Greensboro swarm 4/10/24
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2024 8:41 am
I got a call from a neighbor on Wednesday about a swarm at the base of an AC unit. This particular house appears to be a magnet for some reason, as I had responded to them last spring when they had scout bees coming down their chimney and entering the living room!
This time they were on vacation, so when I got there 10 minutes later, the swarm had already started to fly up to a branch overhead about 20' or so. I ran to get my "catch pole" (a mesh office trash can strapped to an extendable pole) while they collected into a nice ball. I was able to get them in the basket, lower them down, and pour right into the box. I saw a mated queen, waited until dark, and moved them easily.
Not the biggest swarm, but I did this as a public service since I had visions of these neighbors coming home from Jamaica to find a colony had moved into their house! Next March, I'll see if they'll let me set up a swarm trap in their yard to hopefully avoid any issues with their house...
This time they were on vacation, so when I got there 10 minutes later, the swarm had already started to fly up to a branch overhead about 20' or so. I ran to get my "catch pole" (a mesh office trash can strapped to an extendable pole) while they collected into a nice ball. I was able to get them in the basket, lower them down, and pour right into the box. I saw a mated queen, waited until dark, and moved them easily.
Not the biggest swarm, but I did this as a public service since I had visions of these neighbors coming home from Jamaica to find a colony had moved into their house! Next March, I'll see if they'll let me set up a swarm trap in their yard to hopefully avoid any issues with their house...