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I've been on a bee rampage the past couple of weeks.
Friday after lunch I got a call from a local golf course that had a swarm in a tree. I went to get that a guy live streamed as I did it. They were around 10' up a branch but I was able to shake them into a box. After I had shook the branch, what must have been the REST of the swarm came flying in which was somewhat chaotic but It was cool.
I took those home and was hiving them and before I was done had another call a lady had a swarm on the trunk of a tree outside her house. That one I placed a box of comb frames on the ground under it, made a bridge with an old comb and then used a brush to "encourage" the bees to go into the box.
I've tripled my hives so far this year. I know I have 2 traps that have bees in them, and I've got a tree I'm going to try a trap out on. I don't really want to screw with it but its outside the front door of an older couple who are adopting a young child from their shithead kid and they are fearful for her. I've never done a trap out, but have gathered materials to do it. The basic process for this is to make a screen/1/8" hardware cloth "cone" about a foot long that gets about as narrow as the end of your pinky finger at the end. It has flaps on the bottom and you'll staple it over the hole in the tree and make it tight so that bees can get out, but not back in. I'll either screw a box to the tree near that location or put it on a hunting ladder stand next to it so the bees have a place to go. I'll put a frame of brood in it to encourage the bees to tend them, with the idea that the hive will eventually empty enough that the queen will come out to see what's going on...and then I'll seal the entrance to the tree.
I've also decided I'm going to build a top bar hive. I've bought materials and will probably start that tonight.
In short, it's going pretty well this year and I should have some pics of new things to share.
On a side note, I learned from a large bee keeper why the bees that beat up my son are so mean....verroa mites. I've tried to requeen them with cells twice, which they chewed out, and bought a queen that died within the 1hr drive home....I'm going to use these to build comb until they die off....F those bees.
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