This evening I somewhat unexpectedly picked up two swarms of bees. The first was the prime swarm I think, hanging about in the top of an elder tree and not amused with me when I knocked them out of it. Nowhere near as unamused as they’d be had they had to stay out in the rain that started shortly afterwards and is forecast to hang around for most of tomorrow as well, I bet.
But I also noticed a small swarm hanging on a wall near the first, so I’ve collected that as well despite them not being particularly willing. I’m assuming it’s a cast from the same colony as the first. I’m really not sure how viable it is given the size. I’m half-tempted to put it in a nuke box or partition a brood chamber down the middle so they just have five or six frames to work on for a few weeks.
Anyhow, tomorrow I shall take them to a local farm which is almost surrounded by oilseed rape. Hopefully they’ll be happy there. Normally the OSR would be well over by now, but it’s been in flower for about a month, probably because so many pollinators aren’t flying so much thanks to the cold weather.
I should have taken some pictures of the swams, but it was late and I was working until it was dark as it is (and then I had to make up a pile of frames to give them when I put them in hives tomorrow).