Yesterday afternoon, while I was sorting out the lawn edges I stopped to listen to the bees. They seemed to be pretty loud and a lot of them in the air, how strange I thought, then I realized that there was a swarm hanging around, flying around the hives, moving onto a willow tree next to them and than down. They settled on a branch sticking out of the ground with a root sticking out. So I watched, they were congregating underneath with a few bees in the air, my lot has calmed right down and continued on with their business. I got a hive ready, floor, brood box with some new, some drawn comb and a couple of foundationless frames, roof. I placed the hive just above the swarm, opened the entrance and the little eyelet. The weather was turning so I decided to help them a bit, Mike handed me a dust pan and a brush and I swept the bees three times, on the third time as I turned it towards the hive to empty it, I spotted the Queen, once she was there that was just brilliant. I closed the roof, swept a few more that returned to the branch, they walked into the hive. Few minutes later I moved the hive into is locations. They seem calm, quiet. I treated them with BeeVital Hive Clean this morning, pushed a floor under. I will check first thing tomorrow morning and they have received a half of 3:2 mix tonight. Shared it with the other swarmed hive. We shall see how quickly they draw it, the last swarm took its time at the beginning but they soon got the hang of it. So we have 4 hives, 2 more to go.
I don’t think it is one of my hives that swarmed, there is only one hive that could have done it and that does not seem to be realistic given the circumstances. I am going to check them over the weekend and going to have a good look at them all. So we shall see.
The weather has been stormy to say the least, started late last night, thunder and lightening going round and round, just about went on from late last night to the early hours of this morning, today has been pretty decent, and we had a flash flood in our garden if nowhere else, at about 5 o’clock this afternoon. There was water coming out of everywhere, we have been making beds, paths etc in the hope it would take water as and when it happens, but today was a special case, the drains were not taking the water fast enough. It is forecast to be raining on and off for a few days now, but the bees have been fed so they should be ok and busy sorting themselves out.