First Swarm

Nothing quite equals the sight of a swarm. It can be a real thrill. But seeing bees circling around a bush or branch is a jolting experience when you're not exactly prepared nor expecting it.

I was visiting a friend in Southern California this weekend, and we went into his backyard to sit down to have some ice tea and catch up on old times when I suddenly noticed the swirling of bees just on the other side of his fence. I was equal parts ecstatic and panicked. Here I was with a sudden opportunity to use some beekeeping skills to capture a swarm, and even show them off to a good friend, but for one major detail...I did not have any of my gear and I was hundreds of miles away from my nearest hive. I immediately pointed out the swarm to my friend, along with my conundrum, as I walked over to have a closer look. The size of the swarm was about the size of a large melon. It wouldn't make for a large colony, but it could be a decent start for a hive. What to do?

Since I didn't have any gear with me, I determined my first option would be to contact a local beekeepers group and see if they would want to try and capture the swarm. This way the swarm is captured and moved, avoiding any problems for the local residents. But I discovered that where I was at, there didn't appear to be a nearby beekeeping association. So, what to do?

After some quick discussion, since I was obviously too far away from my hives and gear, the only other option would be to try and build something. My buddy is an accomplished woodworker and he had some good scrap lumber to work with so he offered to build an impromptu nucleus hive box with some scrap mahogany lumber. I guess if you can use mahogany...why not? I went online and grabbed some diagrams from beesource.com for making a 5 frame nucleus hive box, made some adjustments given the material we had to work with. It took a bit longer than hoped but he was done in about 45 minutes. It came out amazing! Unfortunately, no sooner was the luxury "nuc" done than the swarm dispersed. We ended standing by the fence with this beautiful box, but swarm less.

In the end, although we missed out on catching the swarm, there were some upsides. My woodworking friend quickly learned about some beehive requirements and how to build a "nuc." He's certain he could do it again in half the time if needed again. And I found out how nice a nucleus hive can look in mahogany. Really nice! I also learned to consider taking at least some core beekeeping gear anywhere I go...at least during swarm season.