I got to go catch a wild swarm a couple of weeks ago. It was so much fun! The bees had located themselves in a low laying branch on a young tree, so really it was sort of an ideal catch. Not eventful, no troubles, and Super FUN! I'm guessing there are about 40 thousand bees in this swarm.
My own bees are doing pretty great! I got to super one of my hives this last weekend. I'm so excited!
I also created a little mini Bee Pond. Those darn wasps insist on sharing.
In this picture the bees are gathering the water off the discarded leaves. They really love that salt water.
It's been so hot and dry that I was worried about my bees not getting enough water. The first couple of days only the occasional bee would stop by, but then I read somewhere that they love a little salt in their water. I added a quick shake, nothing crazy, and now it's a pretty happening place. There are all kinds of ways to make bee ponds, but this is what I came up with on the fly. I change the leaves out about every 3 days, and add a little fresh water while I'm gardening. The leaves make it so that the bees have a landing and don't end up drowning in the water. It's fun to watch them sipping away.
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