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Independence Day Swarm Removal!!!

3K views 6 replies 5 participants last post by  LtlWilli 
#1 ·
I got a call this morning from a very nice man who was fascinated by a large clump of bees hanging from an eave off his house. This is the first time a call for a swarm removal has actually been for honeybees instead of a wasps nest. Here are the pictures I received via email to confirm that they are honey bees...





This removal couldn't have gone better. The big stepladder was set up perfectly. I sprayed them down with sugar water, and brushed them in the nuc box. The homeowners watched and were quite fascinated by the whole thing! The bees just plopped right in the box. They were very well behaved! Of course, I did have a frame full of brood waiting in there for them. They went right for it. There were only a few stragglers left behind that I'll be picking up in the morning.

What a great surprise for the holiday! I'll always remember July 4th, 2008 as my first swarm removal! Thanks to Maine_Beekeeper for her advice and support!! And thanks to my loyal wonderful husband who is SOOOO supportive. He helped me pack all the stuff I needed, trucked me there, stood the ladder, handed me tools, took pictures and helped me clean up!











I am feeding they sugar syrup and want to let them get comfortable for a couple of days before i check to make sure they have a queen. i didn't find her, but I don't want to disturb them. Anything else I can do to encourage them to stay at the farm? Thanks for the help!
 
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#2 ·
Sounds like you're doing all the right things. Bees won't abandon brood and if they have some drawn comb in the nuc, they should be happy with the new home. I'd keep the entrance reduced for a couple of weeks if ventilation can be provided. They are not likely to have many guard bees at this point so robbing could be a problem if you have other colonies near by. Robbing may not be a problem if there is ample nectar available in your area. The flow here is about over for now and robbing has to be a concern. Good luck!
 
#5 ·
no problems with that yesterday, thank goodness! I inspected today and the queen is there! So it's going even better than I could have imagined! However there is a small problem with a possible parent colony living in the eaves of the house, and I am trying to find someone to help these people remove them since I don't do cut outs.
 
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