# Large swarm on Wednesday June 20



## Michael W. Smith (Jun 2, 2002)

Got a call Wednesday afternoon from a guy that said he just had a swarm come and settle on his house. He said it was on their porch and was about as big as a milk jug.

Got things packed up and went. The guy's house is an old brick house, and in the back of the house, they have a porch with a deck above it. The swarm was on the "roof" of the first story porch and the floor of the 2nd story deck.

I scooped them with a plastic bucket and poured them into the hive. The largest swarm I have gotten this year. I would have to say it was at least a 6 pound swarm!


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## AverageJo (Sep 24, 2010)

Isn't catching swarms fun??? Well, at least yours was! I was just about to put a honey super on one of my hives when I saw the cloud pouring out!! We quickly started beating on anything that might sound like thunder and they settled in a nearby tree. I scrounged around and came up with a cluster of equipment. We had other things to do, including putting the kids to bed, then went out and cut down the tree to get to the swarm. All this done by headlights and flashlight. I was amazed at how they had pulled the leaves on the branches around them to keep warm and dry. Couldn't shake them out of the branch, and it was supposed to storm, and we were getting stung, so we opted to just place the branch on the top and put the lid on top. The storm went around us, so the next morning I thought it would be an easy task of just lifting the lid and taking the branch out. Nope. They were still clinging to the branch!! And they had started gluing it to the hive below. So last night I went back out, lifted the lid, they were still hanging on the branch! So I gave the branch a good whallop into the hive again and then placed it in front of the hive. Quickly put the lid back on the hive and got out of there as I'd been nailed again. Kept my bee outfit on while I gathered the chickens into the coop as the bees were still buzzing me. Gave them even more time to leave, brushed a few off and walked even further around the farm. Brushed a few more off and got nailed again. Finally I thought all of them were off, so I went into the house... And one was still on me. Went directly into my hair and hubby ended up squishing her before she could sting me. Sigh...


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## PNP Katahdins (Oct 28, 2008)

Here are Mike's photos.



















Peg


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## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

What a lovely swarm!


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## lemonthyme7 (Jul 8, 2010)

That's a beautiful swarm!


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## Michael W. Smith (Jun 2, 2002)

Yep. I first saw them from the side (where I took the closest picture). And I thought - "Yep, this is a nice sized swarm." Then when you went out and saw the other side - it's like "WOW!!!" 

And it sure is fun to go out and get free bees. Although, I started out this year with 2 hives that overwintered. I split one. I'm now up to 11 hives and still have two cutouts to do. Just how many hives does a beekeper need?!?


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## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

Michael W. Smith said:


> Just how many hives does a beekeper need?!?


I am a certified (certifiable?) enabler. You need more hives! :clap:


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## AverageJo (Sep 24, 2010)

Is it just my imagination here?? The second picture looks like some liquid is dripping from the cluster?? Is that bee pee or nectar??? Or just my imagination??

As for how many hives you need???? As many as you have equipment for!! And then go buy more!! LOL...

I started this year with 2 hives that overwintered. I'm at 10 and just turned down a trap out.  I'm out of equipment!!! Time to harvest honey so I can keep the girls busy... and get $$ for the honey to buy more equipment!!


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## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

You're seeing drops of something dried on the brick.


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