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65K views 242 replies 66 participants last post by  nailbender0259 
#1 ·
5/26 First Swarm from a NUC I picked up on the 21st of May. They set down at 70 feet high, no chance to get them...

13850
 
#53 · (Edited by Moderator)
Re: Please Post your Swarm Dates?

Finally!!! 2 small swarms.

Something told me to walk in my neighbor's yard. He has a hive there that I manage. My shoulder is in too bad a shape to be pulling boxes off to look at frames. But 2 days ago I took all off but the brood chamber with is a high and medium. All of the other boxes were almost full of honey and capped honey. Was a little brood mixed in but not much. Added another super as the 4th box from the bottom. (I have been in severe pain and taking pain killers since I looked in the hive!!!!

Anyway something told me to walk over there and it was getting toward dusk. As I was walking up to the hive I heard bees but it didn't register at first. Walking back I heard them again. It was coming from the plum tree not far from the hive. There were bees in several places on the tree and some on the ground. Carefully moved the bees around on the ground and saw the queen. Went and got me a 5 frame medium nuc with 2 frames of honey. Put the box in front of the bees and they started marching into the box. All except the queen and those that were all around her. Finally to a small stick and pushed the ball of bees and queen up onto the entrance and left.

Other bees were still in the tree but only in one spot. Swarm on the ground was not a lot of bees but the queen looked mated. The second swarm is about 3 times larger which still isn't saying much. Softball size??

Will look in the AM and see if the swarm is still in the tree. If it is, I will hive it in a 3 frame high nuc. Leaving tomorrow for 2 weeks to see my family in SC and go to the beach. Either they make it or they don't. Will close up the entrances on both so that they are only around 1 bee in width.
 
#54 ·
Re: Please Post your Swarm Dates?

37130
Murfreesboro, TN

Swarm in a tree at least 20 feet up. My yard so it's from one of my hives. Could be an abscond instead of swarm. Opened up 1 hive today that I had been nursing along and it was devestated with WM, WML, WMP. Pulled out most of the frames and left in open.
 
#55 ·
Re: Please Post your Swarm Dates?

M'boro
37130

Got a call about a swarm night of 7/1. Close to the ground on a small holly tree. Maybe 4 or 5 lbs. Hived them on 7/2 with a tarp on the ground. Came back last night to pick them up after dark. Someone had pulled the tarp up part of the box and another part was pulled over. Dead bees. Checked hive and there were still a lot of bees when I put it out at a farm.
 
#56 ·
Re: Please Post your Swarm Dates?

7/23/10
Murfreesboro, TN

2 swarms. 1 in peach tree with queen and as many bees as possible inside a butterfly house. Had already started building comb. Also a small swarm on the outside of a nuc that was a swarm I had gotten a week or so ago.

Small swarm by nuc. Found unmated queen in a ball of bees on the ground in front of the nuc. Put her and as many of the bees as possible in a medium nuc.

Larger swarm in tree/butterfly house. Unscrewed bottom of house and shook out all of the bees and also shook out the bees that were on the limb above into high nuc below branch. Saw a mated queen.

Later in day I saw a ball of bees on top of high nuc frames. It was the unmated queen or another one just like her. Put her in a small box for a couple of hours. Decided to see what would happen if I let her out by the high nuc. Bees immediately balled her. Put her in medium nuc and she went in between the frames.

Larger swarm absconded back to tree. Every now and then they would swarm out only to return to the peach tree. Put the butterfly house back on tree.

Smaller swarm in medium seemed to be okay.

Larger swarm moved back into butterfly house. I had captured a lot of bees in a small wooden box I had made sometime back. Moved the high nuc away from tree facing a wooden fence and put up a lot of sticks in front. Added a frame of brood that contained larva. Opened up the wood box of bees and dumped some inside top. Many stayed put. Moved the butterfly house and laid by the nuc. Finally had to open the bottom of the house and shake the bees and queen into the top of the box and put top back on nuc. Bees stayed. and were there today 7/25/10.

