The Bees Are Here!

Our friend, Bee Jeff, called us Thursday evening and told us he had captured a swarm in a nearby neighborhood. We waited until evening, donned our protective apparel, and went to get the box.



Chris looks good in ladies' coats! We had to wear light colors to minimize their fear.


We wrapped the box in a sheet. I could feel the box vibrating when I picked up. It was a small swarm - just under two pounds, Jeff thought.



We had no idea what to do once we got home. I thought the bees would just shake off and fall into the hive, but they were balled up around the queen and sticking to the box. We called Jeff and he told us to thump the box really hard. When I did, it worked. Then I had to replace the center frames I had taken out to make room for them. It was impossible to slide those back in without killing some bees. And each bee feels so precious. I was also afraid of damaging the queen.



But the next morning, all appeared well. Today (Saturday) the hive was buzzing with activity in the afternoon sun. It made me wish the supers were transparent. We have been out there to replace a few more frames in the upper super, and the bees seemed so calm. No stings yet...