My brother came back from a bike ride today and told me he saw a swarm on a tree that I could get. While questioning him on the way he says there were 1000s of bees flying around and a very small less than a baseball size cluster on the tree. He didn't get close at the time because he was scared. The time was around 4 - 4:30 so it could of been a large orientation or a practice swarm.
Went back to check it out and it seems to me that it is a colony that is established in the tree. There was a good bit of action at the entrance, both drones flying around and in. Along with workers bringing in pollen and nectar. Does a swarm bring drones with it? Also got stung 3 times which I was under the impression that swarms did not do.
The tree itself is questionable. Very dead on the inside however it is very large and not on my property. The entrance as you can see in the pictures is a crack/hole that runs up the tree for about 4 feet. I got as close to the entrance as I could with my face but the right at the front blocked my view to see if there was any comb in there.
What should I do to get these bees? Wait for them to swarm and hope they choose a bait hive? Close the tree with screen and trap them out?
Went back to check it out and it seems to me that it is a colony that is established in the tree. There was a good bit of action at the entrance, both drones flying around and in. Along with workers bringing in pollen and nectar. Does a swarm bring drones with it? Also got stung 3 times which I was under the impression that swarms did not do.
The tree itself is questionable. Very dead on the inside however it is very large and not on my property. The entrance as you can see in the pictures is a crack/hole that runs up the tree for about 4 feet. I got as close to the entrance as I could with my face but the right at the front blocked my view to see if there was any comb in there.
What should I do to get these bees? Wait for them to swarm and hope they choose a bait hive? Close the tree with screen and trap them out?