Sunday we go and celabrate Mothers day at Kare's moms home. They had built a new Krogers store there about 3 years ago closeing a small run down one sort of out in no mans land (between a town and several small villages.)
Krogers is a grocery chain here in Michigan one of the better ones with veggies fruits meats dairy and all the dry goods you could every want.
The time to leave Mom so she could take her nap and not be to tired out for her doctors appointment early Monday came. Chuck & Di left first then Kare & I were going, I steped out the door and the cell rings It's a swarm call about 25 miles away at a ladies home where I had collected a swarm in 2008. she said she had two swarms in bushes in her yard and had called the bee keeper who has hive in the area 3 times with out a responce did I want them.
I tell her yes I'll take them and should be there with in an hour as I had to go home collect my equipment since Kare had drove. I knew there was a reason I told Kare I was going to drive my truck so I could leave for a swarm!!!. We head for home,didn't get far and the cell rings since Kare decided to drive I could answer it. It is DI and she said they had a swarm at Krogers. I tell her I'm already on a call for two swarms so Krogers would have to fend for them selves I gussed.
All most home and the cell rings again, the lady with the two swarms said the bee keeper finally called her back and said he was going to come get them. that lady called me because she worrys they will find a way into her house or they will fly away where some idiot will spray them.
I tell Kare lest load the stuff in the truck to collect a swarm and go check out the Krogers swarm.
We get there and the area around the swarm is blocked off with grocery carts. I send Kare into Krogers to see if they have a bee keeper coming to get them. They tell her no so just remove them. Kare goes into the Dollar Tree store and asked if they had called any one. They tell her no besides it is Krogers parking lot.
I unload the gen set, the vac, the hoses and set the hive up and suck up the bees a bit over 7 feet high up.
Drew a lot of attention only one person came over to use and asked a bunch of questions, said his sister in Denver had just got bees this year.
I bet a lot of cell phone pictures were taken too.
A smaller swarm about two pounds of bees I figured. this Krogers is the North anchor store of a strip mall. Seems as Krogers owns the other stores and collects rent from those who have shops there.
The manager came out when we were about half done said to go in to customer service when we finished. He wanted our Number in case some thing like that happened again. It does too I've collected 3 swarms from a apartment complex.
When we had finished and loaded up we went in there and gave the lady our contact information. They were really nice and gave us a $20.00 gift card.
Almost like finding a 100.00 dollar bill in the parking lot. I tell Kare we should split the gift with her sister who called and told us about the swarms. She was happy to get the 10 spot and told Kare the bees were still swirling around in th eair and making that loud buzzing when they left. She didn't even know if they had landed. She said people were scared to death men screeming like little girls women screaming causeing little kids to cry.
So to show people they need not fear I dressed in my long pants T shirt and base ball cap I clean them up.
Al
