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Author Topic: Swarm #2 on the Rack!  (Read 4289 times)

Moots

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Swarm #2 on the Rack!
« on: March 28, 2013, 11:08:52 pm »
Bailey better look out, I'm on a roll! :lau:

2 swarms in 2 days!  :)


Schawee eyes up the situation...

Got a call from my nephew when I was at work this evening....He told me the bees were swarming.  My first thought was that the swarm I had caught yesterday, Charlie Hive, was swarming out on me.  I told him to keep an eye out for where they land and that I was on the way.

When I got there, he had them spotted in a patch of thicket about 50 feet or so from my 2 hives.  However, it was obvious that they hadn't come from Charlie Hive...So, the logical answer is Alpha swarmed on me.  However, I'm guess there is the possibility that it was a feral hive, I'm not really certain.  I guess I'll have a better idea next time I inspect Alpha, but that's most likely where the smart money is at.

Anyway, put out a text to Bailey and Schawee for advice.  Schawee was near by and offered to come by, an offer I promptly took him up on.  However, my plan-A was to bee-vac them up and get them in a box.  Something told me Schawee wasn't going to like that approach, and I was right.

He suggested we get them in a cardboard box and he'd show me how to find the queen.  I told him that I was more likely to get stung under that plan, he politely agreed but told me that's how you learn.  I couldn't argue with that, could I?  :-D

Long story short, we got them in the cardboard box, found the queen, caged her and got them in a hive box, actually two...Schawee was estimating it at 4 1/2 to 5 pounds of bees.

I really appreciate Schawee coming by to help out, we had a great time and I racked up a few first...I took my first hand full of bees, I also got my first sting on the face...Dead center on the nose...:lau:

I think I ended the "learning experience" with 6 stings, while Schawee had ZERO!  But hey, who's counting!  :-D

Here's a little video of Schawee coaching me on the bee dump into the hive box.

Offline annette

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Re: Swarm #2 on the Rack!
« Reply #1 on: March 28, 2013, 11:14:19 pm »
You have a very good mentor there and a tough one. You will be a very brave beekeeper. I still wear my full outfit when working the bees and don't plan on changing that.

Annette

Offline blanc

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Re: Swarm #2 on the Rack!
« Reply #2 on: March 28, 2013, 11:26:08 pm »
Catching me Moots and I think I will have to get Schawee to teach me his method. That is definitely the hardest thing in finding that queen amongst thousands of bees. I have to go back tomorrow to the same place because the swarm was two, became one and after the shake they became two again. Figured when I got there they had more than one queen but none the less number three is on the rack.
Blanc
Psalm 19:9-10
The fear of the Lord is clean,enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, yea ,than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

Offline D Semple

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Re: Swarm #2 on the Rack!
« Reply #3 on: March 28, 2013, 11:30:36 pm »
Way cool.


Glad schawee didn't let you vacuum them up, swarms are easy.


Post up a picture of your nose tomorrow so we can all have a good laugh.  :bee:

Moots

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Re: Swarm #2 on the Rack!
« Reply #4 on: March 28, 2013, 11:40:11 pm »
Way cool.


Glad schawee didn't let you vacuum them up, swarms are easy.


Post up a picture of your nose tomorrow so we can all have a good laugh.  :bee:


Thanks D...In reference to the picture of the nose....Your request reminds me of something my Mom use to always say when we were growing up.  "If you want a monkey, go and buy yourself one!"  :laugh:

And yeah, that means exactly what you think it does....There will be no pictures!  LOL! :-D


Offline bailey

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Re: Swarm #2 on the Rack!
« Reply #5 on: March 28, 2013, 11:43:05 pm »
Very nice and big swarm!!!    Very big!   I was impressed.
Unless the swarm is in the grass leave the vac at home now that you saw how its done.
Can't believe you let Shawee convince you to shake them without your jacket.  
I'm just now beginning to work bees without a suit and I have been at this quite a while.  
Shawee, that was dirty!    Funny as hell too !!!!  Think we ought to teach him how smashed crabs " improve" a bee yard?
I'm laughing so hard I can't breathe !!! :lau: :lau:
Bailey.
most often i find my greatest source of stress to be OPS  ( other peoples stupidity )

It is better to keep ones mouth shut and be thought of as a fool than to open ones mouth and in so doing remove all doubt.

