First swarm for 2005

[The Honey House]

Noticed it today while mowing.
Tiny, tiny, tiny. Maybe the size of a tennis ball.
Spotting the queen was real easy!
I didn't even need my glasses! [img]smile.gif[/img]

I have no idea where it came from.
It must have just decided to settle down in my yard.
I better keep an eye on it to see if it's AHB.

[notaclue]

Is it possible they are a wayward remenant from a hive that was nailed by moths? My older son saw the same thing over by the police station, about 50 yards from their hive that had been wiped out by wax moths (did I say that right?). I didn't realize it until my wife told me about one of our neighbors' hives had succumbed. The other was fine. I also was worried about AHB but a quick email from our State Apiarist verified that all tests outside of SW Arkansas have shown negative for AHB. Evidentally they must have been real hot or absonded colonies. Good luck. David

[TX Ashurst]

I don't think you need to worry about AHB in New Hampshire. It's a Southern problem so far.

[The Honey House]

The AHB comment was a joke. Followed by the wink > < You might have missed that. [img]smile.gif[/img]

If AHB make it to New Hampshire, then I'll get another hobby. Age and wisdom tells me that I might be too old/dumb to be messing with them.

I discovered the source of the swarm today.
I looked at it (with my glasses) and noticed
a lot of small drones amoungst the swarm.
I then thought about a drone laying queen that I had left in a mating nuc. Last time I checked on her there were a lot of small drones. Small because they were reared in worker cells.
So I went and peeked in that nuc and discovered
that they were gone! I thought that queen looked familiar. [img]smile.gif[/img]