Worldwide Beekeeping
Beekeeping => General Beekeeping => Topic started by: Jen on March 16, 2014, 07:46:48 pm
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Holy Schmolly! 4:00 oclock here. Just one hour ago I took a break from the forum, stepped outside... Huge Swarm just starting. :o Expletive! Expletive! Expletive! Ran in the house grabbed a cotton ball and doused it with lemongrass oil. Back outside
running around grabbing the only free deep I have, three plastic frames with last years wax, a lid, and a piece of plywood for the bottom. Scrambled up the bank in my jammies and slippers. How I Got Up There With All That In Tow? I Don't Remember!
I had a good idea where they might land because the three swarms that left last year landed in the same place. In this cedar tree just over our backyard fence. By the time I was up on the bank the swarm was definately landing in the cedar tree. COOL! Set up the deep swarm style. Stood back catching my breath. After a bit they settled on the branches too high for me to get to without a ladder. Carol, the 90 year old sprite that lives on this bank was watching the whole thing. She brought me a ladder not at all afraid of the bees. BLESS HER COTTON PICKEN HEART! When the bees appeared to be settled, I climbed the ladder and snipped as many little branches of the swarm as I could and put them into this plastic bin. I couldn't get the rest, maybe more than half left up there. The rest are too high for me to get safely especially with Carol with me. By the way she made me wait for her to go back into the house and get her cell phone just in case I took a header down the bank. I Love Her! I need to do something real nice for her :)
Anyway, for now, I am left with a good amount of bees in the plastic bin. If anyone can tell me what to do at this point, I would be forever in your debt ~ ;) 8)
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Can you see them swarming here?
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Starting to settle
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settled
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Thankfully they settled on the west side of the tree so I could at least get a ladder up to them
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Swarm trap, the best that I could do
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Bees in a box, scratching head, now what do I do???
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Use a pole or something to shake them off the limb. Hopefully, they will regroup lower down where you can reach them.
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well they will not do well in that bin. you did not have any kind of spare box and some old frames anywhere within reach???
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Hopefully the queen is in that first bunch you caught. If so, you can get them in a spare deep and the rest, I believe, will follow her in. I just want to say that I marveled at your presence of mind to snap the photos of the swarm. Awesome pics!
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while I would never advocate working with bees at night under normal circumstantial, I don't think they will survive the night. it might not be something you want to do, but you should have on up there and shook them down, or cut the branch off with the swarm on it. I don't believe you really can leave them like that though and that Tupperware container is it properly ventilated not that that really matters. put them in a regular hive, provide them with a frame or two of brood to hold them. then go get the rest of the swarm.
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tec- ""you did not have any kind of spare box and some old frames anywhere within reach???""
Hi Tec, I have only one hive, 2 deeps. I have very little excess equiptment. The only spare deep is up on the bank as a swarm trap at the moment. The whole incident was amazing and comical at the same time. I do have extra mediums now that hubby has been working on for a couple of weeks. But no other deeps. If I can get these bees off of the tree the whole swarm will go into this extra deep.
Iddee- ""Use a pole or something to shake them off the limb. Hopefully, they will regroup lower down where you can reach them.""
K, I'll try that, cause I sure would like to have all of them, it was a big swarm.
lite- ""I just want to say that I marveled at your presence of mind to snap the photos of the swarm. Awesome pics!""
Thank You! ;D
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I'd shake the swarm into the plastic tub then dump them in your deep, full hives are too heavy to carry up a ladder IMHO. Tape a bucket or something on a long broomstick if you can't reach them from the ladder. Dump into the deep from the bucket.
I got to watch one of my hives swarm last spring. Such a cool thing to see!
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Barry- ""while I would never advocate working with bees at night under normal circumstantial, I don't think they will survive the night. it might not be something you want to do, but you should have on up there and shook them down, or cut the branch off with the swarm on it. I don't believe you really can leave them like that though and that Tupperware container is it properly ventilated not that that really matters.""
I don't have a ladder tall enough or safe enough for me to get up to that branch and shake them down. I would be on the top end of the ladder. Not safe. That's what I wanted to do was shake them off. But I can't reach safely. I need another method to bring them down to lower branches. It's 5 oclock I don't think they will fly off at this hour.
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DL- ""I'd shake the swarm into the plastic tub then dump them in your deep, full hives are too heavy to carry up a ladder IMHO. Tape a bucket or something on a long broomstick if you can't reach them from the ladder. Dump into the deep from the bucket.''
Cedar tree's are very soft trees, I don't have anything to hang onto.. in order to shake them into a container. I would have to be up on the ladder doing that.
