Here is video of my foray at catching a swarm that was plastered to a tree. :-D
I first brushed them off onto a queen excluder and then dumped them into the hive body. I thought I had the queen but a lot of them jut kept hanging around the base of the tree and the entrance to the hive. Finally about 8:15 PM I got anxious and started slowly scooping the cluster up with my hands and putting the in the opened hive. I was almost done when noticed a small cluster on the other side of the hive and scooped them up and put them in. Then I saw a long, pale yellow and fuzzy and not plump at all abdomen running up the crate and under the bottom board. I was lucky and gently grabbed her and quickly placed her in the hive and and quickly put the cover on. At that point it was march central by all the rest of the bees outside, into the hive body. In hindsight I should have bought a lotto ticket after that. ;)
I think it was a virgin queen given the abdomen was fuzzy and not plumped up. I think, if I didn't damage her, she has yet to take her mating flight.
One thing about this hive, other than throwing a lot of swarms this spring, was the amount of pollen it was bringing in just before the swarm. In fact the cluster had lotsa foragers with baskets full of pollen on them. Was this planned or did the foragers return and decide to join in the swarm?
Thanks,
Jay
Swarm video