1st swarm got me good

[danno]

Sat night I had my 1st swarm call of the year.   Truck was already loaded.  Got to the site and they were about 12ft up on a branch about 3" in dia.  Big cluster but spread down 2 ft of the branch.  Usually I dont suit up and  just wear a veil but knew I would get a shower from this one.   I didn't put gloves on.  I used my paint pole and attached bucket and when I jammed the branch they came down mad.   I took about 12 stings in my left hand w/ one above and one below my wedding ring.  They chased as I walked away trying to get my ring off.   Because I was wearing shorts and a sleeveless shirt under my suit they were wacking the hell out of my arms and legs though the suit.  I had to have taken 30+ total but the left hand got it the worst.   The plus side to this is that colony brought my total to 40. 

[iddee]

You took it at night?   You're braver than I am.

[JP]

Some swarms like a gentle shake, some don't care what you do. By any chance did you get a feel for their temperament before you shook them? I tend to be much gentler with the runny ones, those are the ones that can be dry or just ill tempered.

Harder to see at night as well, easier to smoosh a few and get that alarm pheromone going.

Likely they have settled down good by now and soon to be friends.


...JP

[danno]

Iddee when I said night I ment after dinner with several hour of sun left. 
JP They showed not signs of aggression until I shook them.   They very well could have been dry I have no idea how long they had been hanging there.  They also came from a friends yard that spends there winters in florida so there could be AHB genes in the pool.   They are head butters.  I took them home and set them in my very calm yard in my barn yard and yesterday they were still upset. I had several head buttings happen yesterday a couple of hundred feet from them and my wife and son did also yesterday afternoon.   This never happens this time of the year.   I'm going to give them a few days to calm down and if that doesn't happen I'll find the queen, squish and combine

[iddee]

OK. My misinterpretation.

[danno]

I have 9 swarm traps hanging that I put up on Sat.   Yesterday I had  swarms in 3 of them.  I'll leave them until this weekend and give queens time to start laying.  Thats 43 colonies for me now.   

[JP]

Hey Danno, for some reason it didn't register that you were the one posting this thread, I know you have a clue!  :-D

I'll take head butters any day as long as they don't follow up with the opposite end.  ;)


...JP

[danno]

Thanks JP
The head butters have seemed to calm down.  I think they must have been there for awhile and dry.   I gave them 2 full frames of honey and a frame of pollen in there new home.  I had a colony similar to this about 3 years ago.  If I drove into the yard a full day after working them they were come right for my truck window.  One hand trying to swat they out  and the other blindly feeling for the window switch.  That colony got vandalize by kids that summer. Man that had to hurt

[JP]

Hey Danno, I know this is off topic but are you steal making sauerkraut? I think of you whenever I eat it, I know that sounds funny but it just stuck!  :-D

...JP