Hiving a Swarm - Three Times!

We played with bees all weekend - we're still not done and I haven't yet written about our experience, but this happened last spring and I thought I'd whet your appetite. I posted this on Facebook but it is worthy of a blog of it's own. Here's the story...

It was late in the afternoon - dusk, and I had just begun the evening chores. We had had a really full day - I don't remember the specifics, but I do know that when Bob called, "Oh honey!"
I thought, "Oh no."
He had found a swarm.

                                     How To Hive a Swarm - Three Times:

STEP 1:  Find a swarm of bees at dusk





















STEP 2:  Clip branches away from swarm at night

3. STEP 3:  Climb tall ladder with heavy box and balance under the swarm. Shake the branch HARD and try to catch the bees as they fall.

STEP 4:   Once the majority of the bees are in the box lose your balance and send the box crashing upside down to the ground. Right the box and hope you didn't kill the queen.

STEP 5:   Return in the morning to find all the bees back in the tree

STEP 6:   This time place box securely on ladder under swarm and using a hook on a long pole shake the limb HARD and again try to catch all the bees.

STEP 7:   Return to find swarm UNDER the hive box

STEP 8:   Wait until 10:30 pm, disassemble hive box and gently carry swarm to yet another bee box with tee-shirt stuffed in the doorway.

STEP 9:  Use a paint brush to ever so gently brush entire ball into new home. Cover.

STEP 10:   Place new hive in field, remove tee shirt from doorway and hope they like their new home.