[Jett01]

We were on the local list for the first time last year and received two calls. The first call came when we were a few hundred miles away on vacation. The second was late in the summer and turned out to be yellow jackets.

Today, though, was a bona fide swarm about a 10 minute drive from home. I couldn't wait to get off work and get there. The cluster was slightly bigger than a basketball and about 10 feet up a pine tree. Got a cardboard Nuc up under them and dumped them in with a shake or two. I put them in a 10 deep and added a frame of eggs from another hive. Hopefully they will stick around.

Was a lot of fun. I'm ready for another one.

 

[FlowerPlanter]

Congratulations on your first swarm.

>added a frame of eggs
was there any open larva on that frame?

I am always testing to see what's the minimum needed to keep a swarm. I have use pieces of drone brood the size of a dollar with success. I tried a piece of new comb with eggs and it did not keep the swarm.

I found the queen on a small swarm and caged her for 5 days and that worked.

 

[Jett01]

was there any open larva on that frame?

There were mostly eggs and a few that had just hatched to larvae.

The homeowner called back today and said that there was a softball sized cluster remaining. Guess I am going back tonight.

 

[rsjohnson2u]

Congratulations JETT, it's super exciting the first time. I, too "caught"(recovered?, captured?) my first swarm two days ago. A football sized swarm five feet into a juniper and blackberry "hedge". They were so low, I had to crawl on my stomach, then managed to get a cardboard nuc box under them by "scooping" it around them sideways. FP, it was getting dark when I hived mine, so using ten frames of Ritecell, one of which is partially drawn from a honey super last season (and syrup). Didn't want to steal brood in the dark, didn't have clean old or drawn comb, didn't use LGO, etc. I will next time if they abscond, but went minimalist this first time.

 

[FlowerPlanter]

>There were mostly eggs and a few that had just hatched to larvae.
Good, It's the open larva that will keep your swarm.

>"caught"(recovered?, captured?) my first swarm two days ago.
If it's been two days I think they will stay. When new swarms abscond they seem to do it right away (at least the few that absconded on me).

 

[AugustC]

Congratulations. Haven't had the thrill of collecting a swarm yet. All of my calls have been for tree bumbles mostly in bird boxes (and one in a compost heap). All of swarms I have this year have moved into bait hives. A lot more convenient for working hours, 0% absconding, but not nearly so thrilling.