Blueblood's 7th Swarm in The Bee Yard

[blueblood]

Wife was mowing in the back field.  She called the house and said the bees must be swarming because the activity was not normal.  I rode back and discovered the sky absolutely filled with bees!  I could tell they were settling in the field grass about 18 yards in front of the apiary.  It was a large swarm.  I looked through my hives later and really couldn't see any evidence that they lost any bees.  It's a mystery at this point.  I set a telescoping lid on my lap and started cutting individual stalks of the wild tree sapling and dumping them a little by little on the cover.  I found her!  The bees started an immediate, quick fan in the direction of the queen.  I put her in a clip and and set her in.  Later, once the hive was in it's new spot, I accidentally squeezed the clip open when I pulled it out from the frames to release the queen.  She made for a quick exit because she was not in the clip when I pulled it up.  This is the 3rd swarm caught in my yard.

 

[LazyBkpr]

  I think we can safely go to blue to replenish our apiaries next spring!!   

  Good spot on the queen Blue!  I envy you those eyes!

[Jen]

Very interesting pics with the bees all on the edge like that! Okay Blue, you have three more swarms to catch up with me. Then and only then will we clink mugs... Yes?! 

[tmrschessie]

Congratulations Dave on a great catch. Nice your wife understood what she was seeing and called you. I got a couple of those clips and have yet to use them, but feel I will only grab one of the ears when handling it. Seen JP almost loose a queen once and now you. Maybe that way it won't come open. Not sure but if I get the chance will see how it goes. Again, nice catch. Tom

[blueblood]

I knew when I grabbed it I should have just pulled by one side.  That's the way the cookie crumbles....

[tbonekel]

Great job! Sometimes I wonder if I would be able to tell if my hives have swarmed just by looking at the amount of activity. We aren't home very much at all this time of year and I'm not spending a lot of time managing the hives. So far it doesn't appear to have happened as of yet.

[blueblood]

Tbone, I didn't see any real difference before or immediately after the swarm except for the bearding, which could have been just that, bearding.  I tell ya though, you won't deny a swarm in progress though! It is like one of those Alfred Hitchcock late night locust plague movies, ha!

[Jen]

I like the activity of the swarms, watching from the very beginning to when they land.

[riverbee]

HOOOHAH!!!!! (scent of a woman....al pacino)..........

what is with you an jen and all the swarms?  great photos dave!  one of my favorites is the 2nd to the last with the hive sitting on top the home depot bucket......

i'm with scott:
"I think we can safely go to blue to replenish our apiaries next spring!!    "

absolutely!!!!......