Captured my first swarm of the season on May 2, 2011. They had tried to swarm a number of times before so I added a third brood box which kept them in the hive for a few more weeks. Pretty good size swarm......about 5 lbs. I would estimate. Here is a more detailed outline:
This colony was in a new TBH and was installed from a captured swarm on 9 April 2011, just 23 days earlier. Originally they were given eight empty bars, then two more, then two more, and eventually ended up with 16 bars, the last two of which were added on 25 April. In addition, they were fed 1:1 sugar syrup from day one, and went through about a quart a day. In 16 days they consumed 15 qts. of SS and drew out 13 full bars of near perfect comb. We intended to go in and do a full inspection on either 29 or 30 April but didn't get to. Then on Monday, 2 May 2011 at 1245 during a break in the clouds and rain, they swarmed while I sat there watching the hive. Luckily, they clustered just 30 feet from the hive on a cedar branch just seven feet above ground. The bees now reside in an 8-frame, medium Langstroth just six feet from the TBH they left.
This was the second swarm in eight days from my TBH which was itself started from a swarm just one month earlier, 9 April 2011. Both swarms issued from this colony were between three and four pounds, bigger than any 3# package I have ever seen. See msg #1178 in this thread (dated 6 May) for further details of the colony.
13 May 2011 @ 1300+ Central time
Lebanon, TN 37090
This was the third swarm in eleven days from my TBH which was started from a swarm on 9 April 2011. It settled near the end of a cedar branch approximately 16 feet above ground. A five-gallon bucket bolted to the end of a 12 foot wooden dowel rod was just the ticket. My friend and swarm catcher Bobby eased the bucket up and under the cluster, gave it a quick jab and thump. A bucket of bees! Followed by another thump ten or so minutes later, voilà! We had a box full of bees.
See msg #1178 & #1193 in this thread (dated 6 May & 10 May) for further details of the colony.
Cutout. Behind vinyl siding. May be 2 different colonies as there are bees going in about 10' further up. Opened it up and found this huge ball of white comb with honey and brood. Must have vaccumed out 50K bees. Started storming so I had to hurry and cut out 3 frames of brood. Closed up the opening and need to go back ASAP as I am not sure if there is enough bees now to cover all of the comb/brood left behind. Set cutout up Friday morning before going to look at 2 more cutout jobs.
Got a call from Belks stating they needed help ASAP as a swarm had arrived and gotten inside the wall and into the store. Vaccumed out bees from outside until hardly anything left then caulked up hole. Hard to get to the bees inside. They were behind a wall of equipment monitoring fire equipment and alarms. Got what I could get and left the vaccumed bees in the room hoping to draw out the other bees and the queen. Went back this AM (5/14) and had no luck. Did vaccum out some more bees but eventually I couldn't see the bees anymore with my scope. Finally had to call it quits and spray the inside of the wall and all of the room with DE. Bees are still in the back of my truck. Trying to decide what hive to add them. Needs to be a hive that is established enough that it can protect itself if these bees don't want to merge.
It is really cool this evening and late afternoon with a breeze. Walking around my yard checking my bees and happened to look from a distance at my hive trap hanging on a nail on my back fences. Just looked at it a couple of days ago and removed all of the roaches. Saw some activity. Went over there and sure enough, had a swarm of bees. Now where did they come from? I have been monitoring my hives pretty well and they were not in swarm mode. Had a couple of small swarms that kept making swarm cells. I just used them to make some splits using frames and bees from other hives. Swarm #11. (12 if counting the one that absconded)
Caught one today in Middle TN. It was my first experience! I discovered it about a mile from my home in someone's yard. The man was outside and I asked him if I could come back and get it. He was better than fine with that, so I spend almost the entire day running back and forth from my house to the swarm box I set out.
My own bees just swarmed this morning. Middle TN. I was preparing to get a swarm out of my maple tree when they moved on off. I chased them, but couldn't follow fast enough so I don't know where they landed next. Then I checked on my hive. (I'm new at this, so I only have one hive.) Half my bees were gone. I didn't they they would swarm the first year. I'm not sure what would have made them go. The weather is extremely hot and dry here already, but they have plenty of pollen and nectar, and several close water sources. My top bar hive was only about half full, so they weren't crowded. I did see a capped queen cell yesterday during my hive inspection, but couldn't find the queen. She probably was already in the tree. I started seeing drone cells last week.
caught a softball size swarm yesterday afternoon, latest swarm ive seen, also late in the afternoon, they swarmed around 6:30, the same hive swarmed back in July......cheked them out and found at least 30 queen cells!!!!
Got a swarm call today was a pretty good size swarm that originated from a Tree Hive. This is only my second year catching swarms but it is almost a month earlier than my first call last year. Cookeville,TN 38501
Friend of a friend posted a pic of football size swarm in Springfield, TN (37172) a couple of days ago on Facebook. She called someone else before I heard about it.
37888 Washburn TN. 6-8 lbs swarm, landed on 3 foot tall apple tree and nearly doubled it over! my best queen, should have known she was ready to swarm, she is 3 years old this year. made 4 splits with swarm cells.
Caught another swarm in Sparta,TN. While I was on the first call I got a call for another swarm. By the time I got home it was already getting dark which was an interesting experience hiving the swarm Hopefully the swarm will still be there in the morning when I go back to pick it up.
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