North Side Honey Bees: Wild Swarm 08/10/2009

Yes it is true I have caught another wild swarm. This makes my second one this year, and this one I caught by myself (without the help of a mentor) YEA ME! I was at work on Monday morning 8/19/09 and got a phone call from my Grandma "I think something is wrong with one of your hives (I live next door to granny) there are bees all in the air near the end of the garden." So here I go, headed home to try and salvage what is left of one of my hives. I get there and sure enough at the end of the garden on a tree limb is a huge swarm of bees. I am like "great, what did i do/didn't do to make them want to swarm?" So, first things first, I get everything ready and I check my hives to see which one they came out of. After checking them both I know beyond a shadow of a doubt...those aren't MY bees. Well, they are now :) After determining that my hives were okay I gather my stuff to catch this bad boy. This is the second swarm catch for me, first solo (solo means no help from an experienced beekeeper). The last swarm I caught I was more of a helper getting some hands-on experience. It was an easy swarm, low on a fence post in a middle of someones yard. This swarm I had on my hands now was not so nice. It was in a tree limb about 8ft off the ground ON A HILLSIDE. long story short: I caught the swarm, took them to the "Possum Hollow division of Northside Honey Bees" and hived them next to my first wild swarm.

Here's one of me on a ladder on the hillside. I would not recommend doing what that guy is doing with no protective equipment, actually I suggest against it.

Bees in a box

Brushing the bees off the limb

The bees that won't brush get the water treatment. sprinkle some water on 'em and it inhibits their ability to fly. Just sprinkle some water, smack the limb really hard, and watch alot of bees fall in the box. (alot of bees not all the bees)