For me, collecting swarms or attracting swarms to bait hives is the most exciting part of my beekeeping. Possibly making spring my favorite beekeeping season.
Sunday at 1PM I received a text from the MABA "swarm commander" - a homeowner has called the swarm hotline about a swarm in their yard. The best part of the text details...the swarm address is 3 miles away and the swarm is just a foot or two above the ground. I'm all in and arrive in the next half hour.
I strongly relate to E.O. Wilson's connection to nature as not outgrowing his childhood bug phase. Knowing everyone does not share this view, I consciously met the homeowner's insect concerns with lots of listening about the swarm of bees. The re-framing education moment comes next - I say "that huge ball hanging from the tree canopy is a wasp nest, these bees likely have their nest in a cavity, like a tree."
A few weeks ago, I patched up and painted my old wood nucleus box. Wow, I'm ready for the swarm call-out, or so I thought. Good - my bee toolbox has a bag of gloves. Bad - the gloves are too small, too old - they split and I quickly gave up wearing gloves. The bees don't like the brushing or the hand attached to the yellow brush - my poor hand!
I added a swarm lure to the nucleus box entrance, brush, brush, brush again...and I'm nearly there. I leave the nucleus box for collection just before dusk, 7:30PM. So proud of myself to discover no bees returned to the trunk of the shrub.
No comments:
Post a Comment