If my view seemed harsh, it is because I have asked the NYC health dept
to correct a "technical error" in their regulations.  They prohibited
beekeeping in NYC on the grounds that bees were added to their list of 
"dangerous animals inclined to do harm".  While they agree that this is
a provably false statement, any bad PR about bee swarms might have
a negative impact on what would otherwise be a simple no-brainer.

> What if this swarm had issued from a nearby managed hive in the Bronx
Zoo?

The hives at the Zoo are a mile away from the swarm location.  It is
very
unlikely that a swarm would fly a mile before settling on a wall.  The 
swarm settled well southwest of the Zoo, and the Zoo hives are in the
far
Northeast corner of the Zoo property.

> I hope a beekeeper negligent in swarm prevetion/control did not cause 
> the unsuspecting public unnecessary alarm...

Just to reassure you, both Zoo hives were split in April, and both of 
the hives that were split were headed by new queens installed last fall.
Supers have been on since late April, so they are too busy making a crop

to swarm.  Haven't seen any queen or swarm cells either, something I
wanted to show to the Zookeepers I am teaching.  And yes, there is a
swarm trap in a tree a few hundred feet from the hives.  It is still
there, baited with some old comb and some synthetic lure stuff I've
been messing with (citral/geraniol).

> So you didn't leave a lure either: Pot calling kettle comes to mind

Hold on there, those were not my bees to collect.  I had no right to
trespass on private property, nor had I any right to collect bees
where I had not been asked to do so.  The twice this year that I have
been asked by NYPD and Parks and Rec to collect swarms in Manhattan 
professional jobs were done.  In this case, merely talking with the 
residents and explaining what was going on seemed to be sufficient 
to calm their fears, so I considered the problem solved.

This sort of thing is 99% public relations, and 1% beekeeping,
as everyone who has collected a swarm "with an audience" knows.

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