For illustrated talks on natural history and history see www.peterlovetttalks.co.uk

For illustrated talks on natural history and history click here for www.peterlovetttalks.co.uk

Tuesday 23 June 2015

Honeybee swarm this afternoon

 Tremendous fun this afternoon when a honeybee swarm landed in a Davidia involucrata on the verge outside my house.
Everything laid out for collection; sheet, towel and skep.


 My neighbor was able collect the swarm in the skep to start a new hive.. after I climbed up the step ladder to get a closer shot.  A video of the collection process was taken.  Please see https://www.facebook.com/peter.lovett.18/videos/10153408866089049/

 The skep was left, full of bees, for an hour or so for the majority of bees to enter and calm down.



Then it was wrapped up and carried off to start a new hive.

 Otto will now block the exit from the skep temporarily with grass and place it onto a wooden ramp leading to a new hive.  The colony will then hopefully climb up into the new hive in the morning as the grass dries and shrivels allowing the bees to leave the skep.  Nice job Otto!  And I didn't get stung at all.


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