Offline PLAN-B

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Re: Swarm #2 on the Rack!
« Reply #6 on: March 28, 2013, 11:51:40 pm »
Way to go Moots... Brought out the big guns I see... Lol... Whatever it takes man. I can't afford a monkey, but would surely love to see those pics :evil: trying to compete with dad huh....  :-D
Marshall

Moots

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Re: Swarm #2 on the Rack!
« Reply #7 on: March 28, 2013, 11:55:51 pm »
Very nice and big swarm!!!    Very big!   I was impressed.
Unless the swarm is in the grass leave the vac at home now that you saw how its done.
Can't believe you let Shawee convince you to shake them without your jacket.  
I'm just now beginning to work bees without a suit and I have been at this quite a while.  
Shawee, that was dirty!    Funny as hell too !!!!  Think we ought to teach him how smashed crabs " improve" a bee yard?
I'm laughing so hard I can't breathe !!! :lau: :lau:
Bailey.

Bailey,
and to think I had sympathy for you when you said you got popped on the ear today!  :-D

Hey, I had to get that first face sting out of the way at some point...You can't go through life as a Beek wondering when it's going to happen.  As with most "dreaded" things in life, the anticipation and build up is worse than the actual event.  Now, it's done...I can check it off the list and move on to the next thing.  :laugh:

Besides, it's really got nothing on Freeze +P  :)

Offline bailey

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Re: Swarm #2 on the Rack!
« Reply #8 on: March 29, 2013, 12:13:01 am »
Well we can show you how crushed blue crab improves a bee yard.  :evil: :evil:
Bailey.
most often i find my greatest source of stress to be OPS  ( other peoples stupidity )

It is better to keep ones mouth shut and be thought of as a fool than to open ones mouth and in so doing remove all doubt.

Offline Intheswamp

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Re: Swarm #2 on the Rack!
« Reply #9 on: March 29, 2013, 12:40:59 am »
Really nice swarm there, Moots!   Listen to these guys about not using the vacuum on swarm clusters.  I have *very* little experience with them but did hive four or five of my own swarms last year, and that's saying something being as I only started out with three hives.  :roll:  All of mine landed in a briar patch and I had to clip briar limbs off with wads of bees on them and shake them in a hive box...a really laborious task...didn't get but one sting the entire time, tough, and that was when I was picking some up with my hand and squeezed one between a finger and some weeds.  The strange thing was that they were all landing within five feet of each other.  I finally got smart and set a rickety old lawn chair on the spot.  The last swarm decided to take a seat in the chair....it was easy-peasy...simply lift chair, hold it over hive box and shake it hard a time or two...sure beat picking them out of the briars!  Wish I'd known about using a vacuum on'em when their were in the grass!!!!

Some from last year...
http://www.youtube.com/user/IntheswampBees

You do realize you're making me jealous, don't you?  :laugh:
Ed
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Offline schawee

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Re: Swarm #2 on the Rack!
« Reply #10 on: March 29, 2013, 01:08:13 am »
bailey,i was in the same boat as moot but I didn't get stung and I had a lot of bees on me.i bet moots wouldn't do that again with a sidearm .I told him the bees took that as a threat and jumped him. :-D  he was great with the bees even if he got stung 6 time but who's counting :-D I think the last sting was the best.we were just talking after everything was done and one got him on the back of his head.who knows what the reason was for that sting.
BEEKEEPER OF THE SWAMP

Offline bailey

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Re: Swarm #2 on the Rack!
« Reply #11 on: March 29, 2013, 01:19:42 am »
When those bees rolled out of the box I was thinking oh crap!   But he did it!  He is learning quick and he has passed the "moron test" ;)
Bailey
most often i find my greatest source of stress to be OPS  ( other peoples stupidity )

It is better to keep ones mouth shut and be thought of as a fool than to open ones mouth and in so doing remove all doubt.

Moots

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Re: Swarm #2 on the Rack!
« Reply #12 on: March 29, 2013, 03:49:03 am »
Bailey and Schawee,
You guys are something else  :). I don't even want to guess what's the blue crab / bee yard deal.  :laugh:

It's been a pleasure meeting and getting to know both of you, and I mean that from both a bee and non-bee prospective.  :)  The roles you have both played in helping reduce the learning curve for me on the Beek front is immeasurable and greatly appreciated.

