Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!!!

[JP]

Here's my story. I stopped in today to check in on my nephew who was painting some deeps and mediums for me, at my house. As I walked up my driveway and under the carport I noticed some bees checking out a swarm trap, but didn't think much of it, cause I always have bees checking out something at my house.

I went out the backdoor onto the patio to check on my nephew and make sure that he was earning the money I was paying him, lol.

I had housed a small colony with a nice queen that was living in a cardboard box under another colony. Apparently, they had been freeloading in the box for a few days or so, the apparent failure of a paper combine that I thought had gone well.

Anyway, I had them all set up yesterday evening in a medium with ziplock baggie and all, tucked them in for the night.

Fast forward to today. So, I went inside for a few minutes, came back out and noticed  bees exiting the new set up, then, even more bees, and even more, and I realized, these suckers are swarming out!!!

I waited like a lizard next to the hive for the queen to show herself, and when she did I caught her in my hand and tried to cage her but the b...eautiful thing flew right out from under me!

I went to the front of my house and saw the swirling and humming they do when swarming, the sky was full! They sure were checking out that swarm trap under the carport!

Long story short, they in fact did settle in the swarm trap. I caught the queen with the catcher and tried again to cage that b...eautiful thing and she flew out from me again!

I don't know if I'm getting slow or if she was just a crafty little b...eautiful thing!

This time though she flew right back in the hive.

I have a feeder on and lots of grass in the entrance to try and pursuade them from leaving a second time.

Wish me luck!!!

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/pyxicephalus/April72008


...JP

Oh, my nephew tells me after the fact, you know bees have been checking out that trap for the last two days!!! Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!

[johnnybigfish]

Hey, JP!
 Nothin' like nephews, 'eh?
 As I was walkin' around your driveway I couldnt help but notice all the nabors houses!
 You keep your bees at home in town and nobody complains?
 I always kinda figured you lived in the country.
 I try to tell my friends that they oughta set up a few hives in their yards in town but they're all afraid of getting sued.
I liked the pic with the bees flying around in the air!

your friend,
john

[JP]

Hey, JP!
 Nothin' like nephews, 'eh?
 As I was walkin' around your driveway I couldnt help but notice all the nabors houses!
 You keep your bees at home in town and nobody complains?
 I always kinda figured you lived in the country.
 I try to tell my friends that they oughta set up a few hives in their yards in town but they're all afraid of getting sued.
I liked the pic with the bees flying around in the air!

your friend,
john

John, I do keep some at my house, but most at a friends on 13 acres. My neighbor's complain very little, especially when I bribe them with honey, lol.


...JP

[Cindi]

JP, what an impressive little story.  Don't the bees just plain and simply do the strangest things.  Thanks for sharing.  You must be getting quite a large number of colonies that you have been gathering and storing at your friend's place, have you counted how many?  I would be curious, and you know, curiosity never got this cat.  Beautiful day in our great life.  Cindi

[DennisB]

Super story JP. I guess it pays to be slooooooow when it comes to grabbing queens!

DennisB

[Ross]

Buy yourself a few of the hair clip queen catchers.  They make great temporary cages for a day or two until the queen settles in.

[Jingles]

Great pics!!



Love,

[johnnybigfish]

Hey Ross,
whats a "Hair Clip" queen catcher?
 I've only seen one of my queens out of 5 hives since the hives started up, but one never knows when he might need a device like you're talking about!..Mostlt, the only experience at seeing queens for me is here, like when JP posts pics of his catches and queens.Its kind of like "Wheres Waldo" except its a bee! :)

your friend,
john

[JP]

Buy yourself a few of the hair clip queen catchers.  They make great temporary cages for a day or two until the queen settles in.

Hey Ross, I actually own quite a few. In fact I had that queen in one twice, but she was just a slippery little fiend. Today my friend Bailey, his wife Peggy and I had no problem caging three queens from swarms and a cut-out colony, and this is usually the norm, but every now and again you will get a queen that just doesn't sit still enough for you to even think about catchin' her! Them queens is slick sometimes!


...JP

[Understudy]

Swarm traps are job security.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

[Cindi]

John, go back the post up above made by JP, go into his pictures and look at the last picture that has the super, inside the super, you will see a white apparatus, that is the hair clip queen catcher.  I have never seen them before, but they look like they might be pretty excellent devices.  Beautiful day and a great life, Cindi

[Michael Bush]

Hair clip queen catcher:
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/products.asp?pcode=341

[JP]

Hair clip queen catcher:
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/products.asp?pcode=341

Yep, that's the one.


...JP

[johnnybigfish]

Hey, It sure DOES look like a hair clip!!
 Thanx guys!

your friend,
john