Can't figure out that unmated queen. Why she would be in front of a nuc containing a swarm. Why she would leave a nuc I put her in with bees and fly over to another swarm where the bees continuously attacked her.

Well 1 out of 2 ain't bad.
 
#57 ·
Re: Please Post your Swarm Dates?

7/28/10
M'boro, TN

Noticed a small swarm on a small globe that is on a metal stake. Since I knew a globe was there I knew that this couldn't be much of a swarm. But I put a 5-frame medium under it on 2 bricks. Nuc has a screened bottom. Closed down the small entrance further and added just 4 frames. 3 of the frames have some brood comb.

Well, they all went into the nuc by night fall. As I was putting the cover on the nuc............... a moth flew towards the nuc.................but I got the cover on first.

May or may not make it. Willing to see if there is a queen and if she is mated or gets mated and what kind of layer she becomes. Have a couple other hives that are not doing so well so a combine is possible.
 
#58 ·
Re: Please Post your Swarm Dates?

Been out of town. Got home Sat night and saw a large swarm in a magnolia tree this AM. Must have been 5 pounds of bees. Cut the limb and placed the bees in a 8 frame high hive. No problems. Bees seemed to be happy. Came back later today around 2PM and they were gone.

Strange thing is that in the past if a swarm left a hive/box/nuc because they didn't like it, they setlled back in the same tree or another one nearby. This time they were just gone.

Hope they went back home.
 
#59 ·
Re: Please Post your Swarm Dates?

M'boro, TN
8/9/10

Evidently the swarm that absconded went back to it's hive. Found the swarm again back in the same tree. Hived it again in the same 8-frame box. Added a frame of honey/pollen. Added a QE above the BB as an includer prior to hiving the swarm.

At nightfall the bees were still in the hive. Me thinks that I have got them this time.
 
#60 ·
Re: Please Post your Swarm Dates?

08/27
M'Boro, TN

Got a call for a swarm Friday evening around 6:45. Told them that I could get them 1st thing next morning. Said not good enough. Bees were above employee's entrance at the FedEx Ground Terminal.

They had tried to kill them with wasp spray prior to calling me and did kill a few. It was after 8PM when I got there. Bees were on the wall basically 1 to 2 bees thick spread out down the 2 sides of the corner wall.

Sprayed them hard with SW and swept them into a 5-frame nuc that had SW in some of the comb. Then I went about sweeping up every one I could find and putting them in the box. They stayed put as I gathered them up. Hard to estimate the size. Maybe 2-3 pounds at most.

Got home after 10PM. Put them out back on a stump the next morning because I was leaving later for a cutout at an apartment complex in Nashville.

Bees looked calm and comfortable in new home when I got back that evening from cutout.

Will be sending invoice for $75. The big trucking outfits should be checking the rigs at the gate before they come in for things like bees. No telling if this was a local swarm or a swarm that rode FedEx from who knows where.
 
#61 ·
Re: Please Post your Swarm Dates?

:)First year bkeeper, was working in my shop today saturday april 2,2011 at 1135 in the morning in dresden, tn look out the front door a saw my first swarm of the year about 25 feet from me in a apple tree 3 feet off the ground. got my home made bvac, it work great,put them in a brood box with some sugar water 1to1 with hbh,there doing great. i beleive they came from one of my two hive:)
 
#62 ·
Re: Please Post your Swarm Dates?

Got my first swarm call of the season yesterday late afternoon. We were still in the midst of that bad storm that had been raging since early afternoon. Swarm was in a magnolia tree about 6' up per the owner. They had a huge tree down from the storm. Took me forever to get there because most of the traffic lights were not working. By the time I got there it was dark, still raining and cold.

Wonder why people always say something is about 6' feet off the ground. Guess it's just a nice round number. This swarm was every bit of 10' off the ground and huge. Hard to judge in the dark and raining and this swarm was really hunkered down tight.

