Subject: First Swarm

From: [email-masked] (David M. Stamper)
Date: Tue, 23 May 1995 21:57:16 GMT

Just a story to tell.

I collected my first swarm this year on May 12th.  I was scouting for turkeys 
when I came upon what must have been the prime swarm the week before.  The 
12th I came back to the wild hive site to find that another swarm had issued.  
I had to cut down two small trees to get them, but I did it!

The first tree came down too hard, and the bees lighted up in another tree.  
The second tree was much smaller, so I was able to control the fall, and bring 
the bees down gently.  I let them rest and tighten up until coming back after 
an hour when it was dark.  My hunting partner reluctantly agreed to help me 
get them into a pillowcase.  He thought this was the craziest thing he ever 
did, but figured if I didn't kill him with the mushrooms (morels) I cooked the 
week before, he could trust what I was saying about the bees.

I gave the bees to a nun that had lost hers from Varroa.  I'll be able to use 
her extractor in exchange.

Hopefully this will be the first swarm of many for me to catch in my life.

Dave

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From: Mark Dillow <[email-masked]>
Date: 24 May 1995 13:59:03 GMT

One of my most interesting experiences was being in my bee yard 
when a swarm landed on the tree line behind my hives. I don't 
believe it issued from one of my hives, because there was only 
normal activity at the entrances. In any case, I can't think of 
an easier way to catch swarms than to have them come to you! 
Now if I can only figure out a way to train them to do so more 
often!

This brings a question to mind; has anyone had good results 
with swarm traps or bait hives?

Mark

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From: [email-masked] (Rick Spada)
Date: 24 May 1995 23:35:39 GMT

> with swarm traps or bait hives?

I can't speak from experience, but recently at the Norfolk County
Beekeepers Association in Massachusetts, we had a guest speaker from
Springfield, MA who did use traps and bait hives with very good success.

What he did was to place pheremone traps and a baited hive in a bush
(honeysuckle I believe) in his apiary.  Nine out of ten times, the bees
would swarm to the bait hive, or to the bush.  He would take the hive that
had just swarmed, move it, install a new hive in its location, and then
install the swarm into the new hive.  He claimed that in addition to the
swarm, he would also recover any workers out in the field.

-- Rick

__ Rick Spada _______________________ [email-masked] __
     The MathWorks, Inc.               [email-masked]
     24 Prime Park Way           http://www.mathworks.com
     Natick, MA 01760-1500              ftp.mathworks.com
__ Tel: 508-653-1415 ___ Fax: 508-653-2997 _________________

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From: [email-masked] (Pollinator)
Date: 25 May 1995 23:31:55 -0400

Mark Dillow <[email-masked]>

   If you have empty hives, stack them on the highest thing you can
conveniently use.  Tall stacks of supers can work too, if you put a cover
on top, and leave an opening somewhere.

   I caught 11 swarms this spring, which is the best I've had in several
years. The last year before tracheal mite, I caught almost a hundred (I
believe it was '86 or '87), and almost all of them were black bees from
the river swamps.  The black bees are almost gone now.

   Of this year's 11, I think 2 were of my own stock, indicating there are
still some wild bees out there, but not many.  I am saving several without
mite treatment to watch for potential resistance.

[email-masked]        Dave Green   PO Box 1215, Hemingway, SC   29554

[email-masked]                                   Dave Green
Dave's Pollination Service         Eastern Pollinator Newsletter
PO Box 1215, Hemingway, SC    29554