First swarm of season

[Joseph Clemens]

Yesterday, Wednesday, 28 January 2009, I received a call from our local water company asking me if I would remove a bee colony that had moved into one of their water meter boxes. BTW the affected water meter was directly across the street from my house. It was further explained that their were several combs and many bees. I agreed to go take a look, so I put on some shoes and walked across the street to take a look. Sure enough the meter was open, the metal cover had been left upside down a few feet away. The combs and bees had been dislodged from the cover and were clustered on the ground immediately adjacent to the water meter. I walked back across the street and picked up my screen-sided bee capture box and a hive tool. I then returned, set the capture box adjacent to the cluster and used the hive tool to push the combs and bees into the box - then closed the cover.

This swarm is only the size of one pound of bees. I plan to keep them confined a few days before I use them to help start a Nuc, to reduce their propensity to return to the meter box. I'm anxious to examine their combs. As I was moving them I got a quick glimps and noticed the cell size is extremely small - perhaps 4.6mm.

[JBJ]

Sounds more like an established colony. Was there any brood?

[Jeffzhear]

It's just starting....ya'll in the south are killin me....Swarms...and here there is a foot of snow or more on the ground and months of miserable cold weather to come

[mudlake]

Down there in Owego you have got it made. I have double deeps and a med on top and I can not see where the hives are. I can't wait for spring. Good luck tony

[Jeffzhear]

Down there in Owego you have got it made. I have double deeps and a med on top and I can not see where the hives are. I can't wait for spring. Good luck tony

I have to say, you made me laugh out-loud! ty

[wildbranch2007]

I got a call about a swarm today in Syracuse, no problem catching them they all had snow shoes and parkas on.

mike

[Joseph Clemens]

If there is any brood it is likely eggs or larvae. Later this morning, after it warms up more, right now it is 43F outside. I will wait until it exceeds 50F, to be safe.