Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => HONEYBEE REMOVAL => Topic started by: JP on April 13, 2009, 08:56:22 pm
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This was a bruiser swarm, the kind that gives you goose bumps.
The intial shake was great, all bees instantly orienting to the catch box. Lots and lots of bees.
The queen was hanging out on the outside front of the box. When I smoked them, they started going in along with the queen.
I watched her move up and down between the center frames but she must have come back out and on the front exterior again.
I puffed them again and must have puffed directly on her or there was too much smoke in the box, but she flew up to another tree.
This time they had four different clusters, which was a pretty cool sight. Didn't really know which one she was in so just went right down the line putting in handfuls and shaking some as well.
Got all squeezed in and brought 'em home.
Added a medium atop the deep and gave them feed. It was a lot of fun!
Pics: http://picasaweb.google.com/pyxicephalus/April132009?authkey=Gv1sRgCMGM9IzVts7hAQ#
...JP
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Wooowzer,, thats one nice swarm, I can't figure how you shoved them all in there. Truly inspiring...
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Well, the one last Saturday, April 4th was pretty darn big and they squeezed in so I figured these would also but man, I have to start bringing extra boxes with me. The swarms are pretty big this year!
...JP
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Oooh, JP, nice job!!! THat is one honkin' big bunch of bees. When I looked at the four clusters of bees, it looked to me like a ball of brown grapes hanging off the tree, weird. You are having the time of your life, now ain't that such a cool thing, hee, hee. Have that great and most awesome day, life, and health. Cindi
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Beautiful swarm.
Better to carry 2 boxes and need 1, then to carry 1 and need 2. :roll:
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JP, you certainly know where to get the monster swarms.. makes me green with envy. Perhaps they perfrm just for you. I'm lucky if I get a couple of frames worth.
Mick
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Wow JP, that is awesome!! Is that the biggest one you've caught so far?
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Don't you usually catch that queen with the clip first thing???
Anyway, I really enjoyed these photos. I really don't think we get swarms like that out here. Bees do really great where you live.
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Ok, where do I start. Natalie, Are you asking if that's the biggest swarm I've ever caught, ever, or this season?
Cindi, it was indeed a magnificent sight to behold when they bunched up like that in those grape like clusters!
Iddee, you got that right, would rather have too much than not enough. Actually I keep those file boxes in the truck, so in a jam, I could use those, but you're right, I need to start bringing deeps and mediums along!
Annette, you get swarms in your area just like anyone, they just haven't found you yet, the calls will come, I know they will. Annette, I don't always catch the queen, most times I do, but not always, as long as they all get in the box, we're good to go.
Mick, this year so far has been a year of big swarms!
...JP
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Wow, where do you keep all the swarms? Your yard must be getting huge already...
David
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Holy cow JP! That's Niiiiice! :-D
How many lbs. would you guestimate it at?
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Mick, this year so far has been a year of big swarms!
...JP
Not knowing American geography (I have only 7 states and a couple of territories to memorise), Louisiana must be somewhere in the south (must be hell trying to have a handle on 52). What is the climate there? I am sub tropical so I understand a bit about that sort of climate
Mick
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Cool photos JP! Did you just shake the branch initially to get them to fall on the box?
...DOUG
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Hmm, I guess the biggest swarm ever? Is it me or does it seem like your swarms are getting bigger each time?
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Natalie, this one was pretty darn big http://picasaweb.google.com/pyxicephalus/May252008#5204510013985347490
This one was close http://picasaweb.google.com/pyxicephalus/April192008#
KD4, I shook them in, twice!
Sarge, man, I just don't know for sure, had to be between 4.5 and 5lbs, perhaps a little more.
Mick, yes we are in the southeastern quadrant of the United States in between Texas and Mississippi.
We barely have a winter here, our summers are hot, but very humid.
As for as where do I put all the bees. I keep what I can, and defer the rest to friends and to some who want to get started up beekeeping.
...JP
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As for as where do I put all the bees. I keep what I can, and defer the rest to friends and to some who want to get started up beekeeping.
...JP
That's cool.
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JP,
Where do you advertise to get the calls for swarms? I am wanting to add more hives, but don't have the money to buy packages. I would like to catch some swarms.
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JP it seems you always get the nicest swarms :-D
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Just loved the shopping trolley swarm and the way they just all marched into the box. Tell me JP, did you get them to line up into nice straight lines first or did you shout out "There is a sale on in the box, girls"? :-D
Mick
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Sarge, man, I just don't know for sure, had to be between 4.5 and 5lbs, perhaps a little more.
