Catching A Swarm Of Bees - Part 2

Last week I shared with you about catching the swarm of bees and thought I would finish up this week on how we transported them to  their new home and into the hive.  

Once we had the bees out of the tree and into a large box, we sealed up the box and put them into the back of the truck and off towards home we went.  I am pretty sure I could be an adrenaline junkie  because that was amazingly fun!

This picture of my mom cracks me up, she's telling me we've got to hurry the bees are getting hot and upset.  We could hear them hitting the inside of the box.  Calm down mother we're all coming down from an adrenaline high, they'll be ok.

Once we made it home with the bees, Larry had to very quickly make a top cover and bottom board for a hive.  We had one extra box but no bottom or top.  We weren't expecting a new bee family.

With Larry's quick construction complete, now to get those bees from the cardboard box into the hive.  As you know we are new at this.  Our first plan was to sit the cardboard box at the opening of the hive and the bees would see this lovely new home and walk right in.  Hee Hee seems pretty funny right now.  Didn't happen like that...time for a new plan.

Larry picks up the box and gives it a good wamoo and the bees bounce into the hive.  Once again we are not stung to death, the queen is in the box and all the bees go in after her.

There are many more bees in this box than what you can see at this time, they are already down in between the frames checking things out.  The brown clump of stuff is pollen cakes for the bees to eat.  

In no time at all, the bees are checking out the entrance to the hive and by the end of the day they are working and foraging.  They are amazing creatures!
I can tell from watching our two other hives that we purchased as packages of bees and comparing them to this hive.  Just within under two weeks time, this hive of bees has almost completely filled all the frames with comb and will soon need a new box on top.
Since we have caught this swarm from my mother's tree, the hive in her tree has swarmed once again.  They were too high up in the tree for me to get them and Larry wasn't home to help me that day, so we missed out on that batch of bees.
If you plan on getting into bees I recommend getting a nucleus hive instead of a package of bees, the difference is very clear.
Have a great weekend!
Angie