J went to get something from under the house when he noticed this on a Cypress branch.
The bee's have swarmed. We called the man that gave us the hive and his first question was "how high up are they?" He is getting older and doesn't like to climb ladders any more. When J said they were on the ground he said he would be right over.
After getting his gear on he took a new hive over to the swarm,
shook the branch they were on,
and started sweeping them into the hive.
While he was here he went ahead and took out the mite medicine he had put in last fall in our hive.
Once the queen goes in the rest of the bees follow. He left the hive here until evening then came back to get it. He said he had lost several of his hives this winter due to the cold weather. Our hive must have been healthy in order to have swarmed. He added a super to our hive so maybe this fall we'll finally get some of our own honey.
That was interesting. So your hive produced a second queen and part of the hive swarmed after her?
ReplyDeleteWe've got a hive and maybe one day will eventually get the thing setup.
ReplyDeletethat looks scary.
ReplyDeleteThis is fascinating! I know very little about bees...Are they more "calm" when they are swarming, like chickens when they are roosting at night? Why don't they just fly away or get mad when he shakes the branch?
ReplyDeletewow thats a lot of bees! amazing they all swarm like that then just go in the hive. Pretty cool to have your own honey too!
ReplyDeleteIt is so cool to watch bees swarm. My brother has been doing bees for the last 4 years.
ReplyDelete