That is the question I had to ask.
In another post I mentioned some bees in a tree by a church that had bees in a wall. Seems that for a week and a day or two, those swarming bees went back to the hive every night.
I arrived at the church Saturday morning and the bees were doing the bee thing. I didn't see any bees in a tree. Then After I got suited up to start disturbing the bees by breaking into their hive, there were goobs of them all over the entrance and flying around, and they were gathering on the tree right where they had been for over a week. The tree was no more than twenty feet from the hive.
click for larger imageQuestion one, Does anyone know why this happens?
So I got me a hive body and sat it by the tree, and some pruning shears, and a saw. I pruned all the small limbs above and around the bees and then sawed off the limb under the bees. Tapped it down on the frame tops, and just as easy as that I had bees in a box. I left the hive there for any stragglers to find their way and went to work on the church walls.
click for larger imageQuestion two. When a swarm leaves the hive, or is leaving, do the remaining bees get really defencive???
They really didn't like the fact that I was even near the wall. Now keep in mind I had aproached these bees before and even banged on the wall, and they didn't care. But they were really checking me out now. AND THEN, when I started beating the wall to break the stucko, they were really PO'ed.
I said something about not having anything to cut the wire (stucko is sprayed on to a ware mesh). My mother said I could use her pruning shears that I used on the branches and went over to where I had left them and was bringing them to me. I told her about three times to put them down and I would get them. She's about as stubborn headed as her off-spring. A bunch of bee started circleing her so she dropped them and walk back to where my wife and son were. Well the bees followed her, and I guess something in my wifes hair set them off. Mom got three stings, my son three or four, and my wife lost count at about twelve.
The maximume reaction to the stings was the burning sting itself. But the pain soon went away and there was no more than a misquito bump on anyone. Did I mention my son got one on the eye lid? I thought his eye would swell shut. But no he was fine.
But man did I have a helpless feeling. I couldn't go over there to help because I would have taken more bees with me. But all turned out fine.
They went home and I started into the hive again. The more I worked on the wall the more riled the bees got. Finally I walked away and waited for them to calm down a bit. The man from the churched just happened by and took me to a phone so I could call the wife and have her bring the smoker back. Remember, I have not used a smoker up to this point.
I got the smoker going, and pumped the wall full of smoke, puffed smoke around me and on me and nothing seemed to change these girls minds. So to heck with it. I ignored them and wenton ripping out the wall.
click for larger image AHHH... Finally the the inner chambers of hadies. I started removing comb and the girls still had a level of anger. GEEEZZZZ. One managed to get her stinger though the cloth part of the glove at the edge of the sleeve and got me. (No more reaction than mentioned above)
Finally got the comb scrapped out and brood comb rubber-banded in the frames. OK I confess. At this point I didn't care much about doing it right. The combs were long up and down and narrow from side to side. SO they ended up in the frames side ways. (Gasp of shock from the audiance)
There were a lot of queen cells, but to my knowledge they were all open and empty. And drones. There were drones. Bunches of drones. I think one quarter of the population was drones. Every where I looked there were dones. OH hey did I mention there were some drones?
Anyway, I then left and thought I would wait for them to do what the others had done. Find the new hive and go into it.
Do you think these girls will cooperate???
click for larger imageMan!! That's a bunch of bees. I opened up the box I placed the swarm into and guess what. They had gone back with the others. So I drag out the old beevac and have my way with them.
I placed the beevac on top of the inner cover that has a hole going into the hive body. Made sure I had every exit sealed off and opened the bottom of the beevac. Now these girls should drift into the hive. Right? Shouldn't they do that?
Here is what it looked like the next morning.
click for larger imageSo I placed a feeder on top and started getting things organized for the bee adventure out at the Rocking Chair Ranch. Six miles up a bumpy road, crossing about five rough cattle guards. Beautiful country back there. And end up at a garage where the bees are. Cut hole in wall and there be the bees.
click for larger imageEvery thing went just fine except... There was a lot of honey in those white combs, and the cells were deep. The stuff was heavy and would fall apart really easy. These bees were not as bad as the church bees, but not as gentle as the others I collected.
See the duct tape on the wall to the left? There was a knott hole about one inch by one and a half inches. I looked in there and saw about ten wasp on tne inside. Who knows how many there were in there. So I taped it shut. But those wasp were everywhere. They were getting into the hive as I was trying to get the hive out. They were getting into the box where I was putting the comb. They were fighting the bees, or was it the bees were fighting them. They were crawling on me and everything else.
Finally got the comb all out and brood comb banded into frames, (YES right side up, what else?) and waited for the girls to find their way to the new home. These gals did just fine and gathered around their new bee house. I would go and herd them into it sometimes, trying to speed things up, but as it got dark they were getting in there fairly well. Sure there were a few stragglers left behind.
So Sunday night now, and still not all the church bees had gone down into the hive. The beevac was strapped down to the top of the hive. Everything secured this Monday morning and we headed home.
Question three. Now that the bees are here. There is more than enough space in new hive. Are these girls still gonna play thier swarming games?