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I've been keeping this blog for all of my beekeeping years and I am beginning my 19th year of beekeeping in April 2024. Now there are more than 1300 posts on this blog. Please use the search bar below to search the blog for other posts on a subject in which you are interested. You can also click on the "label" at the end of a post and all posts with that label will show up. At the very bottom of this page is a list of all the labels I've used.

Even if you find one post on the subject, I've posted a lot on basic beekeeping skills like installing bees, harvesting honey, inspecting the hive, etc. so be sure to search for more once you've found a topic of interest to you. And watch the useful videos and slide shows on the sidebar. All of them have captions. Please share posts of interest via Facebook, Pinterest, etc.

I began this blog to chronicle my beekeeping experiences. I have read lots of beekeeping books, but nothing takes the place of either hands-on experience with an experienced beekeeper or good pictures of the process. I want people to have a clearer picture of what to expect in their beekeeping so I post pictures and write about my beekeeping saga here.Master Beekeeper Enjoy with me as I learn and grow as a beekeeper.

Need help with an Atlanta area swarm? Visit Found a Swarm? Call a Beekeeper. ‪(404) 482-1848‬

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Sunday, March 30, 2008

Julia's Swarm

During the day at work, I keep my email up and running. On Thursday between appointments, I checked my email to find one from my friend Julia entitled: "Yikes!" Of course that got my immediate attention.

Her son's hive had swarmed. She watched the bees fly out of the hive by the thousands for the twenty minute process of leaving the hive. And then as luck would have it, the bees gathered on a branch in Julia's yard.

Julia, who was taken entirely by surprise by this development, called Martha, the president of our bee club and the Georgia Beekeeper of the Year. Martha came over with an extra hive box and the process of trying to capture the swarm began.

Julia's husband and sons collected the swarm while she took the pictures. (Her youngest son is wearing Julia's beesuit!) They shook the bees into a large Rubbermaid container. Then they poured the swarm into the hive body. Julia sent me pictures and you can now see the process of capturing this swarm by clicking on the slideshow below to see the pictures full-sized:



I love the picture of the proud swarm-catchers in the last slide.

Up to now Julia and her oldest son have each had bee hives, although the family clearly has the outfits for everyone to participate! Now this new hive will belong to her youngest son.

How lucky to be there for the swarm, to have it land in her yard, and to have it be low enough to effect a capture! I wish I could have seen it, but the pictures are fantastic. Thanks for sharing these, Julia.

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