What's a swarm in February worth?

[fuzzybeekeeper]

I got a call from our local school district administrative office on Wednesday, Feb. 13 (two days ago) that said they had a bunch of bees swarming around. I went over and by the time I got there (15 minutes), they were gone.

I asked the ladies how big the swarm was and they described a fairly large swarm hanging on the rafters of the carport. When I asked how they would compare the size of the swarm to a basketball, they said that the swarm would have been bigger than a basketball.

While I hate missing the swarm, the most surprising thing is that there WAS a swarm in the middle of February. While this is Texas (south central Texas (Brenham)) and it has been warm, I didn't expect one this early.

I think I'll get my traps and lures out this weekend.

Anybody else notice swarms this early?

Fuzzybeekeeper

[Oldbee]

"What's a swarm in February worth?

A rose?? Maybe two or three,...............a dozen?? A box of chocolates? A "prediction of an "early spring"? lol.

"Anybody else notice swarms this early?" Not here! We are supposed to get another 6 to 8 inches of snow in a few days.

[Gene Weitzel]

I got a call from our local school district administrative office on Wednesday, Feb. 13 (two days ago) that said they had a bunch of bees swarming around. I went over and by the time I got there (15 minutes), they were gone.

I asked the ladies how big the swarm was and they described a fairly large swarm hanging on the rafters of the carport. When I asked how they would compare the size of the swarm to a basketball, they said that the swarm would have been bigger than a basketball.

While I hate missing the swarm, the most surprising thing is that there WAS a swarm in the middle of February. While this is Texas (south central Texas (Brenham)) and it has been warm, I didn't expect one this early.

I think I'll get my traps and lures out this weekend.

Anybody else notice swarms this early?

Fuzzybeekeeper

This time of year it was probably the result of bees absconding from a hive that was destroyed or otherwise disturbed. I have seen it happen when a tree service cuts down a tree with bees in it. I picked up a swarm late last December from a Crepe Myrtle tree in some folks front yard that came from a hive that was destroyed when they had an old dead Catalpa tree removed. If the hive is pretty well decimated but the queen survives, they will gorge on honey and swarm around her and look for another home.

[Bizzybee]

Hate you missed that one too!!!

I noticed a lot bees out orienting today and they are well on their way, but nothing close to swarming yet.

Hope you catch a few!!! Have fun!!!!!

[Beemaninsa]

I boxed a football sized swarm SW of San Antonio on Feb 8. Probably absconding or AHB or both. I would wait a bit to put out bait hives.

[dcross]

I asked the ladies how big the swarm was and they described a fairly large swarm hanging on the rafters of the carport. When I asked how they would compare the size of the swarm to a basketball, they said that the swarm would have been bigger than a basketball.

That's how you know it was about the size of a grapefruit

[marty_rk]

I had a question about swarm catching. I have found this link to a swarm on you tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9OccGh2_bA&NR=1

some questions:
What is the ideal way to get these into a super or nuc? wait until mid-afternoon? If in a public place like a park, with bystanders what is some extra precautionary things you can do?

[kirk-o]

I'm in Los Angeles and I read the info here on swarm traps and how to do.I did that got my first swarm today.
kirkobeeo

[nc checkers]

had a question about swarm catching. I have found this link to a swarm on you tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9OccGh2_bA&NR=1


hey Marty

I saw that too before your post. Wow I sure would love to find some swarms like that where the queen is already in a cage! They sure marched into the nuc fast when he put the queen in.

That was a nice demostration video though.

[marty_rk]

hey Marty

I saw that too before your post. Wow I sure would love to find some swarms like that where the queen is already in a cage! They sure marched into the nuc fast when he put the queen in.

That was a nice demostration video though.

Ya a queen in a cage would be nice already done for you, but I did find it quite amazing how fast the bees went right into the hive after he put the queen in there!


Also if you do that when do you move the hive to assure all the bees are in or do you just take it when a majority is in there and leave the stragglers behind to die?

[dcross]

Also if you do that when do you move the hive to assure all the bees are in or do you just take it when a majority is in there and leave the stragglers behind to die?

Move it at night. The trick is convincing everybody that it's ok to have all those bees in the air, they're really quite docile, etc.

A vac is nice!