# show me pics of your'' swarms''



## westernbeekeeper (May 2, 2012)

MEGA-SWARMS?!?!?! I guess! Them are some pretty good-sized ones!


----------



## CaBees (Nov 9, 2011)

OMG! Do tell how did you ever get them off? Did you find the queen first? Please describe!


----------



## gonzoBee (May 10, 2012)

CaBees said:


> OMG! Do tell how did you ever get them off? Did you find the queen first? Please describe!


yeah it took me two full 10 frame brood bodies and then some scared my wife silly lol


----------



## gonzoBee (May 10, 2012)

yes i could not believe it either but i was able to find the Queen on both mega swarms


----------



## debtfreedave (Apr 1, 2012)

Small second swarm from a month ago. I gave them a queen cell and they're doing fine.


----------



## gonzoBee (May 10, 2012)

imagine the mail man reaction lol


----------



## c10250 (Feb 3, 2009)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p_pwIPrGL4 

My Mega Swarm. This hive has now made it through its second winter. It produced over 125 lbs of honey for me last year.


----------



## Belewsboy (Jun 6, 2012)

One of my hives swarmed 3 days after I split it. Lucky for me it was 20' away from my hives. Easy pickings.


----------



## c10250 (Feb 3, 2009)

Belewsboy said:


> One of my hives swarmed 3 days after I split it. Lucky for me it was 20' away from my hives. Easy pickings.
> View attachment 5302


Belewsboy, judging by the redbuds in bloom, that's a REAL early swarm . . . Holy cow, why so early?? You must have to put your swarm traps out in January.


----------



## CaBees (Nov 9, 2011)

I've only had a few swarms being a fairly new beekeeper. Here is one that came from my own hives this year. I took the opportunity to divide this hive the following week as I did not want it at its current location and wanted splits; it was full of queen cells, supercede cells and bees. I learned from a class that if a swarm is intent in swarming and a queen is born after the first swarm takes the old queen, the bees will keep that queen from killing the other cells and get her to swarm too. That is why your hive could swarm and reswarm until all is lost! Bees are certainly amazing creatures!


----------



## gonzoBee (May 10, 2012)

nice swarm Cabees ..


----------



## CaBees (Nov 9, 2011)

gonzoBee said:


> nice swarm Cabees ..


Thank you! Here is the one that got away..... I spooked the queen and up and away she and the bees went! I expect there will be a few more before the season ends...


----------



## debtfreedave (Apr 1, 2012)

Picked up this fist size swarm today 50 feet from one of my hives. I believe it is a second swarm from the hive and yes there was a queen with them. Put them in a nuc. We'll see how they do.


----------



## NasalSponge (Jul 22, 2008)

This was my mega-swarm from two years ago, last year they swarmed again and I caught them. These where the only two hive to make it thru winter and they are still boomer's.


----------



## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

And when it came to rest...










That hive still made 2 supers of honey.


----------



## gonzoBee (May 10, 2012)

way to go that's a great swarm,thanks for video


----------



## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

Pure luck That I walked up just then and thought to video it with my phone. Not something you see every day. Thank goodness.


----------



## Wayne (Dec 28, 2011)

This is a basketball sized swarm my son and I picked up from a small oak tree in a lady's front yard a couple of weeks ago. Took them home and 2 hours later they swarmed again. This time straight up in a tree above the hive about 20 ft. Recaptured them and they're still in the hive.


----------



## Belewsboy (Jun 6, 2012)

Hey C10250...
I started 2 packages in April last year, so I missed the flow and this last winter was my first. I went into winter with four hives and lost one. Due to the weather I was late on my first inspection...maybe middle of March. All 3 hives were absolutely huge. Noticed queen cells so I split all 3 of the hives. The picture was taken 3/31 and 3 days earlier was when I split my hives. I captured that swarm. Last week, another swarm, but by the time I approached it, they flew. Yesterday a neighbor called me about a swarm that flew past his house. Swarm #3. Never found that one. All of these swarms were from the parent splits. So I came out of winter with 3 booming hives, ended up with 6 hives and only 1 of them will bring in a crop...a Russian who is laying like crazy (and as of yesterday, no queen cells). 
I had no idea things happen so quickly in the spring and you really have to be on top of your game. I was checkerboarding, but I think the decision to swarm had already been made before I did my first inspection. Next year I will be more aware of the consequences of any delay to prevent swarms. Obviously I'm not a beekeeper...I'm a bee-releaser.
Oh...and by the way...I think the redbuds are a little early and the poplars are a little behind this year. Its been a crazy spring with wide temeperature changes...75 one day and 40 the next.


----------



## Creekside (Dec 29, 2011)

Here are 2 of the 3 swarms I got called for in one day last year!


----------



## gonzoBee (May 10, 2012)

wow those pics are great thanks for sharing


----------



## crabbydad (Apr 29, 2012)

my first swarm yesterday in maryland


----------



## CaBees (Nov 9, 2011)

Beautiflu swarm pictures... I hope people keep this up and submit more!

I want to know how do you get the bees off places you can't shake them off...like the huge tree trunks etc.?


----------



## debtfreedave (Apr 1, 2012)

CaBees, I either scoop them up in my hands and place them in the box or brush them directly into the box with my bee brush.


----------



## gonzoBee (May 10, 2012)

any of you guys use bee-vacs for your mega swarms ?


----------



## Creekside (Dec 29, 2011)

I have used a bee vac once on a swarm removal. It was the size of a large beach ball and 2.5 stories up under the soffit. It worked out good but was a slow process. I will see if I can find some of the photos, when I return from our family vacation!(Cuba)


----------



## gonzoBee (May 10, 2012)

have a great vacation ,man i'm jealous


----------



## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

Two mediums FULL of bees. The largest of my swarms thus far. This year.... could top that with the chilly weather. Swarm season here is right around the corner!


----------



## Sir_Gregory (Apr 19, 2013)

This was a swarm that landed yesterday at about 2pm. I went at 7am to retrieve it. I tried a Squirt bottle with 1:1 suger water for the first time. It made getting it so much easier because they could not fly but would clump and fall. I put it in a nuc box and imidiatly moved it to my yard.









This is the best picture of the queen I could get. She looked young with extra semen atatched to the end of her abdomen.


----------



## gonzoBee (May 10, 2012)

Greg those are great pic thanks for sharing


----------



## Slee (Jun 22, 2009)

Last week


----------



## clumsy red bear (Jun 15, 2012)

I am currently trying to fit this jet into a cooler.


----------



## gonzoBee (May 10, 2012)

red bear that's one cool looking swarm configuration, wow:thumbsup:


----------



## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

A friend of mine, about 4 miles away has two hives. He did not feed this Spring, but, they came through the Winter very heavy. Well, in two weeks he has had 5 swarms from these two hives. Here is a photo of # 3.

















cchoganjr


----------



## Sticky Bear (Mar 15, 2012)

First swarm of the 2013 season yesterday. Bee yard inspection today.


----------

