My weekend ramblings....

[VolunteerK9]

Well, as previously stated, I had to back out from going to Buds3 this year due to Little League Baseball. All was not lost though, my family took me for my birthday to watch South Carolina Gamecocks put a floggin on the Tennessee Vols baseball game. (I'm a huge fan of Gamecocks Football and Baseball) We sat right above the SC dugout and scored some autographs and pics. Ray Tanner, SC's coach, is a class act let me tell ya. He was more than willing to sign anything and even had his pic made with my two knuckleheads.

Anyways, on Sunday we had 2 makeup games to play. And wouldn't ya know it, right before time to leave, I got my first swarm call of the year. The caller was rather excited and said "man, theirs millions of bees everywhere in my business". Well shoot, you know I had to go see a million bee swarm so off I went. There was a bunch I must say but I lost count after 7,532  :-D. There were small clusters of them in every corner with large numbers bouncing off the plate glass windows-total and complete chaos.  After a little finger sifting, "I found the Queen!". I placed her in a hive body in a queen catcher, a drop of lemongrass on the bottom board,fanning started, and the marching began. No tiger stripe, but a deep, golden colored, fat little lady she was.

Long story short, it was probably about a 2 1/2 swarm. The original colony is in a concrete block wall so I may try my first trapout soon. I missed not being able to go to Buds, but all in all, I had a great weekend.



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[hankdog1]

Congrats man sounds like even though plans for Bud's got canceled you still had a good time.  Always a cool thing catching that first swarm too man.  Hope all is well down your way and catch you in Ventrillo soon.

[jmblakeney]

Conrats on you exciting weekend.  How did the business find you? I mean how have you got your name out there for swarm calls? 

James

[VolunteerK9]

Conrats on you exciting weekend.  How did the business find you? I mean how have you got your name out there for swarm calls? 

James

You may or may not know, but my 'real job' is law enforcement. I made up a flyer to hang up at the 911 center and they also plugged my info into the communications system. I would recommend you doing the same. Many people dont know who to turn to when they have swarms so 911 usually gets called. If they have your info...voila! Free swarms!

[amyleighhoney]

A great little tip for putting up your details in work but not all of us work in law enforcment...lol i doubt many people in my office have bee problems - but you never know.

[VolunteerK9]

A great little tip for putting up your details in work but not all of us work in law enforcment...l

Wasnt saying that, was just saying to call your local law enforcement agency's dispatch center and give them your contact info. They would be glad to call you as I doubt many of them know a beekeeper on a first hand basis-and I promise you they will get a call or two during your areas swarm season.

[tandemrx]

I agree with letting local police/fire know you will collect swarms.  Ours has a rolodex/contact list for those odd assortment of things and they already have a few people on the swarm collection list, so they rotate through them.  They were pleased to have another contact for such things when I called them.

At first I thought it was maybe an odd request too, but I know one of the dispatchers so I asked her one day if they get these type of calls and if they have some system to call beekeepers and she was like "heck yeah, get those calls all the time and love to have people on our list we can call - the more the merrier because not everyone can make it depending on the time of the call"