Swarm Capture

The first swarm of the 2012 season. Call was taken at 4:45 PM on March 24th. The season is early and the swarm is large.

The vacuum system was used to collect the bees.

Honey Bee Removal

Removal was done February 28, 2012

A large old home that is falling down.

The bees are located on the left side.

Someone had tried to get the bees to move in to a hive box.

The inside wall is warm between the window and corner.

A section of the sheet rock is removed from the bottom area of the cavity.

The vacuum process starts as soon as bees are visible.

Comb is removed from the wall, and secured in the frames.

Frames are then placed into a prepared deep super that will become the new brood chamber.

The final section is exposed and vacuumed clean.

Hive Wraps

A cut is made alone the white line to give a 18" x 36" sheet of material.

A 5/8" sq. stock piece of poplar 18" long is used to staple the fabric. 2 holes are pre- drilled 2" from each end.

The fabric is placed against the hive on the East & South exposure using 2 wood screws per wood support.

Ready for some sun.

Heart of Virginia Beekeepers Assoc.

February Meeting
Farmville, VA

2012 Club Officers

Ben Clark,vice president; Kary Reynolds, secretary; Katie Register, treasurer; Tommy Nelson, president

Katie;taking orders for hats and shirts with club's new logo

Guest Speaker; Mr. Dean Downs, Lynchburg, VA

Club members

Ben Clark auctioning a bottle of donated honey to the crowd

Honey Bee Removal

With temps in the mid 60s at the end of Jan., we are doing a 2nd cut out in the 1st month of 2012. Bees are working the Henbit blooms.

Honey Bee Removal

The first cut out of 2012. With unusually warm weather in January, we were able to move this colony for a contractor working on the house.

Spring Swarm

May 2, 2011.
There is NO picture of the swarm I picked up on Monday. It was 4:00 PM when the call came so I hurriedly put my stuff in the truck that had fuel and took off with out the camera. The bees were in the parking area of a private home half way in the pea gravel on the brick walk way. I used the vacuum to collect them into the brood box.