Got my second swarm!

I called my friend and fellow beekeeper Dale Wallerstein who came right over to help. I borrowed a ladder from my neighbor then we developed a plan. First we got some rope and pulled back the branch that was below the swarm to make room for the ladder. Then we roped the branch with the swarm and pulled it down low enough so I could reach it.

After the swarm was in the nuc box there was still a clump of bees bunching by the entrance. They weren’t going in like I observed last time. I was afraid the queen might still be on the outside of the box. So I got another brood box, transferred the frames inside, then shook all the bees from the nuc into it. Now all is well!

There’s my sixth hive sitting on the ground.

I then checked all my hives. To the best of my “still a newbee” experience I’d say the swarm was not mine…

Not to be over shadowed by the bees, I had another visitor worth mentioning in the pasture today as well.