[Blackwater Bee]

by a few Seconds ?

I did just this past weekend :doh:

I responded to a swarm call within an hour, The homeowner said it was the size of a basketball with a tail, when I arrived , they Launched.

 

[honeyman46408]

Yep been there done that I watched one fly that I had just set a ladder with a box on top of it, I had to raise the limb to get the box under the swarm so as I sat back to watch them go in the box they flew away

 

[dcross]

Got to one last summer in about ten minutes, still too late!

 

[CovertBeekInColleyville]

I drove out on my lunch break to pick up a swarm. I met the home owner in his front yard and look at the swarm in a tree in the front yard . I walked back to my car about 15' away and got my vac. Walked back and they were gone.:s He paid me $25 for gas anyway.

 

[Hambone]

Missed 4 this year so far by a few hours.

 

[Blackwater Bee]

The emotional ups and downs of swarm catching Every swarm I go for is still exciting, but then the excitement instantly turns into doldrums when they take off. Sometimes, I think the Queen has Spotters too, they see us coming and do a " We're outta here " waggle dance or something. :scratch:

 

[spencer]

Last year there was a basketball size swarm in a tree at a local county campground near me. I was getting set up and they decided to take off. I walked in/with the swarm (very cool) until they went over a swamp and I watched them go off into the distance. The campground workers said they had been there for about a day.

 

[Fred Bee]

Yep...that's why when we get a swarm call...we drop everything and run to the scene as if we were about to have a baby or something!

 

[Rohe Bee Ranch]

Yup, has happened more than I like. Work always gets in the way.:doh:

 

[btedeski]

Half way there, home owner called to tell me they just left, so far have not lost one once I was on site.

 

[CentralPAguy]

This year, one of my hives swarmed and when the owner tracked me down, he told me that they were still on the branch -- When I got there, I was really excited and as I got my nuc ready, I noticed the branch was getting lighter as the bees were taking off. The owner told me that the swarm of bees was alot larger before I got there.

I watched the branch get lighter and lighter -- I whacked the remaining bees into a nuc, in the hopes of getting them. Soon they were gone. Bye Bye Bees.

The cool thing for the story is that I taught the owner to catch my cast off swarms. I gave him a veil and he wears gloves. He is really excited. So far, he caught one of my swarms on his own.