O, yes, 49428 and 49419.
Sorry!!!!
Sorry!!!!
Michigan
-May 15 first call, gone before I got out of work.
-May 24-th got one.
No calls this weekend. SW Michigan.
-May 24-th got one.
No calls this weekend. SW Michigan.
1 - 20 of 102 Posts
zip code 48439
May 30th, about the size of a football, in a pine tree about 5 ft. up
June 6th, basketball size, pine tree 15 ft. in the air
I got another call this morning, but will have to wait and see if they stick around until I get out of work.
May 30th, about the size of a football, in a pine tree about 5 ft. up
June 6th, basketball size, pine tree 15 ft. in the air
I got another call this morning, but will have to wait and see if they stick around until I get out of work.
I got another swarm in Flint yesterday. About the size of a football. That makes 3 for the year.
48507
48507
Swarms Galore!
This has been a great season for swarm catching in Northwestern Michigan. Over the last week and a half I have caught 9 swarms (and just missed two more). A friend has caught 14. Running out of equipment is a good thing.
Jason
This has been a great season for swarm catching in Northwestern Michigan. Over the last week and a half I have caught 9 swarms (and just missed two more). A friend has caught 14. Running out of equipment is a good thing.
Jason
Three more swarms hived today. 5/29/08 49616.
Great year for getting swarms.
Great year for getting swarms.
Two swarms hived today. 6/2/08 49684
Is it just me or is this a heavy swarm year?
Is it just me or is this a heavy swarm year?
Four swarms so far....
I have caught four swarms in Northern Michigan. The first on 5/14, the second on 5/15, and the last two yesterday on 5/17. I have a buddy who has also caught 4 so far. Last year I caught around 14 swarms, and it looks like it may be another year like last.
I have a job that puts me in orchards all season, so I keep an empty super with frames, top, and bottom board at the ready. Farmers that I work with (I am an agricultural consultant) keep an eye out for me.
Jason
I have caught four swarms in Northern Michigan. The first on 5/14, the second on 5/15, and the last two yesterday on 5/17. I have a buddy who has also caught 4 so far. Last year I caught around 14 swarms, and it looks like it may be another year like last.
I have a job that puts me in orchards all season, so I keep an empty super with frames, top, and bottom board at the ready. Farmers that I work with (I am an agricultural consultant) keep an eye out for me.
Jason
One more swarm caught on 5/18.
Up to nine swarms so far. Caught three yesterday, and two were real whoppers. One barely fit in a deep super. We are having one heck of an apple bloom this year. The bees are really working them well.
What is everyone using to catch swams?
Hope this is not off subject, but what do you folks use to catch the swarms? Sounds like everyone has different ways. I keep a deep super with 7 to 8 frames with foundation and 1 or 2 drawn frames with a little honey in them. I use hive staples to attach a bottom board to the box and keep a lid with me.
When I find a swarm I position the box under it as well as I can and remove all but four of the frames. Then after shaking or brushing the bees into the box I add the rest of the frames (carefully!) back in. The top is put on and the box is left there to be picked up that evening.
This method has usually worked very well and almost every time when I return all of the bees are in there. I will say this, most of the swarms that I find are within the reach of my pickup bed where I place the box. I did find two this year that required ladders or standing on the pickup roof so I modified my approach a little. Since most of the swarms are in orchards there are plenty of lower branches for them to hang on.
I would love to hear what other do.
Jason
Hope this is not off subject, but what do you folks use to catch the swarms? Sounds like everyone has different ways. I keep a deep super with 7 to 8 frames with foundation and 1 or 2 drawn frames with a little honey in them. I use hive staples to attach a bottom board to the box and keep a lid with me.
When I find a swarm I position the box under it as well as I can and remove all but four of the frames. Then after shaking or brushing the bees into the box I add the rest of the frames (carefully!) back in. The top is put on and the box is left there to be picked up that evening.
