[rkr]

Swarm Slide Show

This is the swarm that came from one of our hives yesterday. My wife organized it in order of time from start to "in the hive" (about 25 minutes).
Picture one is of her putting some Lemon Grass Oil on a low hanging branch.

Enjoy,
RKR

 

[Wyldbee]

Thanks for sharing! That was really awesome. She is a very brave woman in my novice bee experience eyes. Are swarming bees usually unaggressive?

 

[NasalSponge]

The most unaggressive bees you'll find.....unless the swarm is dry!

 

[whodoctor]

That is great. My only question is, how did you know that they were going to swarm, so that you were able to bait the branch, and take the time lapse?

 

[Bens-Bees]

Are swarming bees usually unaggressive?

Yes. They have nothing to defend, therefore no reason to sting.


rkr,
I liked the pics of her hand getting covered in bees... made me think of star trek... "you are being assimilated by the borg, resistance is futile." :lpf:

Nicely done though.

 

[Bens-Bees]

That is great. My only question is, how did you know that they were going to swarm, so that you were able to bait the branch, and take the time lapse?

As I understand it, they had already swarmed and the swarm was flying in the first picture when she's baiting the branch.

 

[The Soap Pixie]

OMG! Your wife is brave! She made that look so easy.

 

[rkr]

That is great. My only question is, how did you know that they were going to swarm, so that you were able to bait the branch, and take the time lapse?

We had been hearing piping from the hive; it was a split. I had been watching it very closely and got lucky.
It was emerging just as I walked down to the hives. My error was not cutting out most of the emergency cells after the split (see http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=240403)

My wife baited the branch (and herself!!) and I ran up to a storage shed to get the hive bodies, loppers, top and bottom board and a ladder (in case the LGO did not work) when I got back she was holding the branch stationary so the wind did not knock the bees off and she was pretty much stuck there.

From Wife:
As I was putting the LGO on the branch, the bees really homed in immediately. There was a short period of time where I may have been their bivouac myself. The first pic of me squinting is because they were starting to love on me a bit too much. I tried to wash my hands, but I was still smelling pretty to them when I went to steady the swarm. I believe this is why they glommed onto me so much. It was super-duper neat-o! The heat was noticeable, and all the movement kinda felt like a mild electrical charge (way less than static electricity). I never felt threatened or in any kind of danger.

The time lapse was her using the "time stamp" info from our two cell phones to make up the Chronology.
It was luck, pure luck.

RKR

 

[G3farms]

great bunch of pics, thanks for posting.

G3

 

[BEES4U]

Great presentation.
Thanks for sharing.

Ernie

 

[jhs494]

Outstanding pictures!
Thanks for taking the time to share them with us.

 

[ToolBeeLady]

Cool Pics!

 

[Chick]

NICCCEEEEE. A friend of mine sprayed sugar water on his hand and arm, and all the bees crawled up on him, so he could move them to a box.