First swarm call for the season (in Melbourne at least)

[philinacoma]

Yeah, first swarm call! 

darn, can't do it! 

It needs to be done now...so passed on it. 

[OzBuzz]

I'm off sick from work and can go right now!

[OzBuzz]

Thanks so much Philinacoma for passing that one my way... I was able to get hold of the swarm coordinator and he hadn't yet passed it on to anyone so i went out. It turned out that it was Mt Waverley not Glen Waverley... it was pretty easy to find once I got to the right place - you couldn't miss it! I haven't got many swarms to compare it too but I would say it was quite large - it filled up one of my boxes. It appears I got the Queen in with the first brush because they all started fanning in the gap I had left by leaving the lid ajar and the bees that were airborne started settling on the box and going in to it. I allowed them to re-group and did a couple more sweeps and then just let the box sit for a little while after which the majority of them flew down to the box. My first ever swarm collection! thanks Phil not only have you given me my first ever cut out but now my first ever swarm collection! Below is a picture:



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[philinacoma]

You're welcome mate.

Aint they pretty? 

[OzBuzz]

They are very pretty!

I had a quick check in the hive yesterday - i know i should have been patient but you know how it is - they'd taken over 750mL of 1:1 syrup in one day and they've been collecting mountain loads of pollen and nectar. They have completely drawn out the one frame of undrawn foundation that i placed in the hive (in three days) and started filling it - i also spotted some beautifully placed eggs in a lot of cells! I think this hive is going to be well and truly busting at the seams in a matter of weeks!

I can't wait to get some more

[OzBuzz]

I received two swarm calls today and i just got back from picking them both up! they were both quite large in size - similar to the one that i picked up at the train station. One had been there for about three days and they weren't overly happy at my intervention - the other one landed yesterday... the weather has been a bit overcast this afternoon with occassional rain - both swarms weren't overly impressed with me hiving them. I copped four stings - that's what you get for trying to put a warm roof over their heads i guess and taking them in out of the cold

[philinacoma]

Good going. What did you do to get stung? So far I have not been stung on a swarm collection. Cut-outs yes, but thats because the time involved is so much longer.