Picked up a swarm tonight

[Bill W.]

I guess they had been sitting there in the rain for three days before they called me.  Not very lively, but a decent size.  Hopefully I can get them to draw some comb and then combine them with another hive before Winter.

Pics here.  (But they aren't very good pics.)

[mgates61]

Nice swarm, and the pics are great.  Hope they pull through ok.


Mike

[poka-bee]

Bill I'm sure they are much happier to be dry & warm!  They will appreciate their new hive home, they look so sad all wet . Hope they make it!  Jody

[Bill W.]

Well, they seemed to bounce right back.  After a night in the catch bucket in our laundry room, they were dry and feisty.  I just gave them a deep with a couple frames of drawn comb and they took right to it.

I guess bees are more rain-resistant than I imagined.  I just can't figure out why they wouldn't move under cover in the rain.  If the cluster had moved just a foot farther, they would have been sheltered.

[JP]

When they're grouped up and haven't found a place to go to and rain or cold comes through they will huddle together for quite some time, I've caught some that had built no comb that were huddled for close to 6 days, unless someone helps them along they will probably start up in that spot.


...JP