Rob Chance
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Rowdy SwarmMonday morning about 11:00 my wife and I saw/heard a large swarm of bees going across our side yard. They landed about 18 feet up in a tree about 30 ft from my beehives.
When all of the bees finally settled, I knew for sure that these were not my bees, the swarm was as big a a 5 gallon bucket. This is only the fourth swarm I've seen personally, but by far the biggest. So, I called up my brother, and we made plans to go get them.
With no way to get a ladder up the tree safely, we opted to put a bucket on a pole, and get them that way. I could almost stand under the tree, and catch the bees in the bucket, then just dump them into my empty setup. Sounds too good to be true don't it?
Well, it was!
I got the bucket barely up to the swarm and it sounded like someone started a chainsaw.
So much for swarms being docile because they have nothing to protect! These bees acted like they had nothing to loose!
I wound up with 21 stings, my brother counted 9 on him ( he can run a little faster I guess). These bees were still stinging us 75 yds away, 45 minutes later.
While I didn't get the swarm, it sure made for some good laughs, and just reinforced my wifes perception that "you boys are nuts!"
What would cause these bees to be so testy? I can understand a couple of stings while shaking them into the bucket, but 45 min. later and 75 yards away?
Seems a little aggressive to me, not at all like the other swarms I've seen.
Any input from some of you with more experience would be greatly appreciated!
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Zane
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I try to spray sugar water on them before I shake them but that would be hard w/o a fire hose in your case!
I know over here in the west side we had bad storms then and my girls where all a bit grumpy. I left them alone!
I had a swarm that was real grumpy a while back also. I got numerous stings catching them. Then later in the day I went and did a cutout and never had a bump much less a sting! If anyone figures these bugs out let me know! 
Good Luck next time
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Scott Moser
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Hi Rob,
Lots of reasons that they could be so testy. Weather could very well be a factor. Possibly they had swarmed several days before, and were running short of honey in their stomachs. Testy swarms though dont usually happen very often, but they are not unheard of. A seasoned beekeeper in southwest Missouri got a swarm that was very testy. He was stung quite a bit in the process. They had that swarm tested for AHB, but found them to be just regular European bees. The state is monitoring and testing for AHB along the interstates in southern Missouri, but they havent found any to be Africanized.
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