A Late Spring Swarm

Having no bees to start the season with, I was faced with an important decision: do I wait for a swarm or drop about $100 on a package of bees?

The winter was unkind to many beekeepers, likely meaning swarms could be difficult to come by. I eventually broke down and ordered a package of Italian bees with a clipped/marked queen. I learned a lot last year and hoped that the extra money for bees from a reputable company would be worth the price.  I would not be disappointed!

About a week before my bees arrived, the observation hive at work decided to swarm.  Not only this, but strong winds forced them to land about 2 feet off the ground on the branch of a shrub, ripe for capture.

A very large swarm. (photo by Leslie)

Technically, they were still the nature center's bees, so I would not have wanted to take them for my hive. Not to mention these bees from Russian decent have generally been annoyingly aggressive. Unfortunately, they were not captured effectively for another hive and soon flew off through the forest.

It was pretty interesting to follow the swarm through the trees.  You could see the cloud of insects moving, but listening for the buzz was the best way to trace them. Their final resting place for the evening was about 60 feet off the ground in a tuliptree.