My first swarm call for 2020

tomandcara
tomandcara Posts: 712 ✭✭✭✭
edited November 2020 in Beekeeping

I received my first swarm call yesterday. The swarm was about 15 miles away and high in a tree, so decided to pass on the opportunity. I am certain there will me more calls. Like the first blossoms of spring, things are just starting

Comments

  • EarlKelly
    EarlKelly Posts: 230 ✭✭✭

    Can’t believe you got one already. Bees are just building up their numbers here in Pennsylvania. Looking forward to the spring season. Hope you get as many calls as you care to handle. Good luck and stay well.

  • tomandcara
    tomandcara Posts: 712 ✭✭✭✭

    @EarlKelly Our daughter lives in Nebraska and wants to start beekeeping next year, so I am hoping to get 2 strong hives to take to her this winter so she can be ready for the new adventure. You stay well as well.

  • EarlKelly
    EarlKelly Posts: 230 ✭✭✭

    @tomandcara good luck. Always happy to hear of another convert. Top bar hives? Slowly convincing my kids they should get some, rather than come to dad for their honey. Good luck and you and your family stay well.

  • tomandcara
    tomandcara Posts: 712 ✭✭✭✭

    @EarlKelly Yes topbar hives. She has worked with me with my hives and is familiar with them. She can't beat the start up cost since she pretty much will only need to get a veil, smoker, a hive tool and some 3-5 gallon plastic buckets with lids. 20 + years ago when I took my first beekeeping class, the instructor said if you are thinking about beekeeping as a money generating hobby, think again. Do it for the love of the bees and nature.

    Have your kids helped work your hives with you? Do they live close enough that you can be their mentor? My daughter has dreamed of keeping bees for years . She and her husband bought a house late last year and now that she has her own yard, she can make that dream a reality. My son has never shown interest in the bees and I can't imagine that will ever change,

    On the other hand, my daughter has always been more connected to nature , herbs, health and gardening. She took the Master Gardener program this year in Omaha. COVID affected the last part of the series and her volunteer time.

  • EarlKelly
    EarlKelly Posts: 230 ✭✭✭

    @tomandcara here too. Can’t do any of our volunteer time either, aren’t allowed to even work in our education gardens. Yes my kids are close enough so that when they need help I get a call. They try to limit that now. My youngest daughter is an earth child. Everything natural and organic. Wants me to set up some hives for her. So as soon as I get the go ahead ready to go. I have two boys and they are both interested, have worked with me a bunch of time with my bees. They help whenever they can. Love to see what I am growing in my yard. Grandkids love coming to grandpas farm. Let them pick and eat whatever they want.

    Might put together a top bar hive and give it a try. Sounds like you will have a great time setting her up. Wish you both the best of luck.

  • tomandcara
    tomandcara Posts: 712 ✭✭✭✭

    @EarlKelly sounds like you have a good potential to get all 3 working bees . Let me know if you have other questions about topbar beekeeping.

  • Jens the Beekeeper
    Jens the Beekeeper Posts: 651 admin

    @tomandcara exciting times. I would have past on that one too. Not worth risking your health climbing into trees for bees.

    Got one swarm call this week too but the swarm already had left when I was there.

    But as you said there will be more to come.

  • tomandcara
    tomandcara Posts: 712 ✭✭✭✭

    @Jens 20 years ago I was climbing trees to collect swarms. Not so much now, but never say never again. I will just say probably not.

  • EarlKelly
    EarlKelly Posts: 230 ✭✭✭

    @tomandcara been there done that. Don’t bounce so well anymore. Got a call from my brother in law. He had 3 dying trees taken down so they wouldn’t hit his house. After the half dead beech tree hit the ground, a lot of angry bees came out. So he called me to come take a look and see if I wanted them. They were up about 30 feet in a hollow knot in the tree. Pouring rain today, so if it isn’t too bad tomorrow will transfer them to one of my hives. Been researching top bar plans and think I will build one and have it available for anymore that I get. Will post some pictures as I open up the tree and remove the bees. Love it when I can work on the ground. Stay safe.

  • tomandcara
    tomandcara Posts: 712 ✭✭✭✭

    @EarlKelly There are many topbar plans available now. I use the Hardison hive plan, It as served me well for 20 years and Mart Hardison for 40 years, Personally I think that many of the newer plans have much too steep an angle. If I were starting now and had Langstroth hives, I would make a long hive with the same width as the langstroth an same depth as a deep. This would allow an interchange between the topbar hive and the langstroth

  • shllnzl
    shllnzl Posts: 1,820 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I am happy there are people like you who will go to rescue a swarm before a pest control company is called in.

  • tomandcara
    tomandcara Posts: 712 ✭✭✭✭

    @shllnzl a GOOD pest control company will have beekeepers in the data bank and call them for honeybees. They will also know the difference between a honeybee and yellow jackets, hornets, wasps etc. and won't call a beekeeper for anything other than honeybees

  • EarlKelly
    EarlKelly Posts: 230 ✭✭✭

    @tomandcara been checking the horizontal hive out so can use the langstroth hives that I already have. So many choices now. Compared to when I got started. Excited about the upcoming season. Will keep you up to date. Thanks for all the tips.

  • tomandcara
    tomandcara Posts: 712 ✭✭✭✭

    @EarlKelly To me the horizontal hive makes lots of sense . You can do the topbar approach . In my opinion and based on my experience the bees are going to attach the comb to the sides of the hive no matter what angle you make the sides. A horizontal hive will be easier to make than other topbar designs because you don't have to deal with angles other than 90 degrees.

  • EarlKelly
    EarlKelly Posts: 230 ✭✭✭

    @tomandcara see that. Also figured I could still use my honey extractor. Just trying to be practical with what I have. Anymore swarm calls? Stay well and your family.

  • tomandcara
    tomandcara Posts: 712 ✭✭✭✭

    @EarlKelly no calls yet. Check out the video link @Jens posted yesterday on "a year with my bees" about sustainable beekeeping. it is paradigm shifting