They started to fall to the ground in clumps and go "plump" when they hit the ground. Put the nuc out hoping they would go in. Finally got a bucket and got the rest of them on 2 tries dumping them in the nuc. Actually it was a 5-frame high nuc with a 2nd 5-frame with only 3 frames in it.

Could easily have been 7 or more pounds of bees. Put on gloves and started scooping up the bees that were still on the wet ground and dumping them into the top. Strapped the 2 boxes down tight, covered with a sheet and magnolia leaves and left it there for the night.

Went back this AM and all was well. Plenty of bees in the nuc and probably a 1000 or so dead on the ground from the rain and cold. Brought it home and set it up. By this afternoon they were really flying around and getting orientated.

That was 2 80 mile round trips. At 15 mpg that was expensive but still a lot cheaper than purchasing a nuc or package.
 
#63 ·
First Swarm of the Season 4-3-2011 Sparta, TN 38583

I was looking out the front window....had a med/full dead out sitting on a pallet in view...watched the swarm come across the pasture and into the box they went. I went through the 17 hives near the west pasture...one box with a poor pattern and new queen cells... the swarm didn't come from my hives...and too far from my next closest yard... :)
 
#66 ·
Re: Please Post your Swarm Dates?

Swarms 3 & 4 (All since Monday):

4/8: Got call near dark about a swarm. Hived it that night in a nuc. Really not sure how large the swarm was but I doubt it was over 2 pounds. Brought it home 4/9 AM.

4/9: Got call around 6:30PM about a large swarm 38 miles away. Was dark by the time most of the bees were in the hive. Left hive there to get the rest of the bees that were around the box or on the ground below where the swarm was located on a bush. Swarm could have been 7 pounds or more. There were a lot of bees. Will go back tomorrow after church, seal off entrance and bring back the hived swarm.
 
#67 ·
Re: Please Post your Swarm Dates?

4/10: Brought home swarm (#4) from Spring Hill, TN. Got almost all of the bees. Screened off the entrance and then sprayed SW/HBH on entrance and bees at entrance. Waited a little while and then sprayed again as there were a lot more bees at entrance. Covered hive with sheet underneath hive which captured almost all of the bees. Brought hive home.

4/10: Swarm #5. On the way back from Spring Hill got a call for a large swarm in Nashville. Took hive home, released the bees, repacked with new equipment and sheet and headed out. Bees left just before I got there. We found them across the street in a dogwood tree. At least 5 to 7 pounds. Sheet, hive, SS/HBH, and shake. After a few more shakes and scoops put on IC. Later OC. After OC wasn't long before most bees were hived. Sealed entrance, SW/HBH, wrapped with sheet, cinched up hive, put in truck and took to a farm. No worse for the wear.
 
#69 ·
Re: Please Post your Swarm Dates?

Had 2 calls for swarms.

One 45 miles away. Very few bees still there but the back of my truck which was parked some distance away was full of bees when I moved it closer to the swarm spot. Left an 8-frame nuc there just in case as a lot of bees were coming and going from several directions.

The other in town. But bees weren't swarming, they were orientating at the entrance to the outside wall which was stone (veneer?).
 
#70 ·
Re: Please Post your Swarm Dates?

Swarm #6: Nashville TN Clear, rained previous night.

Received call mid-morning about a swarm at an auto auction company. Bees were no longer there but could see some flying around. Especially on top of roof. Got up on the metal roof and looked around. Prior to going up setup a 5-frame nuc with all frames sprayed with SW/HBH where bees were located earlier. Kept seeing bees flying around but no swarm. Started seeing a large group of bees further down the building roof. Brought up nuc and set on roof not far from where I got up. Walked back over and saw a more bees flying and about 15-20 bees on the roof. Brought nuc over next to group of bees. Found queen and put her in the box. Bee immediately started coming to nuc. Went back to get top. When I got back a lot more bees. Put on top and then left roof to drive around to other side of huge building which was much closer to the nuc. By the time I got back up from the other side the hive was covered with bees. Sprayed some of the on the front with SW/HBH and they started going into box. Waited at least 30 minutes and most of the swarm was either in or on the nuc. Put down a sheet and moved the nuc back onto it. Bees started moving to nuc there. Waited maybe 10 minutes then I took the ends of the sheet and gathered them up at the top of the nuc. Carried sheeted nuc down ladder and put in back of truck with sheet in place. Brought home and set down nuc at location and pulled back sheet. Bees seemed to be fine later in the evening. Unsure of exact amount of bees but at least 3#. Persistance......
 
