One of our hives decided to swarm this afternoon (about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday
5/20). I heard it as it happened and got to the hives within a few minutes.
Have to say that it is a very impressive sight when they first start to go!
 
Needless to say, we got "caught with our pants down". Dan'l has been
getting ready to thwart a possible swarming, but didn't get the honey
supers on in time and didn't get the new hive body finished (which he is
busily working on as I write this).
 
The swarm has settled not too far from the hiveyard, which is convenient.
The bad news is that the spot they picked to settle in is in the middle of
a giant, overgrown and ancient blackberry thicket. And I mean in the
MIDDLE!
 
What to do? My idea is to set up the new hivebody in a cleared area
adjacent to the thicket and hope that the scouts discover it. Should it be
baited with sugar water or something? How can we make the empty hive more
attractive than one of the dozens of hollow trees in the area? (We have 190
acres of woods.)
 
Advice and suggestions please! This is the first time we've had this
happen.
 
Paula Franke and Dan'l Sisson
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   "There are only two things to remember about life:
      1. Don't sweat the small stuff
      2. Everything is small stuff."