Had to be much bigger than that. My guess would be at least double that.
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JP SWARM KING!! Amazing! I particularly like the pictures with the bees flying, they look like mud spattering all over! The 4 clumps were cool too! J
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Where to advertise?
Police stations
Fire stations
phone book
internet
bee clubs
department of agriculture
word of mouth
Mick, I make them march in with my beewhip! :-D
Sarge, I don't weigh them but 10lbs of bees is 30,000 bees plus. No way that swarm was that big. I have caught some (I am guessing) in the 18-21,000 range, that's 6-7 lbs of bees. Perhaps Iddee, Brian or someone else has caught 10 lbers, but when and if I do, will be glad to post the pics.
This year our swarms seem to be running larger than average.
...JP
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Well, sure I have. Only it took five trips to five different areas to get it. :shock: :-D
I don't think I have ever gotten even a six pounder.
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Good one buddy. Yet another FAT FATTY!
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Where to advertise?
Police stations
Fire stations
phone book
internet
bee clubs
department of agriculture
word of mouth
Mick, I make them march in with my beewhip! :-D
Sarge, I don't weigh them but 10lbs of bees is 30,000 bees plus. No way that swarm was that big. I have caught some (I am guessing) in the 18-21,000 range, that's 6-7 lbs of bees. Perhaps Iddee, Brian or someone else has caught 10 lbers, but when and if I do, will be glad to post the pics.
This year our swarms seem to be running larger than average.
...JP
Oh, for some reason I thought it was around 1000 bees per lb.
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Well, I never did count a lb of bees myself Sarge, but I keep hearing a lb of bees is somewhere in the 3,000-3,500 bee range.
Here's a discussion some others got into about this same subject. Don't expect clarity however, they are just as confused about how many are in a lb as we are. http://www.beesource.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-193095.html
...JP
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Nice JP
Last year I got a really big one that was the size of a basketball. I took a empty deep and hive stapled it to the top of another filled with frames and bottom board. It worked like a funnel. Shook them, popped the top on and drove them home.
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Wow JP...THAT IS ONE SWEET SWARM...BRAVO..and thanks for the pictures!
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Gotta think of a new name for JP, he's passed the Swarm King stage, no understanding of where this dude is going, perhaps the Swarm Manager King, hee, hee, smiling. Beautiful day to groove on the groovey life that we all live, love and share, great health wishes. Cindi
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I figured out JP's secret. He RELEASES the swarm, then follows them to wherever they land to recollect them! No wonder he can get 3 or 4 a day, I'll bet, by the end of the day they don't even fly that far! :lau:
Seriously, JP is Swarm Master... Or possibly Supreme High Overlord of the Swarm!
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Sarge, you figured it out, shhhhh, don't tell anyone else. ;) What can I say, we have a lot of bees here.
...JP
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I figured out JP's secret. He RELEASES the swarm, then follows them to wherever they land to recollect them! No wonder he can get 3 or 4 a day, I'll bet, by the end of the day they don't even fly that far! :lau:
Now SgtMaj, that was pretty funnnneeee. You have conjured up some pretty neat images in my mind's eye. In all seriousness, I personally think that JP uses swarm lure as a after shave perfume. Ooops, guess that was really wrong, I don't think JP shaves, have you ever noticed how black and hairy his face is, hee, hee. Sorry JP, couldn't resist, smiling. Have this great, most wonderful day, live and love our life. Health. Cindi
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Bahahaahahhaahahha Cindi, yes, I am black and hairy like a bear! :lau:
...JP
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JP, yo the man!!! Have that great and most awesome day and health. Cindi
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Well, I never did count a lb of bees myself Sarge, but I keep hearing a lb of bees is somewhere in the 3,000-3,500 bee range.
...JP
I guess it depends how big the bees are. What a sight -something else I'd like to at least try and see how I like it.
I've become such a bee nerd people are starting to go the other way when they see me coming - (I kinda like it that way).
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I've become such a bee nerd people are starting to go the other way when they see me coming - (I kinda like it that way).
Yay Bee Happy, now don't that just maka yo' day, smiling.....I like that too, hee, hee. Have that great, most wonderful day, health. Cindi
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That was awesome JP!
But You know what I liked the best? it was the pictures and how we could see all the bees flying so well towards the box!
I love to see the bees flying so clearly, especially when thers so many of them!
Way to go!
your friend,
john