[bhfury]

Busy season so far. I've caught five have swarms since Easter.

 

[Chick]

I've caught 4 since Easter, and one right before. I also have 2 bait hives that have scouts going in and out of it. I looke din one, and there were about a dozen bees on the comb.

 

[Batman]

Right there with ya and loving it! 4 swarms since Tuesday, it would have been 5 but I missed a call on Wednesday thanks to work. Oh well, I hope I get at least 1 more by the end of the weekend...or maybe 2, but 3 would really hit the spot unless it was 4, but 5 would be nice too....grin
They are like Pokemon, "gotta catch em all!"
Gotta say I sure am having fun right now!

Craig

 

[Chick]

I missed one for the same reason. I even left work a little early, but by the time I got there, the bees were gone. From the dimensions he gave me, there must have been 6 lbs of bees there. I hate I missed that one.

 

[bhfury]

They are definitely moving around in California....

 

[Batman]

I missed one for the same reason. I even left work a little early, but by the time I got there, the bees were gone. From the dimensions he gave me, there must have been 6 lbs of bees there. I hate I missed that one.

hate missing one like that. The one on 3-14-10 was about like the one last night. Prob 4-4.5 lbs. I put them both in a 5 frame nuc and saw how they filled it up with 2 frames missing and had to transfer them to a 10 frame box. I had a little fun with the one last night. I needed the a second person because they were 20 ft up in the air, so the guy who lived there said he'd help me, so I gave him all my bee gear to put on, I was now out there in pants and a t-shirt, no gloves, no veil. As I was handling branches full of bees and reaching inside the hive to pull other bits the tree out with out gloves he told me that he had heard of crazy people, but know he's actually seen one. It was definately a show for his family and neighbors. We know why I could do it that way, but don't tell anyone :shhhh:

Craig

 

[Chick]

ouch! I'm glad I was not in your position. I have done that, but I am not relaxed when I did it. Not my idea of fun. I put a swarm in a nuc the other day, and like you, had to immediately place it in a large brood box. Too many bees.

 

[Mtn. Bee]

I was thinking about catching a bunch of swarms soon to (then I realized I was day dreaming), and woke back up to I need to finish shoveling all this snow out of my yard first!
Maybe some of you could use some help and I could get my vacation in nice warm area and hang out with the bees, instead of them all clustered like mine are?? Supposed to be a low of 25 here tonight!

 

[peacekeeperapiaries]

caught our 5th of the season last night also:thumbsup:

 

[johng]

I've caught two so far. I have one of those flower pot style traps at a customers house.(I do yard service on the side) I was over there a week ago and there were some bees going in and out. I willn't be back over there for another week I hope I I will have bees in it when I go back. I can only assume that it was a good sign some bees were checking it out. This is my first time trying a trap out. It has been up about 1 month now.

 

[cow pollinater]

I put out a few traps this year just for the fun of it. So far I've had to pull all but one back in to house the swarms that I keep catching in the same plum tree... Five last year and eight so far this year from two branches on the same tree. Only one of this years has been from one of my hives. I made a few queens for my beekeeping neighbor last year so at least I know what I'm getting.

 

[Chick]

johng, You will probably have bees and a mess. Expect at least 5 hanging wild combs. Due to the size or the pot, they can't draw it out hardly bog enough to put in a frame. Go there with a box and some empty frames, and do the transfer right there. Do it in the morning. Take a barrel or something, that you can elevate the brood box, as high as you can, and as close as you can, to where the pot was at. The returning bees, and the ones flying, will be landing on the tree, where the flower pot was at. If you leave the hive in place, they should have all found the new hive, by evening.

 

[bhfury]

I put out a few traps this year just for the fun of it. So far I've had to pull all but one back in to house the swarms that I keep catching in the same plum tree... Five last year and eight so far this year from two branches on the same tree. Only one of this years has been from one of my hives. I made a few queens for my beekeeping neighbor last year so at least I know what I'm getting.

Sounds like that isn't a plum producing tree, but a bee producing tree!!!

 

[Chick]

I've seen the same thing, about bees swarming on the same limb. I can understand it within a week or so, of the original swarm, but cow pollinator is tallking about successive years. I have no explanation for that.

 

[Batman]

I'm actually kinda going thru withdrawls, no calls today! :scratch: I'm bummed. Tell ya what tho, if Cow can have good luck with a tree, maybe I will just leave the 5 combs on the house that the bees started, perhaps maybe it will attract more. I have not moved the ladder yet, but I have pulled hive down, plus I have a better idea of what to do if they go there again. :thumbsup:
I hope to get at least one more, but would love to get 3 just to bump the yard to 15.

Craig

 

[beekeeper1756]

The morning temps here in the Texas panhandle have been in the low 40s. Haven't heard any reports of swarms around the area. Been checking with sheriff and state trooper. Lots and lots of wind this past week. Blowing way too hard to work bees. I do know of a creek that runs through some property that has lots of bees. Maybe, just maybe...

 

[odfrank]

Ten baits since 3/10. This was #10 yesterday. This is a packing crate lined inside with Styrofoam and filled with one moth eaten small cell frame and an empty bottle of LGO that I pushed through the entrance last year. It has been ignored for two previous years. There were three better baits filled with combs available in the yard. The reason this was successful was because of the good Fung Shway. On top of a faux granite column and topped with a iron sculpture....works every time.

 

[bhfury]

The morning temps here in the Texas panhandle have been in the low 40s. Haven't heard any reports of swarms around the area. Been checking with sheriff and state trooper. Lots and lots of wind this past week. Blowing way too hard to work bees. I do know of a creek that runs through some property that has lots of bees. Maybe, just maybe...

Hang is there....better swarm weather is headed your way!!!!