I'm going back up there now.... I'll see if any of the swarm has made it into the trap
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here's an idea, do you have access to a pole saw, that is a saw that's on the eight to ten foot pole.
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Dump the ones in the bin into the deep. If the queen is there, the rest will follow. If not, they will rejoin the swarm. You can't save them if she isn't there, so might as well have them all together, wherever they end up at.
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Barry- Nope
The bees are still there, I have only a couple of hours to try and reach them
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Ha! Running out in your jammies! Epic. Throw a rope over the branch using a heavy object to direct it and shake shake shake. Maybe she will drop to a lower branch.
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Ha! Running out in your jammies! Epic. Throw a rope over the branch using a heavy object to direct it and shake shake shake. Maybe she will drop to a lower branch.
Do I sense another video Dave? :laugh:
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Get some 1 to 1 sugar syrup in a spritz bottle, squirt down real good so they're sticky and can't fly well, and follow advice given, shake.
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Ha! You never know Perry, I may just have to bust out Dancin Dave again!
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Cut the tree down, cedars are a dime a dozen :)
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When we're in swarm season all the trees are leafed out, I found that interesting of your pictures, all the trees are still bare.
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Long pole, pipe, painter pole, etc
five gallon bucket
duct tape
Tape the bucket to the end of the pole, raise the bucket up to the bottom of the swarm, shake hard (by pushing up on the branch), lower the bucket with bees in it and dump into your hive body.
Repeat as needed, giving the bees time to settle back on the branch or into the hive body.
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I GOT EM! I GOT EM! I GOT EM!............. omg omg omg omg :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
I'm all out of breath, I swear to god it's better than sex!!.... wait a minute.......... thinking....... well.... maybe not.... but Dang close!
So this is the equipment I have right now. One deep, some pulled frames, a lid..... oh and a bottom board.
The bees are attached to a bunch of branches in the plastic bin. Sun's going down.
I'll go back and read what else has been posted
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Ha! Running out in your jammies! Epic. Throw a rope over the branch using a heavy object to direct it and shake shake shake. Maybe she will drop to a lower branch.
Do I sense another video Dave? :laugh:
DON'T LOOK ETHEL!!!!
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Set up the hive where you want it and dump those bees in it.
Be sure to install all frames or they will build to the top cover making a mess for you.
If you can feed them do so.
Leave them alone for two or three days, swarms do not usually like to be messed with and will some times abscond.
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This is the rig I was trying to explain, a pic is worth a thousand words.
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Good job on getting the swarm, congrats!!
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nice job Jen:D;D as for what is better than.... I will reserve judgement on that, and as far as I video involving you shake, shake, shaking in your PJ's I'd watched it!
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Ha! Too funny!
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Here they are, just quiet and content.... I think content :-\
Can I leave them in this bin overnight? I have a stick under the edge for air? It's getting dark and I don't have a place to set them yet?
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do they have frames to rest on are they still clinging to the branches. they don't have frames I certainly give them the frames and shake the branches off. as far as staying inside bin if it's ventilated like you said should bee no issue assuming it's in shade. But I personally would want to get rid of the branches.
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set the hive body up and shake them into it, you are going to have to do this at some point in time whether you have a spot to set them or not. They are going to want to start building comb immediately.
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The bin of bees are still on the branches and in the garage now. If I were to shake them off it would be in the garage with not so good lighting. I would like to try and find the queen.
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I would still want to put them on frames in the hive its work you're going to have to do for the queen excluder between the bottom board and the bottom of the brood chamber before you shake the swarm into it. this will prevent Queen from exiting the hive while still allowing the workers to go out. what I would do. is closing in on dark to be will be less inclined to fly also make up a spray bottle for sugar water and just spray the hades out of the bees, that will reduce the number of flying bees.
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LOL what I wouldn't give to have a bucket truck and Camera at her neighbors house today.......
Calm the heart, relax.. take deep breaths.. in through the nose, and out through the mouth.. Mix a drink... go pick up the branch, shake the bees from the branch into your spare hive.. Dump the rest of the bees from the bucket into the hive.. no panic, no rush, no worry.. They wont be out flying at night... Pull a frame of brood from your other hive and slide it into the new hive, this will help anchor them.. go take a pull on that drink... go back, put the inner cover on, and the lid, pull up a chair, watch them fanning at the entrance and enjoy the new hive!! Might want to put it where it will be permanently so you dont have to worry about moving them later.. go have another drink.. OOOouuuuuuummmmmmmmm.......
Hubby will wake you if you fall asleep to the soothing hum. ;D
Well DONE Jen!
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Awwwe Shucks! Between Scott and his bucket truck and camera, and Barry watching the shake shake shake in my jammies and slippers... Well, I Just Feel Special !! Thanks Guys ;) 8)
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Thank You Jen, you get them bees squared away
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If you look for swarm cells in the A.M. you might be able to get some more queens and splits.Do you have any friends with empty nucs?