This method has usually worked very well and almost every time when I return all of the bees are in there. I will say this, most of the swarms that I find are within the reach of my pickup bed where I place the box. I did find two this year that required ladders or standing on the pickup roof so I modified my approach a little. Since most of the swarms are in orchards there are plenty of lower branches for them to hang on.
I would love to hear what other do.
Jason
Caught another swarm yesterday. Up to 11 now. One problem though. The cherry grower that found the swarm for me accidentally sprayed the swarm with Asana (a pyrethroid) before I got there. His beekeeper had already pulled the hives out of the orchard the day before, so he was not expecting to see any bees. It was a 6-8# swarm and underneath it was around 1-1.5# of dead and dying bees. He felt bad about it, but what can you do?
I hope that they make it. Looks to me like it was the outside layer that was killed, so hopefully the queen and enough bees to get started make it. Asana is a contact insecticide so I believe that what damage was done id done (I HOPE). Anyone have any experiences like this?
Thanks,
Jason
I hope that they make it. Looks to me like it was the outside layer that was killed, so hopefully the queen and enough bees to get started make it. Asana is a contact insecticide so I believe that what damage was done id done (I HOPE). Anyone have any experiences like this?
Thanks,
Jason
Caught three more swarms on 5/30. One small one, one medium, and one large. Also found a fourth, and it was HUGE!, but it was high up in a maple tree. The limb it was on hangs right out over a busy road. Can't win them all!
Jason
Jason
Re: Please Post your Swarm Dates?
I just captured a swarm from a wild hive by my mother's house on Wednesday. One of my hives just swarmed today (quite the independence day). First time I've ever witnessed a swarm in action! Super cool. Lewiston, Michigan (Northern Lower Peninsula)
I just captured a swarm from a wild hive by my mother's house on Wednesday. One of my hives just swarmed today (quite the independence day). First time I've ever witnessed a swarm in action! Super cool. Lewiston, Michigan (Northern Lower Peninsula)
Re: Please Post your Swarm Dates?
05/06/10 Grand Rapids MI 49504 My hive. They lit in a branch to big to cut and too small for the ladder to lean on. Tied the vac to my belt and stuck the container into the ladder rungs, got 90% of them, about a two pounder.
05/06/10 Grand Rapids MI 49504 My hive. They lit in a branch to big to cut and too small for the ladder to lean on. Tied the vac to my belt and stuck the container into the ladder rungs, got 90% of them, about a two pounder.
Re: Please Post your Swarm Dates?
Caught my first swarm this morning.
May 15, 2010 9:00 am
Clarksville, MI
Caught my first swarm this morning.
May 15, 2010 9:00 am
Clarksville, MI
Re: Please Post your Swarm Dates?
Had a swarm Friday May 14th in Milford Michigan, Can from my other hive. Weather has been cool, mid to upper 60's. Lots of rain but had 2 dry days prior to swarm.
Had a swarm Friday May 14th in Milford Michigan, Can from my other hive. Weather has been cool, mid to upper 60's. Lots of rain but had 2 dry days prior to swarm.
Re: Please Post your Swarm Dates?
Had a swarm land in a tree at the back of my yard this past Sunday, 5/16. Swarmed from a feral colony in a tree on other side of neighbors house. She saw it swarm, I tracked it to the tree it landed in. After spending the night, it moved on.
Durand, Mi 48429
Had a swarm land in a tree at the back of my yard this past Sunday, 5/16. Swarmed from a feral colony in a tree on other side of neighbors house. She saw it swarm, I tracked it to the tree it landed in. After spending the night, it moved on.
Durand, Mi 48429
Re: Please Post your Swarm Dates?
may 23, 2010. 1 swarm. zip 49267. location: ottawa lake, mi
may 23, 2010. 1 swarm. zip 49267. location: ottawa lake, mi
Re: Please Post your Swarm Dates?
First swarm call of the season. Was in a spruce about 5 ft up, which was super sweet. Near Hillman, MI 49753
First swarm call of the season. Was in a spruce about 5 ft up, which was super sweet. Near Hillman, MI 49753
1 - 20 of 102 Posts
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