if there's going to be a flow i guess it's on.

[10framer]

was driving to the farm this afternoon and about two miles from my gate i see a swarm settling into a tree right by the road.  i keep going and come back with a 5 frame deep nuc and find a pretty big cluster hanging about 20-25 feet up in a tree.  i had enough sense to grab my 16' limb saw when i picked up the hive so i cut them down and they landed right in the hive for the most part.  let them cluster up again and cut again and the bees started heading straight into the hive.  decided to sit back for a while and it seemed like maybe they were swarming again because there were thousands of bees flying again.  check and the bees are still going into the hive, wait a while and shake out the cluster again and most of the bees head on in.  i lift the top and it is wall to wall bees so i take them back to my place and move them into a 10 frame deep and throw in  a frame of brood.  i think i actually had a second swarm fly in while i was hiving the first one.  right at dark i went back by just to see if the stragglers were still around and find another pound or two of bees there.  i turned back around got the nuc went back shook them into it then dumped them at the entrance of the ten frame hive.  in the end i think i ended up with maybe 6 0r 7 pounds of bees or more.  the deep was crammed full of bees.  i'm going to give them another deep of foundation tomorrow.  if there is a hive issuing a swarm this size i have to think that the bees have decided the flow is finally on.  still not sure i didn't actually hive two swarms.  maybe there is still some tulip poplar in bloom, most of what i've seen seems to be playing out, though.  maybe privet followed by sumac will be enough.

[don2]

I never approach a swarm with anything less than a deep 10 frame or 2 mediums. Box not big enough? been there, done that, :roll: :) d2

[10framer]

don, i usually don't either but i was out of built deep frames yesterday and happened to have slapped 5 together.  i had to build the other five frames to move them into the 10 frame deep.  my other option was to use mediums and i'm trying not to start any more hives with medium brood chambers.  i had also just thrown 12 pounds of deep foundation in my truck before i went out there today (i live 60 miles from my farm).  if there was ever a swarm i was meant to catch this was it.  it was pretty high up in the tree and i had driven past it before it registered that i had just seen a swarm.  if i hadn't had the deep foundation i would have gone back with a couple of mediums.

[don2]

  I hear you, We have too do what we have to do.  :) d2