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Barry ""Thank You Jen, you get them bees squared away""
Them bees ARE squared away! tucked into the single deep for the night. We just finished, it's 11:00.
Thanks Barry for your input, even tho I can't hardly decifer what your saying due to your autocorrect, at least that's what I think it is ;) 8)
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did you get where I said to put a queen excluder underuneath of the brood chamber. my assumption is they left with the old queen, meaning he doesn't need to go out for another mating flight, and ensure she stays in the hive.
with regards to the YouTube video of you doing the Lambada in your pajamas will be a separate discussion at another time lol
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Yes! and here's the funny part. It was suggested by Scott the same as you, to put the excluder on the bottom with the reason's why. Or, to put it on the top with the reasons' why. Hubby and I read both idea's. We couldn't make a decision between each other, so we did both... What the heck, they're both coming off anyway. It was a fun project with the bees. And we saw the queen too. So Cool! She's a real beauty and a keeper.
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that's baffling why you would put it on top, you'd want her to go down in between the frames what you wouldn't want her to do is go down through the top and out the bottom lol
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I think Jen you had a day like I had Saturday, though you added some fun to it. HaHa.
Ken
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Perhaps we should retitle this.... Confession of a Bad Beekeeper*. Good beekeeper of course DO NOT ALLOW their bees to swarm.... there are of course none of these on this forum.
*not certain if it is still out there in the blogsphere but there was a Canadian who wrote a very funny piece using this same title.
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Perhaps we should retitle this.... Confession of a Bad Beekeeper*. Good beekeeper of course DO NOT ALLOW their bees to swarm.... there are of course none of these on this forum.
*not certain if it is still out there in the blogsphere but there was a Canadian who wrote a very funny piece using this same title.
http://www.amazon.com/Bad-Beekeeping-Ron-Miksha/dp/1412006279#reader_1412006279
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jen are those bees your back up dancers? cuz blue wants yal to shake shake shake :laugh:
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http://www.amazon.com/Bad-Beekeeping-Ron-Miksha/dp/1412006279#reader_1412006279
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I am going to try to find that book but not for the price on amazon, wow! That is hard cover with dust jacket price.
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barry
that's baffling why you would put it on top, you'd want her to go down in between the frames what you wouldn't want her to do is go down through the top and out the bottom lol
Queen excluder on top is to SEE queen/catch queen etc. She wanted to SEE the queen so I suggested shaking the bees down through an excluder if they could not find her.
The excluder on the bottom is to keep her from absconding. the other bees may fly out, but she wont follow so they will all come back..
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quite a read! Great Job!
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ah ok I actually thought of that but was concerned about the fact that the Queens already in a flying mood.
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tec- ""Perhaps we should retitle this.... Confession of a Bad Beekeeper*. Good beekeeper of course DO NOT ALLOW their bees to swarm.... there are of course none of these on this forum""
Now tec! if I didn't enjoy your presence and great knowledge on this forum so much, I would just have to take this personal :) the factors in my story are this:
1) We, here in upper CA are having unseasonably warm weather, usually we have snow and slush just like many of the others on this forum. I started feeding a month ago, and that really bulked up the hive sooner than I was ready.
2) Just two days ago, I was in the hive, 2 deeps, with a full inspection. I found that the upper box was brood bound and had 6 queen cells, and the bottom box was just half if not less the brood as the top box, with plenty of egg laying space for the queen. So! To prevent a swarm... I swapped a bunch of frames to give balance and opportunity to give them more room, and to buy me a couple of days to prepare for a split.
But Alas! the bees were already in swarm mode and beat me to the punch. Fortunately, I stepped into the backyard when the swarm was first starting. I like to believe that the bees were trying to tell me to "get my butt in gear girl! It's going to be a very busy day!"
Because I spent the entire winter reading on this forum, excellerating my posts to over 1,000, I had enough info to act on instinct and not stand in the backyard scratching my head wondering what to do with a swarm... like last year.
Thanks everyone for hanging tight with me yesterday! We all saved the bees and the day! I am most Grateful ~hugs~ :) 8)
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I'm not sure but I think Tec, vitamin firing a shot across the bow of my ship lol. I advocate that swarms and largely be avoided, not 100 percent but to my way of thinking nearly so. for the backyard beekeeper I believe it's almost a hundred percent, for the commercial beekeeper because of the sheer numbers of hives that has to go through it becomes much more problematic. ultimately at the end of the day, the individual beekeeper has to decide why they're keeping bees. are you raising it honey, if so then swarming is a definite no-no.
if you intend to increase the number of colonies, and you're lucky enough to be there when the swarm issues, then you're good to go, if not you can spend your off time chasing swarms all over the county. I just don't believe it makes any sense to allow the bees do that, when it is largely controllable. I have cited my beliefs several times I won't do so again as to what I do to prevent swarming and I have a chance to practice it again down here in Florida.
