A Perfect Swarm.
Monday 10th June is a busy day. I’ve arrived home after 3 days away teaching beekeeping. This is the first dry day in ages and I know I will not be sitting around eating chocolates all day. I’ve already made up 2 mating apideas in the morning. A call comes in about a swarm that arrived on Friday and has been waiting 3 days in a shrub for the rain to clear so that the bees can find their new home.
The Perfect Garden
Pass The Parcel
Bee-apprentice Connie (7) thinks that it looks like pass the parcel when I show her the photos after school on Tuesday. She wishes that she could have been with us and says I could have got her out of school for an “emergency”.
Have We Got The Queen?
I don’t think so. There are still some bees on the branch and not a lot of excitement at the hive entrance. We get permission from bio-dynamic gardener Vasilios to lop of a bit off the branch. Linton returns with the branch which I shake onto the white sheet placed in front of the hive and is propped up with the disposable glove box underneath.
The Garden Has Bees
Vasilios and his wife Maria are new to beekeeping but will look after the bees in this very lovely garden beside the Cawdor burn (stream). I pop back 3 days later to feed the bees with sugar syrup and notice bee-traffic going in and out the hive entrance. So, all is well right now.
Wish i had been there (again!)
Me too!
“We” spot the queen?
No dear, “You” spotted the queen – as usual.
Very well planned and supervised, Boss!
Wow, Ann. What a beautiful job of describing the collecting (capturing) of a swarm, including the common situation of needing to do a second round of collecting to get the queen. Good call.
I also like very much how you mention Linton spraying the clustered bees to prevent them from launching into flight when shaken. In my experience, few beekeepers know about this useful trick.
Finally, I have enjoy the profusion of photos that show us the beautiful setting of this project. I love studying the stone walls in the photos as much as the bees.
Thank you, Tom. It was a magnificent location for a swarm collection. I forgot to mention that a red squirrel ran up the side of the house which was rather exciting and unexpected.
Perhaps cutting the branch in the first instance may have been more efficient, but the swarm was hanging in a position that looked like it might just drop into the skep easily.
I checked the outside of the small cluster, that was left behind, for signs of the queen and parted it with my fingers but no sign so maybe she was close to the branch and keeping out of sight in the darkest area.
Again well done! Great team, happy bees what more could you ask for.
Thanks, Susan. Glad that you are pleased with the latest swarm-news.
Apologises for getting it wrong about Einstein! I’ve since read it was sourced from a Canadian manual on bee keeping so seems there are various sources I’d rather think it was a Scotsman!
Great to see Ann, well done!
Thank you, Charlie. I’m glad you enjoyed it.