came out and said that five minuites earlier the swarm flew away and they followed them 100 yards to a large old weeping willow tree and that if I was five minuites earlier I would have gotten them. They showed me where they had been and they were six feet off of the ground and I went to the willow tree and I could see bees flying around but if the swarm was there they must have went into a hole in that tree. So I had a 60 mile round trip for nothing, and I am willing to bet I'm not the first! :D

[Walt McBride]

It has been my experance also. After the second time I started telling people that want me to service there problem they will be charged $10 to off set my expenses if I arrive in a timely manner and find swarm gone.
What is worse is for a swarm to take off and disappear as you are hiving them.
Walt

[honeyman46408]

Rubin you are not the first I had 4 calls last monday and 2 were gone before I got there BUT they werent 30 miles away either.

[Michael Bush]

>I am willing to bet I'm not the first!

You are not the first.

[Curtis]

Ruben,
I am just on the other side of the mountains, and was able to get 4 swarms this weekend. The last one at 6 pm this evening.
Good Luck in the future.
Curtis

[drobbins]

Ruben,

from what this rookie understands, swarms have a strong tendency to land in the same place year after year
might want to give them your number, maybe you'll get lucky next year

Dave

[ May 29, 2006, 08:49 PM: Message edited by: drobbins ]

[Michael Bush]

I tend to decide based on the "likely" outcome. A swarm that has been there for two days is more likely to be there for a few more hours than one that has been there since 10 am and it's now 2 pm. Typically they swarm about 10 am and leave for the wild blue yonder about 2 pm. If they are still there the next day I'm more likely to make the trip. If I get the call at 10 am and I can get there right away, I might go for it. But if I get the call at 2 pm and they've been there two or three hours, I'll probably wait and see.