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Jen and others, when and when not to supplement feed? I read on posts when ones are all excited about feeding supplements to their bees but unless you have a specific need for the bees at a certain time I recommend that you don't. It can take less than 6 weeks for the bees to go from a hive with no brood to over crowding and swarming.
You have to go thru the hive either today or to morrow and cull swarm cells, there is a good chance that the hive will issue cast swarms if not controlled. It would be a good idea to pull a frame of brood with a cell and raise another queen in a nuc. The success of queen being raised is not 100% so if something happens you will have a backup to use. Also thy to determine why they decided to swarm. some of the reasons could be that you where feeding to much and crowded the laying ares in the brood chambers. You pulled frames with drawn combs and replaced them with foundation and conditions were not favorable for the bees to produce beeswax and so these frames of foundation limited the brood area. I would suspect a combination of both. The bees like at to be warm when building wax, a high population of young bees between 10 to 16 days old. Old bees forage and store honey. The syrup being fed was being stored in the drawn comb and not being used to readily build comb.
Congratulations on catching your first swarm of the season.
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Hi DL- ""When we're in swarm season all the trees are leafed out, I found that interesting of your pictures, all the trees are still bare""
Upper Calif, we are having an unseasonably warm early spring, we like so many on this forum are usually dealing with snow and slush ~ Hence the early swarm ~
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G3- ""This is the rig I was trying to explain, a pic is worth a thousand words.""
Great idea! Sure could have used this yesterday :D Gonna make one! Thanks
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Barry ""my assumption is they left with the old queen, meaning he doesn't need to go out for another mating flight, and ensure she stays in the hive.""
Yes she is with the swarm in the new box, saw her last night ;D
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Suggestions were made to put an excluder on the bottom for said reasons, or put an excluder on the top of the box so that we could make sure she was with the swarm and not left out on the tree. Moving upward it would be bottom board, excluder, brood deep, excluder, two mediums or another deep. This way when shaking the bees into the top box, the bees would go thru the top excluder leaving the queen unable to do so. This way we can make sure the queen is with the swarm. Then when all the bees are down below, we just move the excluder a bit and coax the queen to go into the lower box, then remove the excluder completely. Now all is accomplished. That would be the best scenario.
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Ken ""I think Jen you had a day like I had Saturday, though you added some fun to it. HaHa.""
Thanks Ken! It felt like a comedy of errors in the beginning, but it pulled together nicely by the end of the day, or night I should say, we were working on it until 11pm ~ long day but fun :)
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So do you have any queens lift in the parent colony?Just curious.
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Hi Jb- Presently there are 2. There were 6. I saw your post about making a nuc and this would be an opportune time, however, I'm out of equipment, except mediums. No deeps, no nucs. And Frankly it was enough to just get this swarm under wraps. My main concern was to prevent more swarming :)
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I had a good idea where they might land because the three swarms that left last year landed in the same place. In this cedar tree just over our backyard fence.
I don't know what it is about cedar trees, but my bees love them too. I had two, and both were could swarm attractors last year. Sadly, I lost one of them in the ice storm last weekend.
I had one swarm go about 25 feet up one of the cedars last year. My ladder wouldn't reach. Two of my buddies climbed the inside of the tree while I went up the ladder as far as I could on the outside of the tree. They cut the branch and pitched it down. I caught it in a box. It was the second swarm from a hive and had a virgin queen. They took off to another branch. They kept jumping from branch to branch, and they kept cutting branch after branch. By the time we finally got them for good, that tree was gapped up pretty bad! :D My wife said, "Now you've ruined the tree and you'll have to cut it down!" :-X I said, "No way! This tree is my swarm catcher!
It wasn't exactly safe and I'm sure it was a funniest videos waiting to happen (if i'd had a camera), but nobody got hurt. My wife calls me "Clark Griswold", now. :D
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ablanton- I hear ya on that one! and cedars are soft slippery trees. After I cut a few smaller branches of bees and had them in the plastic bin, I couldn't reach the rest, so I hung out on the forum for about 1/2 hour or so getting ideas from others. When I went back the swarm ball had slid/oozed down the branches about a foot and I was able to reach a safe place to cut without the ladder and I going over the bank. Good Lord ~
Oh! and by the way, this is the fourth swarm that has lit on this cedar behind our house. Cedar's Rock!