Swarm Pictures

I finally got all my swarm pictures ready.  I've included pictures from 3 different ones.  The first was about 20 feet up a tree, where most of ours wind up.  We have to use the bucket on the tractor to reach them.

I lift my husband up in the bucket with snippers for small branches, lobbers for bigger ones, a hand saw  and a 5 gallon bucket.

He carefully removes any limbs sticking out of the swarm because one swarm might cover several.  You don't want to have long limbs sticking out that might hang on other ones, that could accidentally dislodge them.  And nobody would be a happy camper then.

Retreiving a swarm is not usually easy and can be dangerous.  Getting stung is the least of your worries.  Always have the right equipment before you start and know the risks if it is high off the ground.  

When they land in a tree, ideally you would be able to cut the limb they are on and gently lower it into a bucket or the hive box.  It won't always work that way.  If they get bumped, most of them will fall to the ground in a big clump, now they're all ticked off and will fly around in a large cloud for a few minutes.  Eventually they will all settle back around the queen, whether she's still in her original spot or she fell to the ground too.

Before we start each time, we discuss our options and angle of approach.

This is a swarm trap that we tried this year for the first time.  We placed queen pheromone inside and they literally made a 'bee line' for the trap.  The back end comes off for easy removal.

We have seen many of these traps in Tucson, Arizona.  They are used for the Africanized Honey Bees that inhabit the area.

Occasionally we get calls from stranger asking us to remove a swarm or a hive at their house.  We have only done this the one time that they could be easily reached from the ground.  A very experienced beekeeper told us to avoid getting swarms where our feet have to leave the ground because it can be so dangerous.  We will only catch a high sitting swarm if it is ours and we can reach it from the bucket of our tractor.  For those calls about hives, the next thing they say is that it is in the wall of their house.  That will require removing and replacing parts of the house, so the next call they need to make is to a professional bee removal service.

Swarms

This past Thursday we caught our first swarm of the season.  We arrived in the apiary in the middle of the swarm, it really does look like something out of the movies with such a large cloud of bees looking like they are unorganized and out of control.  However, the total opposite if true.  They are very organized, on a serious mission and everybody know exactly what their job is.

A number of scout bees have gone to scope out the perfect new home.  The remaining bee's job is to protect the queen.  Inside the middle of the cluster, is her royal highness.  Once the scouts return and the decision is made, everybody takes off for their new abode.

I once chased a swarm 500 feet through my neighbor's yard.  They were flying about 20 feet above the ground and I wanted to see where they were going.  However, they went through some trees and crossed a fence then I lost them and hopefully the neighbors didn't see me galloping thru their yard in my suit staring at the sky.

Our swarms usually seem to be on branches about 15-20 feet up.  What we normally do is, Danny will get in the bucket of the tractor with a five gallon bucket and a pair of lobbers. Once I lift him up to the swarm, he will trim limbs around and under the one with the swarm on it.  Then he cuts the limb with the swarm and gently lowers it into the bucket.  I lower him to the ground, then we literally dump the bees into a waiting hive body. 

We like to have foundations with drawn comb already in the new hive.  This way the queen can start laying immediately, which is very important.  Otherwise she can't lay eggs until the workers create cells for her, this is a serious delay in bees being born and increasing colony population.  The new colony population will dwindle rapidly while waiting for the new bees to be born.  Therefore it is a good idea to get two or three frames of brood from other hives to help the swarm be successful.

Since the only immediate food source the bees have is what they can carry inside of them when they leave the hive, it is very beneficial to pull a couple of frames of honey from another hive so their food source will be stable as they start to bring in their own.

The next day, we caught two more hives, now our count is up to 14.   Tomorrow night we are picking up the nucs we ordered back in January, then we will have a total of 29.

Incredible Senses

Bees have highly developed senses, and they use them in incredibly intriguing ways.  For instance, while flying, bees orient themselves by way of the sun, even on cloudy days.  They do this because they see ultraviolet rays.  They also hone in on flowers through their sense of smell.  And they can even feel warmth and cold.  On cold days, and really cold nights they huddle together to keep each other warm.

Coral Honeysuckle:  Also known as "trumpet honeysuckle"  for it's red, funnel shaped blossom, the coral variety sadly has a reputation thanks to its invasive sister, Japanese Honeysuckle.  But this well behaved sibling won't take over, and likes a trellis support with either shade or afternoon sun.

Honey Lemon Bars

Honey Lemon Bars

Crust:
1 c AP flour
1/4 c powdered sugar
1/2 c butter, cut up
Filling:
3/4 c honey
2 eggs
2 Tbs AP flour
3 Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

In a small bowl, combine flour and powdered sugar, mix well.  Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Press mixture into lightly greased 8x8" baking pan.  Bake at 350* for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned; remove from oven.

Meanwhle, prepare filling.  In large bowl, whisk together honey and eggs.  Add remaining ingredients, whisk until well blended.  Pour over baked crust.  Bake at 350* for 25-30 minutes intil filling is set.

Cool completely on wire rack. Cut in to bars, makes 12.


198 calories, 9 g fat, 56 mg cholesterol, 153 mg sodium, 29 g cargohydrates, 0 fiber, 2 protein