swarm comedy

[Kathyp]

got a call for a swam.  i am done for the year...but you know....

went and got the swarm.  medium size.  very nice bees.  we decided on the way home to use this swarm for the observation hive.  we'd lost our population this year, so i'd removed what was left.

i had the bright idea that we could stick the tube from the ob hive into the swarm box and they would move from one to the other.  not so.  then i thought that if i took the frame of comb out of the swarm box and put it in the ob hive, they would move.  not so.  apparently the queen was still in the swarm box.  next thing i know, hubby is hanging a dark sheet over the door way of the porch.  he opens up the swam box and tips it sideways next to the bottom clean out slot in the ob hive.  brilliant, i thought.  not so.  we now have 1/3 of the bees in the hive,  1/3 in the box or on the floor, and 1/3 flying around our smallish front porch getting really ticked off.  2 hours have gone by.....

i knew we had made this much harder than it had to be, but...and then it came to me.

the goal (as always) was to get the queen into the ob hive.  we laid it down flat.  i banged the swam box into the ob hive, JUST AS I DO WITH ANY SWARM,  and we closed it up.  IT WAS A MIRACLE!!!!  the bees began to enter the hive, so we took it inside and set it up.  within an hour all bees were in, except the few that are in my house.  i'll get those later.

KISS

[G3farms]

it's always fun to not do the normal thing.  :-D

when all else fails go back to the basics or read the instructions :lau: :lau:

loose bees in the house, that could make for a fun evening

sounds like you have it under control now, I love ob hives, can watch them for hours.

G3

[Irwin]

Soumd's like fun to me :-D

[JP]

Ain't gonna move without the queen. You're right, KISS. The loose bees will go to a window or a light, turn the lights off and open a window, they should go right to the window.


...JP

[Kathyp]

they went to the window.  i collected them one by one with a drinking glass and piece of paper.  i consider it penance for my stupidity   :-D .