Hived a Swarm

Young Matt comes home a little after 11PM and says the neighbor told him earlier in the day that a swarm of bees was hanging in a bush at the back of their lot. We go out and look -- certainment, bees. Beautiful bees. Tight cluster, but big. Only 3 feet off the ground. I staple a super onto a bottom board, insert a reducer, and off we go. Matt stands back about 20 feet and plays the light on the swarm. I hold up the super, letting the bottom of the swarm touch the top bars of the frames, and give the branch a yank.

Bulls-eye! Almost the whole swarm drops on top of the bars, and after a moment or two, starts to disappear between the frames. Queenie must have headed for the innards. I scoop up a few of the fallen bees, brush most of the ones on the lip of the super onto the bars, and pop on a top cover. My gauntlet blocks the reducer entry. I start carrying it to its spot. Bees are heavier than you think.

Then it starts to happen. I feel movement inside my jeans. Soon there is a burning sensation. Then another. Then another. Smart aleck Matt. Tells me I should have tied off my cuffs.

I set the super down, and head for the house. Matt is trailing behind with the light. He should not have walked past the super. He gets to the bottom of the hill and complains bees are all over him. Not many, really, maybe 2 dozen. I understand, though. It can feel like a lot more. I tell him to turn off the light and stand still, then get a rag and go to him and start brushing them off. Soon he is clean. Me, not so easy.

So, we killed a few, we lost a few, but I figure between 40,000 - 50,000 went into their new home. I had some drawn comb in the super; maybe they will stay. I hope so. Just be careful where you walk in our yard for the next few days. Those ladies were not happy.

Michelle will be coming home from work in a short while. I hope things are calmed down on the deck by then. I'm going to sleep. Its after midnight and I have to be on the road to Columbus at 5:45.