And Schawee, you are SO RIGHT about that last sting I got in the back of the head, that thing REALLY smarted and was totally unprovoked and uncalled for... :lau: :lau: :lau:

Offline D Coates

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Re: Swarm #2 on the Rack!
« Reply #13 on: March 29, 2013, 10:03:03 am »
HUGE swarm.  Great catch.  Looks like you're already dropping the protective gear.  Good to have it when you need it but for swarms I only use a veil.  I feel like I'm wearing a neon sign that screams "STUPID" when I'm swollen from a sting in the face.
Ninja, is not in the dictionary.  Well played Ninja's, well played...

Moots

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Re: Swarm #2 on the Rack!
« Reply #14 on: March 29, 2013, 08:09:37 pm »
OK guys, a little update video on Swarm #2 that I caught yesterday, now known as Delta hive.  Went out to check on the bees a little after 10:00 this morning and walked into the middle of Delta hive swarming.  They were pouring out the entrance like the hive was on fire, LOL!

Thank goodness that Schawee found and caged the queen for me yesterday, he told me that if they swarmed on me again they would return as soon as they figured out they didn't have the queen with them, and that's exactly what they did.  I'm not sure why Alpha hive was in such a frenzy during all this, but it looked like some of the bees were landing there and entered Alpha.  But all the bees returned to the hives and all 3 hives appear to be doing fine from all outside appearances. 

Video of Delta Hive Swarming out!

Offline blanc

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Re: Swarm #2 on the Rack!
« Reply #15 on: March 29, 2013, 08:34:13 pm »
OK guys, a little update video on Swarm #2 that I caught yesterday, now known as Delta hive.  Went out to check on the bees a little after 10:00 this morning and walked into the middle of Delta hive swarming.  They were pouring out the entrance like the hive was on fire, LOL!

Thank goodness that Schawee found and caged the queen for me yesterday, he told me that if they swarmed on me again they would return as soon as they figured out they didn't have the queen with them, and that's exactly what they did.  I'm not sure why Alpha hive was in such a frenzy during all this, but it looked like some of the bees were landing there and entered Alpha.  But all the bees returned to the hives and all 3 hives appear to be doing fine from all outside appearances. 

Video of Delta Hive Swarming out!
Dang Jeff that pic from yesterday did not do justice to the size of that swarm. The video shake out said it all! BIG UN!!!
Blanc
Psalm 19:9-10
The fear of the Lord is clean,enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, yea ,than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

Offline Georgia Boy

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Re: Swarm #2 on the Rack!
« Reply #16 on: March 29, 2013, 09:12:28 pm »
Way to go Moots!!!!!!!

You are truly lucky to have both Bailey and Schawee looking out for your butt.  :)  (sort of) LOL!!!!

Great job man!

Really appreciate the videos, just great.

Really would like to see pictures of your nose sting though.  :-D

David
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"Never give up. Never surrender."

Offline bailey

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Re: Swarm #2 on the Rack!
« Reply #17 on: March 29, 2013, 09:45:08 pm »
We want the nose!!  We want the nose!! :lau: X:X
most often i find my greatest source of stress to be OPS  ( other peoples stupidity )

It is better to keep ones mouth shut and be thought of as a fool than to open ones mouth and in so doing remove all doubt.

Offline Georgia Boy

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Re: Swarm #2 on the Rack!
« Reply #18 on: March 29, 2013, 09:58:32 pm »
Give it up Moots by popular demand.  :-D
"Give it All You've Got"
"Never give up. Never surrender."

Moots

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Re: Swarm #2 on the Rack!
« Reply #19 on: March 29, 2013, 10:26:34 pm »
We want the nose!!  We want the nose!! :lau: X:X

LOL! Georgia Boy and Bailey, Sorry, No nose shots! :lau:

But, if it makes y'all feel any better....after watching Delta hive swarm out today and return, one of the little gals tagged me square on the forehead! OUCH!

The good news is I think my swelling forehead has offset and equalized the look of my swollen nose and eyes.  :)

 

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