Swarm Season 2021 - Saxonburg Swarm Part 2

Sunday morning started with another call that there were more bees on the move.  Easy - just a small cluster to move.  Maybe the rest from Saturday.  Then, just when you think you know bees, more happens.

Sunday Swarm

Beekeeper's dream when it comes to a swarm.  Inches from the ground.  Easy enough.

 

After shaking these bees into the box, we stood back satisfied.  Soon, though, we realized they were vacating the tree they had been in.

 

Welcome to what it looks like when they swarm.  So apparently, part of the swarm had come out and rested on the tree.  They had been there for at least an hour.  Now comes quick thinking and outsmarting the swarm...

The bees in the box already had started working on the honey and frames we provided them.  They were working, rather than calling their sisters.

So let's out think them.  After watching the behavior, we noticed they wanted to swarm around the logs lining the yard.  So we moved the box there.  Using a stick sprayed with Swarm Lure, we were able to encourage some to go to the box.

Further encouragement was obviously needed, though, because they liked the idea of the logs.  So watching carefully that the queen wasn't settling there, we kept working the bees to stay in the air.  Slowly but surely, as some found the box, they began calling their sisters.

 

Finally, when most of the swarm knew where to go, we put the lid on the box.  Notice how they continue to encourage bees to join them (sticking their abdomen up in the air while making a particular sound with their wings).  You can even see them marching into the box!

So three generations of family rescued the bees.

 

PS> Liz braved the ride in the truck with the bees.  She was fully suited up, though!  As was Grandpa.

Swarm Season 2021 - Saxonburg Swarm

It's that time of year!  And fortunately, it wasn't our bees that swarmed...

Swarm from Saxonburg, PA

A dear friend gave us a call that her tree hive swarmed.  20 minutes later, we started searching for the queen.  I never did spot her.  Based on a lot of bees moving on their own to the nuc box we brought, I would say she's probably in my first few scoops of bees to the box.

They really wanted to go into a hole lower in the tree than their original home.  So once I had a lot of bees in the box, I smoked out the hole.  They vacated the space and began swarming higher in the tree.  So we waited a few minutes to let them settle.

Since they were out of arm reach for even Christian, I told him stick the smoker up there and smoke them.  Then we stood back and waited to see what their behavior was.  ...they all went to the box on the ground.

I'd call that a win!  We'll know in a week or so if she's in there.