Swarm Update 3/5/08

Wednesday am...still in the oak...the short oak, on a fat stump, nearly impossible to try to scrape/brush them into anything.  I attempted, but I figures I wasn't helping them by stressing them out, so I went to the grocery store to buy more sugar to make more syrup. When I returned from the grocery store around 1pm, they were gone from the scrub oak...Oh my where did they go?

I saw bees flying around my little work shed.  There was an overturned metal garbage can.  They all decided that the can would make a good home I guess...

Well I stood and pondered, how to remove 30,000 bees from an upside down garbage can? Think like a bee?  I placed the hive body, which I put on a sheet, next to the garbage can.  Sprayed the bees down with syrup as best I could, as most of them were IN the can!  I gently lifted the can and gingerly lifted it over the hive body and thumped it down...bees poured into the hive, I quickly set the lid on and put a bucket of sugar syrup in for food.  I noticed a cluster of bees on the side of the hive body...and though best just to watch and wait.