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Today I was marking queens and a small mating nuc swarmed right in front of me! I keep my dead queens in a small jar of rubbing alcohol which I happened to have near by. I dipped my finger into the jar and then ran out and dabbed the fluid on low branches....and then for kicks I ran into the middle of the cloud of bees and they landed on my hand!
They felt really neat crawling and grabbing on to hold the cluster up. I kept them on my hand for a good 15 minutes watching and then I slipped them into a small hive with a frame of brood and they seem to be staying. By far the best swarm experience I have ever had!
Later in the evening I noticed another small swarm had landed on one of the branches that I had dabbed with the magic liquid. Keep those dead queens!
Yes I need to make the nucs less strong!

They felt really neat crawling and grabbing on to hold the cluster up. I kept them on my hand for a good 15 minutes watching and then I slipped them into a small hive with a frame of brood and they seem to be staying. By far the best swarm experience I have ever had!
Later in the evening I noticed another small swarm had landed on one of the branches that I had dabbed with the magic liquid. Keep those dead queens!
Yes I need to make the nucs less strong!
