Man my ipad has some terrible autocorrect. It too lazy to bother. Lol
Crazy busy day for a newbie.
I posted to my friends and family I would catch bee swarms if they see any. This morning I got a call about a tree that has had bees in it for years and years. The tree was recently destroyed by the ice. It was all rotten and mostly hollow.
We cut it so I could get to the comb and bees. I managed to get about 2 pounds of bee out of it but no queen. Sure she was hiding in hue he tree or dead. Lots and lots of old comb. The comb was very very black. I will not use the comb for anything except to melt it and use it that way.
Then on hue he way home I got a call to catch a swarm on a plum tree that is about 4 feet off of the ground. I went to that location and I started to capture a swarm. The owner pulled up and asked what I was doing at that tree. He said the swarm on on the other side of the property. We walked over there and found a second swarm.
I had to go back hoe and and get another box. Luckly I had some nucs made up.
Managed to get those two. Not sure if I got the queens or not. But they may be the savior of a package I got that was missing a queen to keep the populated until my new queen arrives on Tuesday. This will be a very strong hive I think. I will check the swarms and see if I got the queen in a day or so before I put the into the other box.
I did get my first stings today. 4 in total. Not bad at all. It was a big confidence booster.
We cut it so I could get to the comb and bees. I managed to get about 2 pounds of bee out of it but no queen. Sure she was hiding in hue he tree or dead. Lots and lots of old comb. The comb was very very black. I will not use the comb for anything except to melt it and use it that way.
Then on hue he way home I got a call to catch a swarm on a plum tree that is about 4 feet off of the ground. I went to that location and I started to capture a swarm. The owner pulled up and asked what I was doing at that tree. He said the swarm on on the other side of the property. We walked over there and found a second swarm.
I had to go back hoe and and get another box. Luckly I had some nucs made up.
Managed to get those two. Not sure if I got the queens or not. But they may be the savior of a package I got that was missing a queen to keep the populated until my new queen arrives on Tuesday. This will be a very strong hive I think. I will check the swarms and see if I got the queen in a day or so before I put the into the other box.
I did get my first stings today. 4 in total. Not bad at all. It was a big confidence booster.
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wow what a day. A good practice is to find and cage the queen inside the box. Leave the box until night and pickup.
The BLACK comb you speak of.
Will not give you much, if any,wax
it's all cocoons
You should it in SWARM traps
It does well there
Will not give you much, if any,wax
it's all cocoons
You should it in SWARM traps
It does well there
Glad you have lots of bees now! I know you were really looking forward to the season starting and it seems to have started with a bang!! Congrats!!
:applause:
:applause:
Nice going! 4 stings for 2 swarms, not bad!
Phil
Phil
I always use an oversized cardboard box for shaking a swarm into off a tree. Keep several folded down with a roll of duct tape and you always have something to get the swarm home in.
1 - 7 of 7 Posts
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