[hemichuck]

I got on a couple of swarm list and I have got a few calls for carpenter bees,solitary bees,yellowjackets,etc. But tonight I got a call about 9:00pm from a guy who said he had a swarm in a tree about waist level so I grabbed a box and some frames and took off.When I got there it was about 35 feet from his drive sitting in a pine tree at about knee level.He let me cut the branches off and I stuck them in a box with a couple of drawn frames and a couple of sheets of foundation and I put on the lid,thanked him much and promised to bring him some honey.Got home around 11:00 and stuck the box out back with the rest,Put an entrance reducer on it and went to bed.So I guess i will get up tommorow and remove the limb and fill the box with frames and hope for the best.I am really stoked,I love this hobby.

 

[USCBeeMan]

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

You are hook, line and sinker!

 

[Hambone]

Sweet! What I would do tomorrow is if you have a queen excluder cut it to fit the entrace. Keeps them from leaving. If you don't have that. Grab a frame of brood from one of you strongest and place in there. Give them a bit of feed and should stay.

Good luck. Keep us updated.

 

[Batman]

Congrats! Always a great feeling when you get one. Kinda going thru withdrawls over here, no calls in over a week, except for cut outs. At least cut outs pay $, so I'm still going to work those. The lack of calls is allowing me to get caught up on equipment, I was using them so quick that I had to put them out unpainted. Another trip to the store and now I have a surplus of equipment. Be sure to get in there and get that branch out ASAP, don't let anything stop you from doing that tomorrow!!! If you wait too long the bees will start putting wax down in the wrong spots including the branch and you will have wasted some of their time and resources for something you're just going to pull out. In one hive I only had 3 frames ready when I got the swarm, so I put some built frames in there without foundation, just for spacing issues, and they have one frame completely filled in with wax and were working on a second. They had only been in the box for 5 days. I left the full frame, but pulled the 2nd since there wasn't too much on it yet. Another box that I had left the branch in there for 2 days, they ignored the foundation and built comb on the lid. I carefully started toremove the comb, and found the queen was up there too.

Craig

 

[hemichuck]

Thanks for the advice,I will be pulling the branch out early this morning.I was kind of brain fogged last night.Monday I had to go to Nashville to deal with a flooded building and I didnt get home till late.Tuesday I got up about 6:00am and placed a bunch of hive stands and did a few other odd jobs and then took off to Alabama to pick up 14 hives and 2 nucs.Started loading them about dark on Tuesday and then we left and drove all night to get back home around 6:00 am Wed.when we started placing all of the hives.Finally got done around 4:00pm and was exhausted so I layed down for 2 hours and woke up to my wife telling me we had to go to our(recently widowed)friends house and fix her driveway which had washed out in all of the rain last week.I was on a tractor doing that when I got the call at about 9:00.I didnt have any trouble sleeping last night.

 

[hemichuck]

I went out this morning and got the 2 branches out of the brood chamber and filled the rest with foundation.They seem to have set up camp and dont look like they are going anywhere.I had to get to work so I will put a feeder on them when I get home.I will try to post some photos.Thank God my son went with me to assist.He's not into bees but not at all afraid to jump in.

 

[honeybeekeeper]

Good Job Hemi!!!!! I havent got a call all week, I have 2 boxes ready!!

 

[Kingfisher Apiaries]

To Y'all that are waiting- With swarm calls, when it rains, it pours. :lookout:


Kingfisher

 

[Beaver Dam]

I would keep them closed up for a few days.. I have a screened top board that I install as a cover to alow plenty of ventelation. It has a hole in it so I can put on a feeder. A queen excluder might work but I have lost swarms using them. I haven't lost a swarm since I started keeping them closed up. Since my hives are in my back yard I can go and open them up at dusk to allow them to fly a while. I do close them back up at night. Good Luck

 

[Fred Bee]

I suspect that they are going to stay by now...and...if you feed them some sugar syrup, I just bet they'll stay put. It is great to get free bees isn't it?