#71 ·
Re: Please Post your Swarm Dates?

Swarm #7: Hermitage TN, Clear & cool on 4/14.

4/13: Received a call late evening. Told him bees would not leave tree this late in the day. Will come early tomorrow and get the swarm. Said bees had probably been there for at least a day. 4/14: Swarm was much larger than I expected. Started about 4" from bottom of the tree and went up 2 feet or better all the way around the tree and on to the branches. Probably close to 10# of bees. Put down sheet, with 8-fram box under the hive as close as I could to the largest section of the swarm. Already sprayed the frames with SW/HBH. Sprayed the bees tool. Started scraping them off onto the box and in front of the box. Took me over an hour to finally get at least 98% of the bees into the hive. Pruned limbs on tree as I went because homeowner told me last night that the tree didn't grow very well. Pruning helped me get to the bees and allowed me to scrap and brush off the bees onto the hive and sheet. Putting IC and then later OC on really increased the amt of bees that went into the hive. Finally stapled the entrance shut and waited for more bees to congregate at entrance or on sheet. Folded sheet up and strapped down hive with sheet around it and brought it home. Removed sheet which had a lot of bees and the screen from the entrance. Bees seem to be doing fine.
 
#72 ·
Re: Post your swarm dates

4/17: Murfreesboro, TN

Cutout of a tree that had been pushed down during clearing on Thur or Fri. Rained 1.65 inches Fri and Sat AM. Was told about it at church Sun. Went and looked at it. Tree busted open pretty good with a lot of comb and bees. Pulled out a lot of comb with brood and scooped up a lot of bees. Finally got the queen in the hive sometime during the process as all of the bees started moving to hive. Did cutout frames after removing all of the comb and most of the bees. When moving some of the comb that was piled up in the first box into the second box I am sure I saw 3 queens fall off. 1 was large and very light in color (almost tan) and large, 2nd was dark and long, 3rd was smaller than 2nd but looked the same except smaller (unmated). Waited till night and cooler. Every bee had to be in the boxes. Couldn't find 1 single bee in the area of the tree, where I did the cutout frames or on any of the honeycomb I left.

Left honeycomb because some of it was full of SHB larva. Should have brought it home, froze it and then fed it to the bees. But some of the bees on some of the honey comb looked like they had been sprayed. Didn't want to take a chance with any of that comb. Comb further up in the hollow was fine. Very huge hive with a huge population of bees (Workers, young house bees, drones, and drones that were twice the size of the other drones).
 
#74 ·
Re: Please Post your Swarm Dates?

4/18 Murfreesboro, TN:

Swarm I hived on 4/14 and brought home absconded. There were probably close to 30,000 bees in that swarm. Bees were in the hive the first couple of days so they had to of left on 4/17-18. Never saw a swarm anywhere around the house. I have always in the past saw the bees swarming in the air or found them on a branch or bush. I normally check every day. Don't think I did this time.
 
#75 ·
Re: Please Post your Swarm Dates?

4/20 McMinnville, TN:

Got a call about a swarm last night. Rained during the night and was suppose to rain all day today. Bees were still there. Around 5 pounds. Easiest swarm I have ever gotten. Put down sheet. Sprayed all comb with SW/HBH. Placed 5-frame Nuc under swarm on bush. Shook bush. 10 minutes later they were all in the box. It's nice when they are all on 1 limb, only 2.5' off the ground with a clear and short drop to the box.
 
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