Well, very interesting day. Actually back yard. I've been paying more attention to building up nucs then managing a couple others alongside.
So today I climb on the mower and as I pass the hive just happen to notice a swarm in a white pine right behind the hives. Thankfully only about 12 feet up. 4 trips up the tree and I have about a 4 pound swarm in a box. Take them about 20 miles to another deadout and hive them.
That gets me looking. I check the hive that has been busting. This one is a deep and medium, with an excluder on it, (don't normally use). Has already filled 2 mediums with nectar but not capped any yet.
I tip up the medium and YEP there they are(swarm cells). Well now I have my hands full. Of course not prepared, so I have to manuver boxes around with this one in my arms. Don't want to set it back down and damage cells. So I start to make up mating nucs with the frames of still capped cells. I'm now about 6-8 feet from the mother hive and sure enough....Piping between 2 Queens. One in the mother hive another on one of the frames with a capped cell. Where is an assistant when you need one. Would have been so nice to get a video with some audio. But just me there. Anyhow I listen while I work and enjoy.
Ended up with the swarm in a hive and 3 nucs, as I had placed 1 still capped and the piping queen in one.
And 2 capped cells in each of the other two. Had 5 still capped total. Left 1 noisy queen in the mother hive.
Now if each mates well and finds her way back, all will be well !!! Very nice to have enough wooden ware to get by.
Was very exciting to hear the queens. Sorry no photo's.
Tim
